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Sanctuary #1
Surviving Sanctuary
On a spring evening in 1982, a thousand people are killed in Sanctuary, a country founded by genocide survivors and devoted to pacifism. Shock and grief cause deep-seated tensions to erupt, especially after an official pronouncement that the deaths are the result of a mass suicide pact by an unpopular rural sect. As the few remaining members of the sect go into hiding to protect themselves, six people are thrown together by chance and competing romantic interest. United by a belief in the victims' innocence, they risk lives and reputations to defend the survivors and discover the truth.
Decades later, Brian, a congenial and underemployed American, goes to Sanctuary to look for Jenny, the sister of a former girlfriend who disappeared while visiting there. As he looks for clues and tries not to marry anyone accidentally, he learns that he may also be a target. To determine why, and whether his guards are there to protect him or kill him, he must find out what really happened in 1982. (Author's note: for those with Kindles, a mobi edition is available at the Smashwords site. An epub can be downloaded from most every place, including a sample here at Goodreads.)
Decades later, Brian, a congenial and underemployed American, goes to Sanctuary to look for Jenny, the sister of a former girlfriend who disappeared while visiting there. As he looks for clues and tries not to marry anyone accidentally, he learns that he may also be a target. To determine why, and whether his guards are there to protect him or kill him, he must find out what really happened in 1982. (Author's note: for those with Kindles, a mobi edition is available at the Smashwords site. An epub can be downloaded from most every place, including a sample here at Goodreads.)
- GenresUtopia
1526 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
28 people want to read
About the author
P.J. O'Brien
4 books72 followersO'Brien, a somewhat optimistic rurally-raised resident of a northeastern US city infamous for its gritty hopelessness, is primarily a reader.
She was challenged to write a genre-bending mystery after losing an argument with ducks about the inevitability of violence. She dreamed up a country founded upon the ideals of fairness and peace, and then added characters that had to abide by the framework of their culture. They were given the traditional provocations to fighting (e.g. limited resources, invasions, religious & ideological differences) as well as some natural horrors that plague people. The characters were allowed to evolve on their own and respond to crises as they saw fit. They had only to be true to their culture, retain essential elements of modern humanity, and be charming when not dealing with threats that could potentially end the world as they knew it.
After four books, they felt they had fully addressed the most essential questions of suffering, violence, love, and happiness, and still retain their sense of humor. And did they? That’s for you and the ducks to decide. The author has turned back to reading, which is what she’s happiest doing.
You can find the books at any digital bookstore that supports the standard epub format, e.g. Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Nobles, Smashwords, etc. (You can download a free 70% excerpt of each book from Smashwords.) Because of some philosophical differences with 'Zon, they're not sold via Kindle but they could be read on one if gotten from booksellers that offer a compatible mobi format version.
She was challenged to write a genre-bending mystery after losing an argument with ducks about the inevitability of violence. She dreamed up a country founded upon the ideals of fairness and peace, and then added characters that had to abide by the framework of their culture. They were given the traditional provocations to fighting (e.g. limited resources, invasions, religious & ideological differences) as well as some natural horrors that plague people. The characters were allowed to evolve on their own and respond to crises as they saw fit. They had only to be true to their culture, retain essential elements of modern humanity, and be charming when not dealing with threats that could potentially end the world as they knew it.
After four books, they felt they had fully addressed the most essential questions of suffering, violence, love, and happiness, and still retain their sense of humor. And did they? That’s for you and the ducks to decide. The author has turned back to reading, which is what she’s happiest doing.
You can find the books at any digital bookstore that supports the standard epub format, e.g. Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Nobles, Smashwords, etc. (You can download a free 70% excerpt of each book from Smashwords.) Because of some philosophical differences with 'Zon, they're not sold via Kindle but they could be read on one if gotten from booksellers that offer a compatible mobi format version.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 22, 2014
The book's descriptive blurb tells the basics of the plot, so I won't recapitulate that here. This is a monumental work with about 180 named characters, and it weighs in at nearly 490,000 words. That's a little shorter than Les Misérables, but much longer than Anna Karenina. And it feels to me more relevant to modern times in the USA than the work of either Hugo or Tolstoy. You probably will never find another new novel of this quality and philosophical depth being sold for two dollars.
