First published 2016
Ellen Wharton flies from London to visit her architect mother Grace despite Hurricane Ophelia bearing down on New York City. When the storm hits, seventy-four-year-old Grace refuses to leave her Tribeca apartment even as evacuation orders sound. Mother and daughter wade through chest-high floodwater to reach police rescue boats. British banker Charles Williams searches desperately through crowded shelters for his young daughters, who live with his ex-wife in SoHo. He encounters Ellen and Grace during the chaos. ER doctor Juliette Dubois battles to save patients when her hospital loses power. NYU students Peter Holbrook and Ben Weiss ignore evacuation warnings and stock up on junk food and beer, treating the hurricane like an adventure until their downtown building starts collapsing around them. The storm sweeps away lives, homes, and loved ones across the city. Six strangers discover unexpected courage as New York faces catastrophic flooding. When the waters recede, the real work begins as survivors confront their losses and rebuild their damaged lives.
Genres: fiction, drama, contemporary
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, survival
Setting: London, New York City, Tribeca, SoHo
Period: Hurricane Ophelia
336 pages · Hardcover · Delacorte Press
Content warnings: death, violence