Remember Tomorrow

by Amanda Saint

Alone. Frightened. Persecuted.

In a not-so-distant future, food is scarce, religion and superstition rule over law, and whispers about witchcraft can be more dangerous than any army. Will herbalist Evie's grandson really carry out his witch-hunting threats?

When society crumbles, activist Evie yearns to build a different kind of life. One of compassion, sustainability and equality. She doesn't expect her own family to oppose her. And when the man responsible for everything wrong in her life suddenly reappears is he there to to save her - or to stop her?

Remember Tomorrow is a disturbing yet deeply moving portrait of an all-too-possible dystopian world, where family ties can fracture as easily as the world we inhabit - and the damage is not easily repaired.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2019

About the author

Amanda Saint's debut novel, As If I Were A River, was longlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker Prize, selected as a NetGalley Top 10 Book of the Month and as Top 20 Book of 2016 by the Book Magnet blog. Her short stories appear in anthologies and literary magazines and have won, or been long and shortlisted for, various prizes. When she's not writing fiction, Amanda works as a freelance journalist writing about environmental sustainability. She also runs her own creative writing business, Retreat West, through which she runs writing retreats, courses and competitions, and an independent press, retreat West Books.

Find out more on her websites:
http://amandasaint.net
http://retreatwest.co.uk
http://retreatwestbooks.com

Reviews

[Trish at Between My Lines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m delighted to be sharing my review for Remember Tomorrow by Amanda Saint, as it feels like a timely warning for the world we live in today.

Thanks to Random Things Tour for allowing me join the tour and for giving me for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, no matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.

FIRST LINE OF REMEMBER TOMORROW BY AMANDA SAINT

“My grandson means to kill me.”

MY THOUGHTS ON REMEMBER TOMORROW

This scary dystopia starts with a perilious situation in 2073, with Evie fearing for her life. She has adjusted to life in a bleak and barren future, by turning back to nature for food and utilising herbs for medicine. But now the danger of being burnt as a witch by her religious freak of a grandson lurks close.

The book then reverts to 2035 to explain just how this future came about. I enjoyed the world building. Especially, as it didn’t feel like too much of a stretch to see this scary world evolving. It gave me all the shivers!

Evie was a great character to follow. She does what she needs to survive and even thrive. She realises that her way of making a difference is by feeding and nuturing herself and her community via the land by working with nature. I love that she made mistakes, but owned those mistakes, and learnt from them.

I appreciated that the chapters were based around the phases of the moon, as it really hit home the message about our planets resources. The moon is the one thing we haven’t managed to pollute yet.

It’s certainly a very thought provoking book and it made me reflect on consumerism, and Brexit. But above all I resolved to stay educated on climate change, and do my part in saving this planet for future generations.

I went into this for a good dystopia read and I got just that, and so much more. There are no zombies or monsters present. But the world presented was still scary and horrible, and a future we need to do everything to prevent.

WHO SHOULD READ REMEMBER TOMORROW?

I’d highly recommend this to you if you like realistic feeling dystopia novels with intelligent, likeable characters. Or books that raise awareness about climate change.

[Karen Mace · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always a little too worrying when a dystopian story comes along that feels frighteningly possible, and that's how I felt after reading this book! It captures the mood perfectly of just how easy it can become for people to stop thinking for themselves, and believing everything they hear and are told and how the consequences of this are devastating for those who aren't so easily controlled, and I loved how this book really gets behind the 'them' versus 'us' frame of mind and makes it all feel a little too close for comfort with how things are in the 'real world' around us right now.

The story is told over a number of timelines - don't worry, this isn't as confusing as it sounds like it could be! - and follows the point of view of Evie who is being demonised as a witch, mainly by her own grandson Jonah, who at 17, seems to have become the self styled leader of the community and his word is treated as gospel in this future world which is bleak, dark and very evil.

Young people have no memory of how life was, so their perspective on the world is shaped by what they've seen as they grow up and that is hardship for all, lack of food etc, and their mistrust of the older generation who remember life before is clear for all to see in the way they are cast aside as using 'witchcraft' and how their suffering for the previous generations actions. Evie tries to talk to him but his only thought is to punish her so all she can do is run and count on the friendship of others to help her.

The story then goes back in time to see how Evie was when she was younger, and how she got together with Tom who was a protester against the evils of the governments of the world who they accused of destroying the world and environment for their own gains, along with putting out fake news... sound familiar?! Her time with Tom really opened her eyes as a young woman but the innocence of youth can often mask the reality and soon Evie finds herself in a very difficult position.

We then get to see Evie later on in her life, as she deals with motherhood in a world that is ripping itself apart and turning people against one another and it is a sfascinating and scary journey that we go on seeing how easy people can sleepwalk into a world that just doesn't seem to care.

With so many parts of this book resonating with society as it can feel nowadays, I loved the pace of this story alongside the message it was trying to share. The character of Evie had a great voice for telling her side of things as she'd seen life as it was and how much it had changed for the worst over the years. I found the first half of the book to be the strongest with so much thrown at you that set the tone, but the second half still made for terrifying reading and gives you as a reader so much to think about - and worry about too!!

