The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros (2021)
What will life be after society’s collapse? Rowenna and her young son are among the survivors of a post-nuclear catastrophe in a rural area of Wales. They learn new skills for living without electricity or technology. As they grow and become stronger, Dylan takes on more adult roles. Mother and son reflect on their old lives by journaling their thoughts, memories, and hopes in a notebook as they forge a new history to live by.
QUOTES
“She got this book from a house we broke into in Nebo. It was in one of the small drawers of a little desk in the corner of someone’s living room. Usually, we only steal the really important stuff like matches or rat poison or books. But she held this notebook in her hands and turned it over a few times before putting it in her bag.”
“You have that,” she said later, when we got home, “to write your story.”
“Mam says that it’s best to write like this now. Because she can’t be bothered to teach me, I think. Can’t be bothered or can’t find the energy. I’m not sure which it is. Or if there’s any difference.”
Book Leader Marco Macias Discusses The Blue Book of Nebo
Marco Macias earned his Ph.D. in History from the University of Arizona in 2018. Before that, he had received two masters in Latin American Studies and Public Administration and a bachelor’s in political science, History, and Latin American Studies. He specializes in Latin American history, with a concentration in Mexico. His areas of interest are in cultural studies and sensory history. He is currently developing a monograph on Francisco Villa and his portrayals in popular culture and collective memory.
