Blaze - A Novel

From the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of The Paris Express and Room, a brilliant novel about one unexpected heroine’s coming-of-age in a post-apocalyptic New York.

The year is 2040 and a catastrophic event has left New Yorkers in dire need of food and shelter. This is the world a young pigeon named Blaze was born into, navigating a brutal world where death is always around the corner. She lives in an abandoned tower with her flock, a close-knit family who rely on each other to survive. They forage together, and raise young with their mates, all while steering clear of the Talls—the remaining starving humans.

Blaze’s flock makes it through various disasters by holding to rules such as, No pigeon lives long alone. On one of their foraging trips, Blaze saves the life of an older lone pigeon and welcomes him into her family. Her new flock member brings with him a forgotten history of the-time-before that upends everything Blaze knows about pigeons, Talls, and the meaning of home.

As Blaze comes of age, she must learn to navigate the thrills and terrors of unexpected adventures, evolving flock politics, tragic and exciting romances, and the uncertainties of motherhood. Ultimately, she must choose between adhering to the beliefs of her kind or forging a new path.

Sweeping, captivating, and gorgeously rendered, Blaze is a heartfelt testament to the joy of finding one’s flock and the endless possibilities when we choose bravery over fear.