Retreating from an airborne virus with a uniquely unsettling symptom, property developer Jason escapes London for his country estate. Succumbing to the condition, he is cared for by two young women who are squatting in his house. Being used to subsistence living, they have gathered abandoned animals, tools and food from the neighbouring farms and are coping without electricity or plumbing.

But when more survivors arrive seeking sanctuary —including Deirdre, an elegant landowner, Aleksy, a 5-foot tall circus strongman from Poland who has a pet monkey, and Django, an eccentric young musician— tensions increase. With the established order under threat, events begin to spiral out of control.  

Meanwhile, far into the future, an isolated community of descendants continue to farm this same estate. Among their most treasured possessions are a few books, including a copy of Jane Eyre, from which they have constructed their hierarchies, rituals and beliefs. When 15-year-old Agnes begins to record the events of her life, she has no idea what consequences will follow.

Locked away in an attic for her transgressions, she manages to escape to the shadowy urban ruins beyond the limits of her community, where she experiences a dangerous kind of freedom. Inextricably linked, Agnes’ and Jason’s two stories interweave, illuminating each other in unexpected ways, offering long vistas of loss, regeneration and wonder. 

Curious about how societies develop, and the different kinds of oppression that result from an absence of order or from an excess of it, Joe Treasure has crafted his stunning and thought-provoking third novel, The Book of Air, which is set to captivate fans of contemporary literary and speculative fiction.

About the author: Joe Treasure currently lives in South West London with his wife Leni Wildflower. As an English teacher in Wales, he ran an innovative drama programme, before following Leni across the pond to Los Angeles, an experience that inspired his critically acclaimed debut novel The Male Gaze. His second novel Besotted also met with rave reviews. 

His latest novel, The Book of Air was published 4th April 2017. For more information please visit www.joetreasure.com

Article supplied by Kate Appleton