This semi-romantic, semi-post-apocalyptic novel spins an electrifying tale of love, loss, friendship, and activism in a climate-challenged near future America. Old-flame best friends Tereza and David seek each other’s companionship after a deadly “microburst” in a thunderstorm claims the lives of their partners and kids. For eighteen months of loss and loneliness, Tereza sleeps with men to substitute for her dead husband, Luke, while David drinks too much in pursuit of continued fidelity to his dead wife, Anna. Eventually, Tereza comes back to David’s life, and they both find what they need to deal with grief. Marcello’s narrative is compelling as it captures these complex protagonists’ raw desperation and need as they face life bereft of their companions. The novel’s first half is particularly gripping, with Marcello employing flashbacks with much haunting imagery, enriching the flow of the narrative present rather than disrupting it, and offering an intoxicating take on the storm’s aftermath, as Tereza and David are haunted by ghosts of the past. Romance is in question throughout. While Tereza resists the idea of new love, David’s feelings are more ambiguous, as he’s harbored a lifelong love for Tereza, which Marcello utilizes to draw a laser-sharp focus on the theme of environmental activism, highlighting how the duo’s unconventional dynamic mobilizes their anguish. Soon, they’re spearheading a sustainable community called Keeping to counter the climate crisis. The Means of Keeping offers something rare in climate fiction: persuasive hope. Takeaway: Touching story of non-platonic friendship, loss, and grief amid climate disaster. Comparable Titles: Charlotte McConaghy’s Migrations, Meg Little Reilly’s We are Unprepared. ––Publishers Weekly Booklife

A moving cli-fi novel exploring the physical, psychological, and interpersonal issues that accompany the climate crisis The Means of Keeping is complex, emotional, and stuffed with fun, obscure pop-culture references, from Radiohead and Elliott Smith to films that David and Tereza are both drawn to. Its complexity, as well as the fact that it spans almost an entire lifetime, makes it read almost like multiple books. As a whole, it adds up to more than the sum of its parts. The will-they-wont they of David and Tereza’s relationship acts as the glue binding this book together. Rich Marcello’s The Means of Keeping falls easily under the climate fiction umbrella, but a literary bent pervades along with a complex, less-steamy multipart romance that will keep the reader guessing. And this is where The Means of Keeping breaks the mold of other cli-fi novels before it: The focus on love, on relationships, and the battle between the practical and emotional in a world striving to survive. ––The Independent Book Review

The Means of Keeping by Rich Marcello takes readers on a profound journey that brings together real-world climate issues and the fictional world. As readers follow the journey of best friends David and Tereza, they will experience a compelling contemporary fiction that discusses poignant social, political, and economic topics through an immersive story. A standalone book that leaves a lasting impact on the reader. The Means of Keeping is a book that effortlessly brings together real-world crises and the fictional world. Marcello will have readers pondering what they want out of life and for future generations when venturing into this new contemporary fiction. ––The Book Review Directory

Readers will immediately recognize Marcello’s professionalism in his writing. His sentences are fluid without laboring or being overly stylized. He strives to create complex characters and situations with real-world emotions and implications. David and Tereza are multi-faceted characters who will engage and affect the readers. The concluding chapter is exceptionally well-conceived and touching and will move the audience. Readers concerned with climate change who are looking for a story that explores how it can drastically change lives may find this book is just what they are looking for. Some will likely list it as a favorite book of the year. ––The US Review of Books

Loved it! An emotive, intimate and often powerful drama placed against the backdrop of climate change. The Means of Keeping is set in a near-future America and follows lifelong friends Tereza Allard and David Luca, who are devastated by a climate crisis-induced tragedy that claims the lives of their families. As they navigate their profound loss, the story poignantly captures the intersections of love, renewal, environmental activism, and the quest for meaning in a world teetering on the brink of irreversible damage. The narrative style weaves the introspective depth reminiscent of Kazuo Ishiguro with the environmental consciousness of Barbara Kingsolver. It is designed for readers who seek not only a compelling story but also a reflection on the broader issues facing our world today. With its haunting prose and evocative imagery, the novel invites us to envision a future where love, resilience, community, and a strong commitment to our planet guide us towards regaining our collective humanity. ––Reedsy Discover

Marcello’s prose is elegant and evocative, capturing the nuances of human emotions with sensitivity and depth. Through David and Tereza’s journey towards healing and acceptance, Marcello explores the transformative power of grief and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Marcello deftly intertwines this personal struggle with the looming backdrop of the climate crisis, infusing the narrative with urgency and relevance. The environmental challenges mirror the characters’ internal turmoil, emphasizing the interconnectedness of personal and global crises. The narrative prompts readers to reflect on how individual experiences intertwine with broader societal issues, urging collective action in the face of adversity. The novel unfolds at a measured pace, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the characters’ inner thoughts, emotions, and relationships. While some readers might find the slow pace and focus on internal reflections challenging, Marcello’s profound examination of characters’ emotions, motivations, and relationships results in an immersive and thought-provoking experience. A beautifully crafted novel that delves into the depths of grief, love, and resilience with grace and insight. ––The Prairies Book Review

Five Stars and a Golden Quill award. From its tour de force opening chapters, The Means Of Keeping is brilliantly constructed in both writing flair and narrative. It’s a rollercoaster of a read that will hit all the right buttons and is an unreservedly recommended Golden Quill read. A genuinely affecting read that approaches its key themes of grief and climate change with intelligence, maturity, and a rare sense of authenticity. The Means Of Keeping is contemporary literary fiction at its very best. ––BookViral

When reading The Means of Keeping, tread carefully into each chapter. Be intentional with the process. Carve out a weekend for yourself. Or an hour out of however many days it’ll take you to make your way through this book. Otherwise, you might find yourself stealing minutes out of your daily routine, condensing tasks to free up enough precious time to sneak in a paragraph or two here and there, squeezing in a few pages in environments that will just barely grant you the permission to. At the end of it, you will want to sit with your feelings. To hold them in both hands and turn them around, viewing them from all angles to better make sense of them. Parts of us all are hidden in this book and we may need to confront the difficult emotions dredged up by this story. In the end we will be better for it. The book will sit beside you with patience as you do so. As will Tereza and David. The answers you seek, or the comfort you need lies somewhere in their tribulations. Marcello possesses the rarest of talents. He takes a universal problem and distills it down to its essence. He writes words that resonate. Words I wish I could untangle from the sticky web of my thoughts just so I could read them afresh, with brand new eyes, and learn something new that I might have missed the first time. Then do it all over again for, perhaps, a lifetime. ––BookNerdection