The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to The Wastelands
Sarah Brooks’s novel is a historical fantasy novel, set at the end of the 19th century, which follows an eclectic cast of characters on their journey on the Great Trans-Siberian Express as it crosses the deadly wastelands between Beijing and Moscow. They include Marya Petrovna, a grieving woman with a borrowed name; Zhang Weiwei, a renowned child who was born and abandoned on the train; and Henry Grey, a naturalist seeking redemption. Each of these characters wrestles with their own secret histories, but as rumours begin to swirl about an incident that occurred during the train’s last crossing, causing fears about its safety to arise amongst the passengers, it gradually becomes apparent that perhaps theirs are not the only mysteries waiting to be solved.
Brooks invites her readers aboard the train and shares with them a tale rich with mystery and wonder. The landscape of the dangerous wastelands is alluring, and readers will undoubtedly be eager to uncover more and more about the magic and creatures that reside there. Yet, the view out of the window is certainly not the only site of interest; indeed, equally compelling is the setting of the train itself. Whilst the aforementioned three named characters centre the novel and act to drive the plot forwards, Brooks does not neglect to provide the people that surround them with such depth that she convincingly captures the intimate and familiar nature of life aboard a train – life that is shaped by the pervading presence of capitalism and the legacies of colonialism. Within Brooks’ captivating tale of a train journey through the fantastical and perilous wastelands, therefore, she also delivers a vibrant critique of modernity, which questions what it means to be living in an age of ever-developing technological advancements.
