Birnam Wood

By: Eleanor Catton

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Birnam Wood is on the move...

Five years ago, Mira Bunting founded a guerrilla gardening group: Birnam Wood. An undeclared, unregulated, sometimes-criminal, sometimes-philanthropic gathering of friends, this activist collective plants crops wherever no one will notice, on the sides of roads, in forgotten parks, and neglected backyards. For years, the group has struggled to break even. Then Mira stumbles on an answer, a way to finally set the group up for the long term: a landslide has closed the Korowai Pass, cutting off the town of Thorndike. Natural disaster has created an opportunity, a sizable farm seemingly abandoned.

But Mira is not the only one interested in Thorndike. Robert Lemoine, the enigmatic American billionaire, has snatched it up to build his end-times bunker - or so he tells Mira when he catches her on the property. Intrigued by Mira, Birnam Wood, and their entrepreneurial spirit, he suggests they work this land. But can they trust him? And, as their ideals and ideologies are tested, can they trust each other?

A gripping psychological thriller from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Luminaries, Birnam Wood is Shakespearean in its wit, drama and immersion in character. A brilliantly constructed consideration of intentions, actions, and consequences, it is an unflinching examination of the human impulse to ensure our own survival.

©2023 Granta Books (P)2023 Audible, Ltd.

Catton continues streak

Loved The Illuminaries so was thrilled that this did not disappoint. Great story full of ideas and allegorical references. Brilliantly read by Saskia Maarleveld - marvellous to hear the NZ accent at full pelt.
A story for our times.

Excellent Eco Thriller!

It started a bit slow but I understood it was necessary to understand the characters and their motivations. The pace became more and more alert as the novel progressed with a satisfying ending. So different from the Luminaries, still very good.

Good story, narrator was a let down

Took me a while to get into the spirit of it, almost gave up 30 minutes in, because the narrating was horrible. Eventually as the story and the characters developed, l slowly forgetting the terrible performance of the narrator. The story is great, good writing as usual.

Fascinating, was totally immersed in it

A talent of unprecedented level, great story, characters that are relatable in their desires and their fragility, beautiful book

Persist through the first few chapters

Started slowly but got really good. The author uses the characters to put across what are clearly her opinions, and it's done really well.