It's more than "just a novel", really. It's also the exposition of an interesting socio-cultural system, which is compared and contrasted through the story with other societies, particular that of the USA.
The narrative manages to be both sweeping in scope, and yet intimate as it examines relatively brief time periods in the lives of its well-drawn characters, set against an enormous backdrop of history, culture, and philosophy. The fictional country of Sanctuary seems to be something of what the American "melting pot" could have been, but has never achieved. It's one of those novels that contains some discussion of just about everything. Like any novel of such length, it obviously will have parts that are expository, thoughtful, exciting, happy, sad, calm, humorous. But despite the varied landscape each passage is an interesting and valuable one. Like a mighty river of many channels, it has parts that meander, revealing hidden places, and it's not a straight line from beginning to end, but that makes it all the more fascinating as it looks at the society and people of Sanctuary from many angles, through a variety of lenses.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who yearns for a pithy novel of substantial length; has a philosophical interest; and who wishes to discover disparate cultures, religions, family structures. In all of those areas, the book is highly original and deeply imagined -- while never leaving planet Earth.
For me, Surviving Sanctuary stands little-challenged at the pinnacle of quality among books I've read in recent years--whether self-pub or big-house. The writing and editing are both outstanding. A gold medal for Ms O'Brien's editor; and if that's herself, then two gold medals.
It's more than "just a novel", really. It's also the exposition of an interesting socio-cultural system, which is compared and contrasted through the story with other societies, particular that of the USA.
The narrative manages to be both sweeping in scope, and yet intimate as it examines relatively brief time periods in the lives of its well-drawn characters, set against an enormous backdrop of history, culture, and philosophy. The fictional country of Sanctuary seems to be something of what the American "melting pot" could have been, but has never achieved. It's one of those novels that contains some discussion of just about everything. Like any novel of such length, it obviously will have parts that are expository, thoughtful, exciting, happy, sad, calm, humorous. But despite the varied landscape each passage is an interesting and valuable one. Like a mighty river of many channels, it has parts that meander, revealing hidden places, and it's not a straight line from beginning to end, but that makes it all the more fascinating as it looks at the society and people of Sanctuary from many angles, through a variety of lenses.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who yearns for a pithy novel of substantial length; has a philosophical interest; and who wishes to discover disparate cultures, religions, family structures. In all of those areas, the book is highly original and deeply imagined -- while never leaving planet Earth.
For me, Surviving Sanctuary stands little-challenged at the pinnacle of quality among books I've read in recent years--whether self-pub or big-house. The writing and editing are both outstanding. A gold medal for Ms O'Brien's editor; and if that's herself, then two gold medals.
February 22, 2014
If you're looking for a fluff-filled read to open and finish in one afternoon, keep looking. If you're looking for a book that will have you wondering 'what next' as well as thinking about the characters involved, then "Surviving Sanctuary" is a very good choice.
If Sanctuary were an actual country and I had the ability, I'd visit just to walk where I could.
If Sanctuary were an actual country and I had the ability, I'd visit just to walk where I could.
April 13, 2017
This is the first of a quartet of books concerning the fictional land of Sanctuary, a country with its own protocol, language and customs, dedicated to the ideals of fairness and peace. It's divided into two distinct narratives, given in alternative chapters and the world the author creates is examined in great detail and is plausible throughout. We may not live in Sanctuary but we can identify with it and also with the solutions it finds to deal with its problems. Along the way, all kinds of philosophical issues are raised, each examined from several points of view so the result is a multi-layered perspective giving great richness and depth. I'm not sure my skills as a reader are sufficiently high to fully appreciate its immense scope without further readings but I think its the kind of book that will repay many times over the effort the reader puts into it.
July 13, 2022
This is an amazing book. For one thing, it’s long—nearly 500K words—and it’s only the first of four books of that length. Secondly, it’s a book I can describe only as “setting-driven.” The setting is a fictional country called Sanctuary. The characters and plot, to a large extent, serve to illustrate the setting.
