The End of the Ocean

From the author of the number one international bestseller The History of Bees, a captivating new novel about the threat of a worldwide water shortage as seen through the eyes of a father and daughter.

'The story of a present-day Norwegian eco-campaigner alternates with that of a French family in the overheated future. They are in a camp for refugees from eco-disaster – but it’s not all doom and gloom. They find friendship, love and an unexpected gift from the past' Wendy Holden, Daily Mail

2019: seventy-year-old Signe sets out on a hazardous voyage to cross an entire ocean in only a sailboat. She is haunted by the loss of the love of her life, and is driven by a singular and all-consuming mission to make it back to him.

2041: David flees with his young daughter, Lou, from a war-torn Southern Europe plagued by drought. They are on a desperate search to reunite with their family when they find Signe’s abandoned sailboat in a parched French garden, miles away from the nearest shore.

As David and Lou discover personal effects from Signe’s travels, their journey of survival and hope weaves together with Signe’s, forming a heartbreaking, inspiring story about the power of nature and the human spirit.

Praise for The History of Bees:

‘Fans of Cloud Atlas and Never Let Me Go will love The History of Bees’ Good Housekeeping

‘Dystopian and electric, this book is set to blow minds everywhere' Stylist

'Haunting and poignant ... an important and wonderful book' Dave Goulson, bestselling author of Bee Quest

‘Spectacular and deeply moving. Lunde has elegantly woven together a tale of science and science fiction, dystopia and hope, and the trials of the individual and the strengths of family’ Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author

‘Such is the genius of debut novelist Maja Lunde that her tale of three eras... is strung on the fragile hope of the survival of bees’ Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author

‘As a lover of honeybees and a fan of speculative fiction, I was doubly smitten by The History of Bees. Maja Lunde’s novel is an urgent reminder of how much our survival depends on those remarkable insects. It is also a gripping account of how—despite the cruelest losses—humanity may abide and individual families can heal’ Jean Hegland, author of Into the Forest

‘By turns devastating and hopeful, The History of Bees resonates powerfully with our most pressing environmental concerns’ Bryn Greenwood, New York Times bestselling author

‘Here is a story that is sweeping in scope but intimate in detail’ Laura McBride, author of We Are Called to Rise