Leave the World Behind

2020美國國家書卷獎決選

 

　　為了遠離紐約紛擾的都市生活，Amanda與Clay決定帶著兒子女兒來到長島，準備度過一個安靜放鬆並奢華的假期。然而，某個深夜的敲門聲，卻敲碎了這得來不易的寧靜。門外突然到來的訪客，這對夫婦自稱是這間度假小屋的屋主，Ruth與G.H.，他們臉上帶著慌張的神色，同時帶來了紐約市裡全城大停電的驚人消息。然而在這遠離塵囂的鄉下區域，電視、網路，甚至手機訊號都無法收到的此處，「不速之客」的消息究竟是否屬實？

 

　　然而後院突然出現百來隻鹿群、泳池裡嬉戲完又消失的紅鶴、不斷傳來足以讓玻璃碎裂的巨大聲響，種種奇怪的跡象似乎又顯示了城裡的大停電不過是某個災難的前兆？究竟紐約市中心發生了什麼事？哪裡才是安全之地？兩個來自不同膚色、不同階級的家庭，要如何彼此信任，並攜手度過這個詭譎的週末呢？在危機之下，人與人之間的親密連結將被重新定義，同時別忘記，書中史詩級的災難可能距離現實一點也不遙遠⋯⋯

 

　　(文／博客來編譯)

 

　　A magnetic novel about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong.

 

　　From the bestselling author of Rich and Pretty comes a suspenseful and provocative novel keenly attuned to the complexities of parenthood, race, and class. Leave the World Behind explores how our closest bonds are reshaped—and unexpected new ones are forged—in moments of crisis.

 

　　Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they’ve rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe.

 

　　Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple—and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one other?