Here is what the author, P.J. O’Brien, says about it: “She dreamed up a country founded upon the ideals of fairness and peace, and then added characters that had to abide by the framework of their culture. They were given the traditional provocations to fighting (e.g. limited resources, invasions, religious & ideological differences) as well as some natural horrors that plague people. The characters were allowed to evolve on their own and respond to crises as they saw fit. They had only to be true to their culture, retain essential elements of modern humanity, and be charming when not dealing with threats that could potentially end the world as they knew it.”
This is not a fantasy. The country called Sanctuary is embedded in the real world of the late 20th century and the first few years of the 21st. References are made to real places and historical events. One of the main characters is from the US, and it’s clear that Sanctuarians visit other countries and even have relatives there.
It’s never stated exactly where Sanctuary is located, but my guess is somewhere in Asia, possibly Central Asia. Its inhabitants experienced effects of the Second World War. The population is multi-ethnic, multi-faith, and multilingual. Characters often speak in languages other than English, but the entire story is in English. Sanctuarian names are simple: male names have a single syllable, female names two. There are no weird spellings or made-up words, but family (House) names are often memorable and charming.
Sanctuary is governed by a hereditary monarchy based on matrilineal descent. The king and queen are brother and sister. Practical matters such as law enforcement and social services are carried out by a Guild of Masters, who are practitioners of a form of martial —although they are called “Defensive”—arts. Masters abide by a strict Code of Ethics, which governs their life choices and day-to-day activities.
There are two plot lines, presented at first in alternating chapters. Both take place in an annual pilgrimage period called the Journey, one in the year 1982 and the other in 2003. The first concerns an atypical and shocking massacre; the second involves an American, Brian Cohen, looking for his ex-girlfriend’s sister, who apparently disappeared during a visit to Sanctuary the previous year.
I have to say, these two stories are sometimes overshadowed by the setting. There is a long lead-up to the 1982 massacre; and about three-quarters of the way through, Brian himself goes missing for several chapters. The results of his search for Jenny Adler are mentioned only in passing, because by then Brian has become absorbed into the local culture and has other concerns. Since he’s an outsider, his point of view is helpful in showing the peculiarities of that culture, especially the customs and practices around marriage and family life.
Throughout the book, information is presented in the form of rather unrealistic dialogue, in which two people, and sometimes more, have deep conversations about subjects such as history, mythology, religious beliefs, or ethics. It’s easy to lose track of who is speaking. These conversations sometimes occur while people are doing things like dancing or cooking.
There are way too many named characters—dozens or perhaps hundreds. It’s hard to keep track of who is who at times, but the principal ones are sufficiently distinct to be memorable. By the end of the book, there is the sense of a multi-generational family saga unfolding.
Since one of the plot elements is a massacre, there are adversaries. Two confrontations with them take place, one in 1982 and the other in 2003. I have to say, I thought the enemies are rather amorphous and too easily overcome by the protagonists, who use their martial arts skills, aided by telepathy and mental communication with animals. This is the closest the book comes to fantasy; the powers are for the most part plausible within the parameters of the book, but at one point people who did not possess telepathic powers previously are suddenly using them. Unless I misread something, I found this to be a weak point.
My overall impression of this book is that it’s the author’s envisioning of Sanctuary expressed in the characters’ actions and conversations, rather than a tightly-constructed plot. Reading the book was like spending time in the country, getting to know its people socially by listening to them talk. The real nitty-gritty of their relationships must be inferred and emerges slowly. By the end, I felt I was starting to get it, but even so, after I finished the book I re-read the first several chapters as a refresher. I must say they made way more sense the second time around. The book is well-written and edited; there are very few errors. 4.5 stars, rounded up.
I definitely recommend this book, but only for readers who like immersive fiction and who are prepared for a long read.
