Set in a world slowly and irrevocably falling apart because of environmental disasters caused by unbridled use of resources and consequent climate destruction, author Tim Winton opens his story with a man and a child travelling across a desert. They stop at an abandoned mine, and the man hopes they can rest there, but there's already an inhabitant, who threatens to kill them.

Pleading for their lives, the protagonist begins relating his life story and how the two came to the mine, in the hope of staying the judgment of the inhabitant.

We hear of a person whose mother, though ruthless, taught him how to build and maintain a life in a steadily worsening world. There is intense heat, lethal storms, clouds of ash, and other horrible examples of how hard it is to live, never mind thrive, in this devolving world.

When old enough, he begins travelling the wastes, trading for critical or necessary parts to keep their home going, and he comes to the attention of a secretive group that, once convinced he has value, bring him into their ranks. The group travels the world, targeting the secret enclaves of the super rich, who barricaded themselves and let the world fall apart outside their fortified gates.

Years spent fighting and trying to extend the life of his home has left the protagonist tired, and he's just trying to find a safe place to rest, and protect the young girl with him.

Using the relating of his life story as the way to move from the protagonist's present in the mine to his life eking out an existence, while delivering retribution to those whose selfishness and wealth insulated them from the effects of a dying climate, Winton shows us the incredible resilience of humans, but also their cruelty.

This novel had me riveted, and though long, kept my interest all the way to the end. It's tragic, exciting, disturbing, moving and so compelling.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Pan Macmillan for this ARC in exchange for my review.