Not Alone

A Novel

By: Sarah K. Jackson

Narrated by: Helen Keeley

An exhilarating debut novel, tracing the harrowing journey of a mother and son fighting for survival and a future in a world ravaged by environmental disaster • "Not Alone kept me breathless with tension… [A] gripping adventure story.”—Emma Donoghue, New York Times bestselling author of Room and Haven

Five years ago, a microplastic storm wiped out most of the population. No infrastructure. No safe havens. No goodbyes.

Since then, Katie and Harry have lived in isolation in their small flat outside London. Katie forages, hunts the surviving animal population, and provides for Harry, who was born after the storm, and who has never left their little home. After years without human contact, Katie and Harry are shocked by the arrival of a threatening newcomer, just as Katie’s persistent cough seems to have taken a turn for the worse. But this proof of life beyond their familiar environment spurs Katie to undertake a previously unthinkable journey, in search of her fiancé, Jack, who never came home the day of the storm, and a different kind of life for Harry.

Outside of their protected bubble, Katie and Harry encounter an altered world, full of new dangers, other survivors—both friend and foe—and many surprises. Katie's resources, energy, and parenting abilities are pushed to the brink, as Harry's life and safety waver in the balance, knowing that the further they get from their flat, the harder it will be to return if things go wrong. Sarah K. Jackson combines beautiful language, palm-sweating adventure, and a deep, true-to-life parent-child bond that transcends its post-apocalyptic setting, in a debut that emphasizes the importance of resilience, hope, and sustainability today.

©2023 Sarah K. Jackson (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Not Alone kept me breathless with tension. An outstandingly credible and gripping adventure story, rooted in a deep understanding of both ecology and family." —Emma Donoghue, New York Times bestselling author of Room

"A gutwrenching, whiteknuckle postapocalyptic thriller--a story of love and perseverance." —Gabriel Tallent, New York Times bestselling author of My Absolute Darling

"Tense, brutal, and tender, Not Alone cuts to the core of how and why we survive. Jackson gives readers a truly harrowing adventure about the pull of light in the darkest hour." —Erika Swyler, bestselling author of Light from Other Stars

Powerful Cautionary Tale

Moving and heartbreaking. A well written story of struggle and angst and hardship. And Hope.
Very well narrated.

Very whiny characters and narrator

Barely finished this one. The story slogs on and on and the characters are hard to empathize with, especially the boy. Whoever allowed this poor narrator to do the boy’s voice like this should be fired. It was like nails on a chalk board.

Twists and turns of story. Original.

Liked it all. Performance was excellent matched with a story that had a few surprises!

Gripping! Unceasing tension, immersive story

Unrelenting, nail-biting tension! This is a white-knuckle journey through a devastated, post-apocalyptic England and Scotland. Extremely well written, with fascinating details about foraging for wild plants — a skill that helps our heroine to survive, and to feed her young son. I usually listen to audiobooks just before going to sleep at night, but I could only take about 20 or 30 minutes of this at a time. Even limiting myself to short bursts, I often found my sleep disturbed with worries about what new crisis would befall the young mother before she had barely fought her way through the previous disaster. It is nonstop, relentless tension. An excellent listen, wonderfully read by a narrator who was obviously as caught up in the story as I was. I did not detect a single wrong inflection or even the tiniest of fluffed pronunciations. A highly professional job of narration that did full justice to a very good book. Recommended. Maybe best for listening while driving, though. Not just before you go to sleep!