2º by Bev Prescott

Description

In a desperate race against time, Sharon Clausen learns just how far she’s willing to go . . .

Sharon Clausen, a self-reliant farmer, has a secret apple tree—a tree that keeps her and her wife, Eve, fed. In the year 2092, climate change has transformed the face of Earth. Storms, disease, famine, thirst, and war show no mercy on the living. In order to survive and protect Eve from the inhospitable world, Sharon cloaks her humanity.

The only other people who know of her secret, or so she thinks, is Dr. Ryan, a long-time confidant, and his wife, Areva. Once a month, Sharon and Eve travel from Maine to Boston to trade apples for Eve’s leukemia medication with Dr. Ryan. When Eve is kidnapped and the Ryan’s are murdered, Sharon learns that her best-kept secrets are coveted by a man known as the Strelitzia—a coldly practical villain.

Sharon sets out on a harrowing journey across North America to rescue Eve. Along the way, she gets help from an Inuit refugee boy, a stray dog named Erik the Red, an eccentric former school teacher, a jujitsu master, an Argentinian opera star, and a brilliant Muslim female scientist who leads an alliance of eclectic people known as the Qaunik. Together, this ragtag group battle storms, the desert, criminal gangs, feral humans and the Strelitzia.

In the end, Sharon must face her greatest challenge—risk all that she loves for something greater than herself.

Awards and Honors

2019 Golden Crown Literary Society Awards, Short List, Science-Fiction/Fantasy Category

2019 Golden Crown Literary Society Annual Conference, Women With Pride Book Club Selection

“Fast-paced and plot-driven 2º contains a few unexpected twists and an edge-of-the-seat ending. The action moves quickly and keeps the reader engaged. The epilogue contains the promise of some hope for humans in a very different world. Perhaps more importantly, 2º is a thought-provoking read that might prompt readers to assess their carbon footprint.” —MJ LOWE, The Lambda Literary Review

“Fast paced, breathless energy, extremely well written and faultlessly edited, this was an exhilarating read, and I literally couldn’t put it down.” —VELVET LOUNGER, The Lesbian Reading Room

“From the first page of 2° until the end, I was sitting on the edge of my seat. My heart beat a rapid tattoo whenever Sharon and the Qaunik were fighting for their lives. I cried as Sharon’s armor developed the chinks that exposed her humanity to the world, and when beloved friends fell prey to evil. Prescott tapped into my emotions while taking me on this harrowing—but splendid—ride.” —CARLEEN SPRY, Frivolous Views

“Writing of this caliber is not only impressive to read but also important to place before the public because of all of the many topics of concern it addresses.” —GRADY HARP, Amazon.com Hall of Fame and Top 100 Reviewer 

“2º by Bev Prescott is a classic and deftly crafted dystopian novel—an inherently riveting read from beginning to end.” —Midwest Book Review

“With her considerable skill, Bev Prescott takes on the most important issue of the century in this gripping, page-turner of a story with a raft of unforgettable characters. What’s more, 2º may very well be the canary in the coal mine.” —TRACEY RICHARDSON, author of The Candidate

“This is an incredibly compelling and action-packed story that will keep you riveted to the page as it presents a worst-case scenario future for the planet if climate change reaches a critical point. You will find yourself questioning if we have it in us to change and if we have what it takes to get it right in the end. Thankfully, the story will give you the faith and hope in humanity to answer these questions positively.” —MICHELLE BLAKELY, The Lesbian Review

BEV PRESCOTT’S road to the place she calls home has been long and winding. Born in the mountains of the West, raised in the heartland, and educated in the South, she’s been a sergeant in the United States Air Force, a scientist, and an environmental attorney. She’s traveled to the Arctic, Antarctica and lots of places in between. But home is writing stories at the edge of a meadow in Maine, where she shares her life with a clever calico cat named Lil, several thriving honeybee colonies, and her spouse of almost 30 years.