Tarry This Night

by Kristyn Dunnion

In this dystopian, eerily relevant novel, a civil war is brewing in America. Below ground, a cult led by the deluded and narcissistic Father Ernst is ensconced in an underground bunker, waiting out the conflict. When "The Family" runs out of food, Ruth, coming of age and terrified of serving as Ernst's next wife, must choose between obeying her faith and fighting for survival. In this unsettling modern Lilith tale, spirited women resist their violent, racist culture and, in so doing, become outlaws.

Genres: Fiction, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Horror, Canada, Young Adult, Cults

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 2017

About the author

Kristyn Dunnion's academic pedigree is matched only by her punk credentials. She studied English and Theatre at McGill and holds a Masters in English. She's also the bass player for a dykemetal band called Heavy Filth and is known to host burlesque parties and drag king shows.

She currently lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Paltia · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can’t fight against the word of god. Oh yeah, that’s what you think. In the extinguished light of the bunker Warren Jeff’s doppelgänger reigns supreme. Or, at least he thinks he does. A solemn story that galvanizes the reader, along with those few characters, to defiance and rebellion. There’s always those courageous few who manage to hold on to what they believe and fight back. Their little lights will shine in a whole new way.

[Andrea McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

*104th climate book*

This near-future post-apocalyptic novel, by a Canadian author but set in America's south, combines themes of climate, polarization, and the increasing militarization of the evangelical right into a pretty horrific short novel. It's well written and moves quickly, and I recommend it for those with strong stomachs.

Father Ernst moved his family into a bunker after engineering the end of the world by coordinating (what I think were) nuclear explosions throughout America to trigger the Rapture, assuming that afterwards, he and his cult would emerge into a world cleansed of sin and his for the taking. Only problem is, once he got his family completely under his thumb underground, he decided he liked it that way, and continued to postpone emergence for (at the time the novel opens) seven years. They run out food, they run out of water. Ernst eliminates all the young men as they approach adulthood so he doesn't have to endure competition for the women, pretty much all of whom end up married to him whether they want to be or not.

Ruth has been a good follower, but she doesn't want to marry Ernst. What will she do?

This is a frequently gruesome and graphic story, but the characterization is solid, the dialogue and pacing are fantastic, and the writing is excellent. I knocked off one star in part because stories about authoritarian and violent patriarchs in a post-apocalyptic society aren't exactly thin on the ground, and in part because I don't know why a Canadian would set this novel in the American south when we have our own bible-thumping polygamist cults up here.

Some other reviewers found the ending unsatisfying, but not me. This is a novel about patriarchy as much as anything; about the physical and mental control of the women by Ernst. The narrative arc hinges on Ruth and Susan investigating and acting on their own agency, rather than the fate of the bunker cult I was very happy that neither of them were rendered damsels in distress waiting for men/outsiders to rescue them, but took matters into their own hands.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Vee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a very interesting cult fiction with dystopian elements thrown into it. The summary is quite apt: there is a cult with its leader living in an underground bunker waiting out the civil unrest happening above ground, but tensions are high and they are on the brink of starvation. It's the perfect setting for desperation to settle in and for something climactic to happen. I really liked that the story was told from multiple perspectives; it allowed us to understand the main characters better, while also showing us the situation they were in and how being a part of this cult had changed them. There are characters across all ages, each with their own unique experience and viewpoints. This is a gritty story that explores many different themes: the divide between blind faith and the ability to make one's own choice, the loss of innocence, the desperation to survive, and the meaning of happiness and freedom. I really enjoyed the story but I just wish it had been longer! A longer story would have given more tension, and would have made me feel more satisfied about the ending. Overall, a really good story that I wish had been longer so that I could have enjoyed it more! 3/5 star rating from me!