Here is what the author, P.J. O’Brien, says about it: “She dreamed up a country founded upon the ideals of fairness and peace, and then added characters that had to abide by the framework of their culture. They were given the traditional provocations to fighting (e.g. limited resources, invasions, religious & ideological differences) as well as some natural horrors that plague people. The characters were allowed to evolve on their own and respond to crises as they saw fit. They had only to be true to their culture, retain essential elements of modern humanity, and be charming when not dealing with threats that could potentially end the world as they knew it.”
This is not a fantasy. The country called Sanctuary is embedded in the real world of the late 20th century and the first few years of the 21st. References are made to real places and historical events. One of the main characters is from the US, and it’s clear that Sanctuarians visit other countries and even have relatives there.
It’s never stated exactly where Sanctuary is located, but my guess is somewhere in Asia, possibly Central Asia. Its inhabitants experienced effects of the Second World War. The population is multi-ethnic, multi-faith, and multilingual. Characters often speak in languages other than English, but the entire story is in English. Sanctuarian names are simple: male names have a single syllable, female names two. There are no weird spellings or made-up words, but family (House) names are often memorable and charming.
Sanctuary is governed by a hereditary monarchy based on matrilineal descent. The king and queen are brother and sister. Practical matters such as law enforcement and social services are carried out by a Guild of Masters, who are practitioners of a form of martial —although they are called “Defensive”—arts. Masters abide by a strict Code of Ethics, which governs their life choices and day-to-day activities.
There are two plot lines, presented at first in alternating chapters. Both take place in an annual pilgrimage period called the Journey, one in the year 1982 and the other in 2003. The first concerns an atypical and shocking massacre; the second involves an American, Brian Cohen, looking for his ex-girlfriend’s sister, who apparently disappeared during a visit to Sanctuary the previous year.
I have to say, these two stories are sometimes overshadowed by the setting. There is a long lead-up to the 1982 massacre; and about three-quarters of the way through, Brian himself goes missing for several chapters. The results of his search for Jenny Adler are mentioned only in passing, because by then Brian has become absorbed into the local culture and has other concerns. Since he’s an outsider, his point of view is helpful in showing the peculiarities of that culture, especially the customs and practices around marriage and family life.
Throughout the book, information is presented in the form of rather unrealistic dialogue, in which two people, and sometimes more, have deep conversations about subjects such as history, mythology, religious beliefs, or ethics. It’s easy to lose track of who is speaking. These conversations sometimes occur while people are doing things like dancing or cooking.
There are way too many named characters—dozens or perhaps hundreds. It’s hard to keep track of who is who at times, but the principal ones are sufficiently distinct to be memorable. By the end of the book, there is the sense of a multi-generational family saga unfolding.
Since one of the plot elements is a massacre, there are adversaries. Two confrontations with them take place, one in 1982 and the other in 2003. I have to say, I thought the enemies are rather amorphous and too easily overcome by the protagonists, who use their martial arts skills, aided by telepathy and mental communication with animals. This is the closest the book comes to fantasy; the powers are for the most part plausible within the parameters of the book, but at one point people who did not possess telepathic powers previously are suddenly using them. Unless I misread something, I found this to be a weak point.
My overall impression of this book is that it’s the author’s envisioning of Sanctuary expressed in the characters’ actions and conversations, rather than a tightly-constructed plot. Reading the book was like spending time in the country, getting to know its people socially by listening to them talk. The real nitty-gritty of their relationships must be inferred and emerges slowly. By the end, I felt I was starting to get it, but even so, after I finished the book I re-read the first several chapters as a refresher. I must say they made way more sense the second time around. The book is well-written and edited; there are very few errors. 4.5 stars, rounded up.
I definitely recommend this book, but only for readers who like immersive fiction and who are prepared for a long read.
February 21, 2021
I feel a little reluctant to be the first non-perfect rating here, and for anyone reading I'm very stingy with my stars. This book was a good companion to me through a difficult part of the 2020 pandemic. The story is told almost entirely through conversation, and if my brain worked that way it might well have resonated perfectly. Still my algorithmic brain was able to track most of main characters and enjoy contrasting the rich fictional culture to my own. The author has my gratitude and I hope would appreciate a review with stinginess required by character.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews