When times are hard, escape into a good book, another world, is something that I relish. With the ups and downs of attempting healing diets and medications, I’ve been on and off the roller coaster of hope and disappointment. Alexandra Duncan’s new book Salvage took me across space and time, transporting me away from my worries and pains of my earthly body.
Who wouldn’t be intrigued by a Sci Fi futuristic tribe of Mormon-ish people? I was hooked from the beginning of this story! This is a fascinating novel, albeit a little bit contrived at times, especially in the beginning, as the stage is set. We are introduced to the customs and language of a tribe and their spaceship through a day in the life of Parastrata Ava. This is no ordinary day – it is the day she is to be wed during a trade agreement with another tribe.
Duncan created a dystopian future in which a young woman, seemingly bound to a destiny, is ultimately liberated by what starts out as her demise. Ava is the daughter of a captain of what is described as a “trans-celestial merchant tribe.” A misunderstanding sets Ava onto another course, Earthside. It is then that we learn more about why the tribes are spaceside.
Through her journey to the futuristic Mumbai in search of her aunt, Ava slowly awakens to her true destiny. She is aided by a young girl who teaches her to read and the girl’s mother, who teaches her to fly a small mail carrier. Finally, as the ending draws near, and the anticipation of what I both wanted and didn’t want to happen builds, I found myself wondering how the book could conclude in a way that felt right. Two final twists at the end left me completely satisfied and simultaneously sad that the book ended. Here’s hoping for a sequel.
