Year of the Orphan

A young woman known only as the Orphan scavenges a postapocalyptic Australian desert for useful relics from an earlier time in Findlay’s challenging, thrilling debut. Years before, the Orphan’s family was killed by a roving band and she was sold into slavery in the System, a shanty settlement built around one of the few meager sources of water. When her intelligence is noticed by her owner, the Old Man, he begins to tutor her with stories about life before some vague disaster. Several years later, her former overseer, power-hungry Karra, has taken control of the System’s loose governing body, much to the frustration of the Orphan’s friend and ally, Block. The Orphan’s latest trip on her wind-powered sand ship brings her proof of the Old Man’s stories, and she feels compelled to explore. Pursued by the threatening figure known as the Reckoner, the Orphan strikes out on a dangerous journey that will bring back enough knowledge to upend the System. The novel’s slow buildup, frequent flashbacks, and idiosyncratic language (“All them scaretales they talked at the System said he et them he kilt”) will deter some readers. Those who persevere will be rewarded by a satisfying exploration of desperation and imagined future myths. (May)