Shelter of Leaves

Memorial Day is supposed to be a day of celebration and remembrance. However, on May 26, 2014, a series of bombs go off across the United States leaving people dead, injured, scared, and doing anything they need to survive. In Washington, DC, Sabine awakens after being knocked unconscious by one of the bombs with no recollection of her last name, family members, or her past. As her apartment building crumbles, she grabs what she can and tries to find safety. While trying to find safety she is picked up by Hank and Sharp and brought to a farmhouse they and several others have turned into a safe but temporary haven. Kate is the “mother hen” and keeps the household running like a tight ship with lists, schedules, and rules to keep everyone on the farm in check and putting in their fair share. As Sabine struggles to remember her own past, she is appointed the scribe for the house by Kate so that who they were and what they are going through will not be forgotten. Being the scribe affords Sabine a chance to learn more about the others – the good, sad, and suspicious. When they are attacked and forced to leave the farm, Sabine, Jude – who she has developed a relationship with – and Sol take off in one truck while the rest of the survivors take off in the other. They plan to meet in St. Augustine’s at Kate’s family home. Memories begin to return to Sabine, but trouble and chaos are never too far away. Survival is key, trust is hard to find, and hope comes and goes. Only time will tell how things turn out, but no one knows how much they have left.

Shelter of Leaves by Lenore H. Gay is a fast-paced and extremely detailed suspense novel about the realities of terrorism and survival. Gay’s characters all come across as everyday people who, like most, have a secret or two they keep to themselves. The title is perfect since shelter of any kind is key to their survival throughout the book. Her use of real cities that people will recognize also help bring this story to life and give it the realistic qualities that will leave readers wondering: “What if this really happened?”