For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com

[Kylie W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first became familiar with Kristyn Dunnion’s writing from her earlier book Mosh Pit, an alternative coming-of-age story about stray queer teens and the urban underworld they inhabit. Dunnion’s prose mirrored the buzzsaw riffs of the punk and metal music she had woven into her story, expressing raw emotion in a manner both uncouth and disturbingly honest. It was thrilling for me to see her voice take on a very different tone in Tarry This Night. To me it showcased Dunnion’s creative range as well as her ability to match her writing style to whatever setting she has chosen. Where Mosh Pit was loud and full of teeth, Tarry This Night is a tale told in whispers in the dark.

Dunnion’s ability to capture atmosphere fully immersed me in the bleak, claustrophobic dystopia in which her characters are trapped.The story is told from various perspectives of members of the Family, a small but devout cult that has been living in secrecy for years in an underground bunker. Led by self-appointed messiah Father Ernst, the Family is waiting for their sign that it is their time to return to the surface. But even as they cling desperately to their faith, life within the
bunker is growing ever dimmer. Father Ernst rules with cruel tyranny and refuses to acknowledge their dwindling food stores. His collection of incestuous wives have been forced
into roles as servants and broodmares. As the Family slowly starves, members Susan, Rebekah and Ernst’s soon-to-be seventh bride Ruth, realize they must find the strength within themselves to make a choice: follow Ernst’s deluded faith into death… or risk the unknown for a chance at survival.

However it is in this darkest hour that Dunnion demonstrates that women are more than capable of saving themselves- they have the power to save each other as well.

Tarry This Night layers together Biblical themes in the flickering gloom of the bunker with startlingly modern issues in the scorched, desolate world above. While Father Ernst claims the favor of God and Ruth finds herself reliving the tale of Lilith, her cousin Paul scrounges desperately for resources above ground in a new America that is torn by civil war and marred by climate-crisis. This juxtaposition of themes makes the story feel as if it could be taking place
both in the past and the not-too-distant future. However to say Tarry This Night is a story set in a post-apocalyptic future feels unfitting when so much that occurs in the book is a dark reflection of what is already unfolding in our world. While woven with many other elements of horror, it is
this realness that makes the story most terrifying: it’s so realistic, so believable, that it feels like it could already be happening.

[Amardip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This easy-to-read compact novel tells the story of a family cult that has been living in an underground bunker for many years after setting off a number of dirty bombs in a coordinated anti-government attack. A third-person narrator shifts perspectives between several main characters giving a personal view of the situation in the bunker from the vantage point of the cult leader, his wives, and some of the children. This mechanism of rotating viewpoint leads to greater character development, a better understanding of the relationships amongst the characters, and more empathy from the reader.

The cult is facing starvation and their desperation leads to some pretty gruesome outcomes that are presented as inevitabilities instead of decisions. These parts of the book were a little graphic and hard to read. However one of the most tragic events in the novel is so beautifully written it’s heart breaking. For the most part, the writing is sparse and evocative.

The novel deals with patriarchy, religion, incest, and civil war. I thought of the cult leader as a metaphor for a ruthless dictator who uses lies, propaganda, promises, and fear to brainwash his followers and get rid of his detractors. Unfortunately in today’s world we see examples of this paradigm writ large in the news every day.

The context of exactly how the cult got into this situation is never fully developed but rather hinted at with little tidbits peppered throughout the novel. This technique reflects the experience of the younger children who find themselves in this situation for as long as they can remember, learning little bits of information from adult conversations. However, I would’ve liked a little more context; I would’ve liked to have known what happened to the Mothers, since it sounds like they died in the bunker. What were the circumstances? What exactly were Father Ernst’s politics and religious teachings and why was he so anti-establishment? What was his background and what led him to start this cult? I also would’ve liked more character development; Silas ends up being an important character in the end and yet we know very little about him. What did he think about their situation and how he was treated? This was a very short novel and there was certainly room for more length.

The ending is left fairly open which some readers may find unsatisfactory. Personally I liked being able to imagine versions of what might happen next.

Overall I enjoyed this novel and liked the writing and wouldn’t hesitate to read another book by this author. Recommend.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I RECEIVED AN ARC FROM THE PUBLISHER. THANK YOU.

My Review: Another call-to-arms for the young women of the US. It's dystopian, all right, but in the six years since its publiction it's only bexome more prescient.

