The Way

A man on the run, accompanied by a raven, a cat and a teenage girl, holds the cure to a lethal virus in this postapocalyptic road trip and quest-for-redemption novel

Part survival story, part grimoire, The Way is a magical book. Cary Groner is a master storyteller. His glorious, enchanting prose cast a spell on me from the bleak beginnings of his post-apocalyptic tale until its symphonic conclusion. In the end, The Way tells us that the only way to survive this world we've destroyed is to make better friends with the animals who remain

Not many writers could match the marvellous imaginative achievement of Cary Groner's The Way . Groner creates a post-apocalyptic world that is frighteningly believable, and populates it with finely-drawn characters - both gracious and wicked - whose capacity for love, hope, and cruelty mirrors what we encounter in our real, present world. Part page-turner, part love story, partly a plea for respect of both human and animal life, The Way heightened my appreciation for what I too often take for granted

A thrilling, life-affirming adventure, The Way is a bold blend of a post-apocalyptic scorched earth, ancient Buddhism and interspecies relationships - all packed into a tightly woven story of horror, hope and love

This epic journey through a near-future, postapocalyptic landscape blends extreme suspense with serene meditation. . . . Groner offers a contemplative take on the postapocalyptic genre that leaves room for hope but doesn't stint on realism. This novel reads like Cormac McCarthy's The Road meets Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

The novel blends action with deep philosophical reflections, offering a hopeful perspective on life after disaster. Perfect for fans of Station Eleven and Oryx and Crake, The Way is a triumphant success

Groner paints a persuasive picture of his dystopian world, peopled with strong characters and driven by cinematic action. This reinvigorates an overworked genre

Cary Groner's The Way, with its post-frontier Buddhism and thrilling quest, is everything that apocalyptic doomer novels should be: entertaining, unsparing and spiritual. This is an invigorating addition to the vital literature that bears witness to what we can't afford to ignore: our collective patterns of self-destruction. I loved it

An ultimately hopeful vision of the aftermath of disaster . . . An engaging window into a strange new world

Praise for Exiles : Even the most jaded reader will be on the edge of their seats as the author carries the story home. A fast-paced but emotionally resonant story about the bonds that hold fast when we're far from home

Exhilarating . . . Exiles vividly reveals the difficulty of making moral decisions, and the importance of bonds between people, in a complex world few Americans see

Cary Groner grew up in the Midwest and has lived primarily on the West Coast since finishing college. He worked as a journalist for many years before earning his MFA in fiction writing from the University of Arizona in 2009. His short stories have won numerous awards and appeared in venues that include Glimmer Train , American Fiction , Southern California Review, Salamander , Sycamore Review and Mississippi Review . His debut novel, Exiles , was published by Spiegel & Grau in 2011, and was named a Chicago Tribune 'favorite book' of that year. Cary lives with his wife in the San Francisco Bay area.

carygroner.com