The Girl in the Road

A Novel

By: Monica Byrne

Narrated by: Dioni Michelle Collins, Nazneen Contractor

A debut that Neil Gaiman calls “Glorious. . . . So sharp, so focused and so human.” The Girl in the Road describes a future that is culturally lush and emotionally wrenching.

Monica Byrne bursts on to the literary scene with an extraordinary vision of the future. In a world where global power has shifted east and revolution is brewing, two women embark on vastly different journeys—each harrowing and urgent and wholly unexpected.

When Meena finds snakebites on her chest, her worst fears are realized: someone is after her and she must flee India. As she plots her exit, she learns of the Trail, an energy-harvesting bridge spanning the Arabian Sea that has become a refuge for itinerant vagabonds and loners on the run. This is her salvation. Slipping out in the cover of night, with a knapsack full of supplies including a pozit GPS, a scroll reader, and a sealable waterproof pod, she sets off for Ethiopia, the place of her birth.

Meanwhile, Mariama, a young girl in Africa, is forced to flee her home. She joins up with a caravan of misfits heading across the Sahara. She is taken in by Yemaya, a beautiful and enigmatic woman who becomes her protector and confidante. They are trying to reach Addis Abba, Ethiopia, a metropolis swirling with radical politics and rich culture. But Mariama will find a city far different than she ever expected—romantic, turbulent, and dangerous.

As one heads east and the other west, Meena and Mariama’s fates are linked in ways that are mysterious and shocking to the core.

Written with stunning clarity, deep emotion, and a futuristic flair, The Girl in the Road is an artistic feat of the first order: vividly imagined, artfully told, and profoundly moving.

©2014 Monica Byrne (P)2014 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Sci-fi has long claimed to be the multicultural literature of the future. This is the real thing. . . . Described with verve and conviction. . . . A new sensation, a real achievement.” —Wall Street Journal

“Dizzying. . . . Primal and indelible. . . . Delivered with all the vivid, haunting poignancy of a vision quest.”— NPR

“Vividly imagined.” —Los Angeles Times

Wait...what?!

1/4 in it was a ****, 3/4 in it was a ** and now that I finished it is a **.5.
Give a dog a bone and explain a little of the futuristic terms and ideas. Was that the girl who crossed The Trail who she killed inn the end?? I may need to pay more attention but, I don't think so....

Too confusing

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The story needs to be more clear.

What do you think your next listen will be?

don't know

Which character – as performed by Dioni Collins and Nazneen Contractor – was your favorite?

Meena

Do you think The Girl in the Road needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

no

Any additional comments?

I want to like this book, but it was just too confusing. Too many loose ends

Disorienting and Beautiful

The Girl in the Road is unlike anything I have read or listened to in recent memory. This is not an easy-breeze beach book—it’s a novel that takes work but the pay-off is well worth the effort. The beginning is disorienting but beautiful, so I pushed through soaking in the lush language and becoming acquainted with the foreign and futuristic world author Monica Byrne has created. There are two storylines—Meena’s takes place in an India of the future with her journey taking her to Ethiopia, and Mariama’s quest brings her across Saharan Africa at a completely different historical time. Byrne has conjured up a thoroughly unique blend literary fiction and science fiction with gadgets and scientific achievements not yet discovered but oddly imaginable. The Girl in the Road explores, illuminates, and challenges our understanding of culture, sexuality, spirituality, and the environment. It's not at all preachy, but it’s also completely unapologetic. While this book won’t appeal to everyone, is undoubtedly an impressive debut from an author I can’t wait to hear more from.

When stars are meaningless

What did you love best about The Girl in the Road?

That the story exploded at the end. That this piece of genius was written by a woman. That I still think about it days after finishing the listen.

Who was your favorite character and why?

None. At first, I didn't know there were two main characters. Their names are too similar for me. I was just confused. And none of them are people you'd want to spend an afternoon with.

Have you listened to any of Dioni Collins and Nazneen Contractor ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The narration is all the way excellent but this is a trick question. I don't see that either have performances on audible other than this one.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Nope.

Any additional comments?

I didn't like listening to a lot of it. I was confused; did not like the lesbian scenes; hard to struggle to keep up at all. But at the end ... I am so proud of this author. I think maybe reading it would be less confusing than listening. I think I will read it one day. BUT these narrators could not have been better.

I sorta got it

But I sorta didn't. the narration kept me coming back. When the convergence first was exposed, I was sure I understood what happened. then the last chapter created confusion for me. If I were to re-listen, I'm sure I'd be able to fill in my comprehension gaps but I didn't enjoy this novel enough to devote that much time.

I’ve listened to this 3 times

Each time I hear something new. The story is complex. It leads to a surprising and (for once) a satisfying ending. I love the technology and the realism of a future that is believable. The narration is superlative and very authentic. I’ve recommended this book to my friends.