The profound evil of religious belief is its de facto division of the world into Us and Them. There's no need to be saved if everyone is, regardless of their behavior and/or diet and/or sex life,right? So it must be that some people aren't saved; therefore they must be wicked for not following the way to salvation, because of course everyone who's good wants to be saved, and if you explain how to be saved and they don't do it, they're Bad...They are Bad, because WE are Good! This being the least talked-about part of religious belief, it's fertile ground for Author Dunnion to poke around to see what kind of struggle-bugs come out of the dark, smelly pit underneath the pile of unexamined Articles of Faith.

The horror of this system is its endless supply of unquestioning followers, perpetuating abuse and calling it love.

That might be the single most evil thing ever done by one human to another.

My issue with this story isn't the story itself, or the worldbuilding the Canadian author does for the US South, but the pacing of the plot. Reading the first half of the book, one is trapped in a slooow-motion car crash, awaiting the inevitable explosion. It all takes far longer to reach ignition than it should to keep readers engaged...it took me six years and a nagging sense of unfinished business to get back to it.

In spite of that serious misgiving, though, I think the experience by the end is one of horrified and outraged identification with the situation and the characters, and should fill a void in your trapped-indoors-by-the-heat summer 2023 reading.

[Jennifer Jamieson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Civil War has divided America, and outdoors isn't always safe after groups of religious extremists carried out dirty bomb attacks all over the US and Canada. Father Ernst was a leader in the movement, and shortly after the attacks he moved much of his Family into an underground bunker to keep them out of the world. Since communications stopped a few years ago, he doesn't know much about the more recent war that erupted after his acts of terrorism. He doesn't really care.

Locked in their bunker for seven years, their little cult has progressed along much like any other--Father Ernst has been systematically eliminating virile males and marrying any women as they come of age--even if it means incest. Paul was long ago chosen to be the group's Provider--a person who goes outside the bunker to bring back whatever plants and wild game he can find--and he figures Ernst was hoping he'd not come back one day. He knows it's past time to get his sister Ruth and his love Rebekah away from the bunker, he just needs to make sure it's safe outside.

Rebekah is dying inside. She can't take much more of the confinement and malnourishment, and one way or another, she's getting out.

Ruth sees the gaunt faces of the children, and knows they're not going to last much longer underground. Her impending womanhood also looms large, as she knows the minute she starts bleeding Father Ernst will want to make her his seventh wife.

Tarry This Night is devastatingly frighting and sad, and tells a tale with a similar message as Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. It's a gut punch of a book, and scarily relevant

[Elna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for stories about cults and oppressive religions and women in these situations, AND retelling of the Lilith story.

Tarry This Night hit all of those buttons, and did so in a terrifyingly bleak, realistic and unblinking way. The truth is, living in a bunker for years with no specified end date and expecting to replenish your population from the same dwindling, starving supply of women is unfeasible and yet people try it or want to try it all the time.

The sense of hopelessness and inevitability is suffused throughout, hitting the women and children differently (but of course not Father Ernst) but equally severely. The fact that they had to resort to cannibalism and fasting is presented and an inevitability and a horrifying one.

Ruth, Paul, and Susan were great characters, flawed and strong. Cults prey on the vulnerable and lonely, and Susan fell into that trap, seeking safety and family and belonging. She had it for a short while, but when the matriarchs died, it was too late for her to escape. Ruth and Paul were born into the cult, and while Paul has had a chance to grow with Father Ernst's influence, Ruth has not and struggles with being a good "Christian" and reconciling her desires for freedom and love.

Father Ernst was definitely a villain, but a three-dimensional one, who clearly believed in what he was preaching and his vision for the future. Silas was... interesting, and I wish we knew more about him.

[Queerer Than Fiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will not be for everyone. It has a whole list of trigger warnings including sexual assault, rape, suicide, and religious abuse. It is an eerie and chilling read. However, it is worth the read if you can stomach it.

This fictional (but all too real) cautionary tale does a very good job of telling the story of the Family, led by Father Ernst. I originally thought it was going to follow Ruth, but there are actually several POVs to show the inner workings of this religious group. That also includes the perspective of the narcissistic cult leader himself, which I found were some of the most difficult chapters to stomach.

