A peculiar and unsatisfying story about an environmentally conscious, supernatural journey.
By Cherie Magnus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 26, 2023
In Magnus’ novella, two famous dead men return to Earth to save our warming planet. An unnamed woman, a lover of music and history living in 21st-century Los Angeles, has a dream in which God sends the ghosts of Abraham Lincoln and Sergei Rachmaninoff to fix climate change. She is chosen to be their tour guide and driver, and the three of them set off in a 1967 Lincoln Continental to travel up the California coast. Along the way, they pick up a UCLA music student named Destiny, who may not be who she appears to be. They visit famous sites and meet a variety of angels, spirits, and demons, including the ghost of Ulysses S. Grant. The woman is embarrassed to show the two famous men the state of the world, but she is also excited to work with them. The story is framed as a dream, removing any potential stakes, and the writing isn’t quite gripping enough to make up for the lack of a traditional plot. The dialogue between the ghosts and the narrator is a mix of historical reenactment and climate doomerism. The book is less about climate change itself and more about climate change anxiety, but even that concept isn’t explored as thoroughly as the reader might expect. Ultimately, the book serves as a celebration of the beauty of the California coast, inviting readers to seek it out while they can.
Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780578552576
Page Count: 111
Publisher: Mirasol Press
Review Posted Online: yesterday