Tilt by Emma Pattee

 

I am not sure where I heard about this book, but I was drawn to it for a reason: earthquake! Having a son and grandkids in San Francisco, it's a natural disaster I think about often.

This was a page-turner and a gripping story, but I must say, I did not love it. Too gritty, too upsetting. Characters not developed enough for me.

But I read and listened to it (while walking) and I am not sorry I did.

Here is what Amazon says about it:

Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, there’s nothing to do but walk.

Making her way across the wreckage of Portland, Annie experiences human desperation and kindness: strangers offering help, a riot at a grocery store, and an unlikely friendship with a young mother. As she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. If she can just make it home, she’s determined to change her life.

A propulsive debut, Tilt is a primal scream of a novel about the disappointments and desires we all carry, and what each of us will do for the people we love.