While I would go into this book with caution, I do think it is a fascinating read. It is incredibly well written and I think the author did a great job showing the build up through flashbacks while also showing the growing turmoil in the family.

Also, that cover? I absolutely love it and it's what got me to pick up the book in the first place. It's so simple and yet impactful. I love the symbolism with the cicada.

[Anwyn Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was fantastic, right up until the end. For tackling such grotesque themes, the language is quite gentle and sensitive. All the characters are fully fleshed-out humans, never all good or all bad. The cult leader villain is horrifyingly believable; he's clearly designed this cult for his own selfish gain but also seems to genuinely believe the lies he's dishing to his followers. The only reason I have given this book 3 and not 5 stars is that the ending is so rushed and unsatisfying. The book just.. stops, rather abruptly. Could have done with at least an extra chapter to tie things up better.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting story of a cult living in an underground bunker. Dunnion reels the reader in by developing her characters through real time narrating but also flashbacks to life before the bunker. Dunnion deals heavily in the patriarchal archetype of extremist religious groups--centering the terrifying Father Ernst. But all is not right in the bunker and beliefs begin to waver. Once I got into it, I could not put it down. Dunnion take the reader on an intense rollercoaster, I was on the edge of my seat up until the very last sentence.

[cosima concordia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarry This Night is a claustrophobic nightmare chronicling what it means to be a woman growing up in a bunker ruled by apocalyptic fundamentalism that decrees a holy writ life of enforced polygamous incest. This is the dystopia that comes about when all of the most horrific ideologies that pump into America's rotting heart — racism, Christian fanaticism, misogyny, and homophobia — calcify themselves into the single wicked hydra they've always been. Kristyn Dunnion brings us resistance even from the very darkest and putrid corner.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story ramped up by the end after a very slow first half. The concept is so interesting, but so much was spent spinning wheels with the plot and set-up in the beginning.

It was also unnecessarily confusing. I kept feeling like I didn’t have a firm grasp of what the author was getting at and couldn’t see the advantage to writing it this way; seemed more like it was just a lack of clarity in storytelling.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyrical and sadly beautiful. A bit rushed at the end, with some threads left dangling. Things tied up a little too neatly for such a raw and gritty story.

Also, this was listed as Teen in a few reviews, and while I wouldn't hesitate to give it to a mature reader, it's much more suited to an adult audience in my opinion.

[Aleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book fulfilled my reading checklist of "read a book solely based on the cover art". I did enjoy the story line once I dug deeper into the book, but I have to say this wasn't my favorite. It was lacking too many details and seemed to just graze over what was actually happening. This style/theme of writing isn't what I usually gravitate towards, but I'm glad to have read it.

[Kelliann Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably one of the most terrifying things I've read in light of recent events, but somehow, despite the dark, serious tone of the book, my brain kept singing the theme song from The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

[Amanda Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well written, interesting subject content, wish they had tied the ending together for all the characters a little better.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately just an "it was okay." There were parts I found intriguing and parts I had to skim. 2.5/5.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ending was not satisfying- it felt more like the book stopped rather than ended

[Cady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and very realistic bunker story. I want a sequel! But it's good on its own. For people who want a serious Kimmy Schmidt, try this.

[Zephyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good and a quick read. We sometimes call my dog Ernie "Ernst" so whenever I read about Father Ernst I was imagining a pug head on an old man body, and that made me laugh.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished and desired more!!!

[Sybil Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much Food Horror.

so many times reading I was sucking my cheeks in and wanted to spit...
I was starving with mild nausea on the edge of my seat right along with the bunker family

[Sara Angela S · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few books I read without pausing. I couldn't put it down.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up, I like cult novels. This one was short and open ended leaving you hopeful.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author was onto something with this one, but there just wasn’t quite enough for me to love it. At times I felt like I was reading an excerpt from a novel rather than the entire book itself.

[Kate]

Like others have said, I wanted more!!