[Cheryl M-M · Rating 4 out of 5]

It doesn't matter how far into the future we go, we can always rely on humans to never learn from history or their past. The human race excels at destroying themselves. For some reason they seem particularly talented at repeating the most heinous acts of the past centuries. The title of the book is therefore quite apt.

Instead of moving forward and evolving, a small community in the future has reverted back to the days when the mere whiff of suspicion could mean the difference between living in peace and being burnt at the stake for witchcraft. Healing becomes spells, witchery and the devil's work. This places Evie in the unfortunate position of being a target.

The fact that religion always seems to make an appearance in some way, shape or form is definitely part of the problem in this dystopian, post-apocalyptic and futuristic story. A once thriving community set in the year 2073 in England is facing increasingly harder struggles to survive. Food has become scarce, which makes people desperate.

Her own family uses religion to make Evie seem like a threat and the guise of her being a danger to the community is probably just hiding the fact it is a way to rid themselves of community members. Less people equals less mouths to share food with.

Humans tend to target the vulnerable, the different and the non-conformists to deflect from their own failings or hidden agendas. Evie and any other person refusing to become part the fanatical religious group have a big bullseye painted on their back.

It's post-apocalyptic fiction with a futuristic flair. Given the rise of certain radical groups and the attacks upon specific religious groups and ethnicities at the moment, despite prior tragedies and atrocities in the last century, this isn't a far-fetched premise at all.

Saint captivates the mass hysteria of religious zealots, which supersedes any common sense or prior knowledge that questions the beliefs of the fanatics. It's a recipe for violence and disaster.
*I received a courtesy copy*

[Heather Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember Tomorrow by Amanda Saint is a timely book considering what is going on in the world right now. Set in the future when the UK is cut off from the rest of the world and movement is restricted it it feels real. The book begins in the 2073 when Evie is a grandmother living with other survivors, but now things have deteriorated and food supplies are running short. Her grandson is looking for a scapegoat and has chosen Evie, who is a herbalist, to take the blame. Using medieval religious superstitions he brands her a witch and her life is now in danger.

The second part of the book looks back in time to when Evie is a teenager becoming an activist, her relationships, and her decisions to get out and move west to seek a better life. The third part moves on more years leading eventually to the events that have led her grandson to take against her. The last part is the climax to this book.

I was struck by how much I could identify with here and it made me think about the situation today in our own world. It has long been a concern of mine so this felt personal. I've often wondered what it would take for people to really do something, and I think there will always be those who will accept anything as long they don't have to make changes, so it didn't surprise me that groups of people in the book just accepted things the way they were.

It's quite a pacey read and I didn't want to put it down. While climate change is the major theme, this also deals with relationships through generations, and Evie has some hard lessons to learn personally. I rather enjoyed the fact that Evie's early years were spent in Reading. Having been there it was rather fun to recognise some locations! I always enjoy books set in places I know.

Climate fiction is very topical at the moment and this one certainly brings it home to you just how far we could fall if we don't change. Well written, powerful and haunting.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story begins in the year 2073. The world has changed, and it doesn't seem as though it's for the better. It's certainly not better for Evie who is suffering at the hands of a zealous group of people who've labelled her a witch. She's hungry and she's an outcast, and the most hurtful thing is that the people who hate and detest her so much are led by her own grandson Jonah.


Tales of a dystopian future are not new at all, and like many women, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is one of my all time favourite books; a novel that has stayed with me for the 30 years since I read it first. That book ignited my interest in novels such as this and I'm always delighted to discover something new.

Amanda Saint has created a world that is neither brave, nor new. We may be reading about the future, but it's blighted with the same problems that have beset mankind since the beginnings of time. Humans have destroyed the planet, and new religions have emerged. The need for power and control is paramount and the destruction of the environment, and of community is central to the plot.

The reader learns about Evie, the outcast and is then taken back to learn about her life before the huge change. We grow to know more about her, and her character; she has her flaws and makes mistakes but is basically a good woman.

There's a lot to ponder when reading this story. It's often disturbing, and that's because the reader knows that it's probably possible. Whilst it's the author's fiction, it's also very possible.

I enjoyed every page of Remember Tomorrow. The writing is beautifully emotive and the characters are wonderfully created. It's a world that we hope won't happen, but it's also a world that may not be too far away. Compelling, gripping and at times, deeply unsettling. Remember Tomorrow is a must read and is highly recommended by me

[Cassandra MADEUP BookBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, although it is not a long book it os full of brilliantly believable situations, and the descriptions are wonderfully realistic.

The Author has created a bleak and wholly believable dystopian future of this world, using current attitudes and considerations to build a plausible future. There has clearly been a lot of thought and planning gone into the world building and it really does show!

The story begins roughly 60 years into the future, and it’s certainly a disturbing future at that. One in which the main character has reverted to traditional considerations, using herbs and such to helps with illnesses, and being faced with a very real threat of burning as a witch as a result. A disturbing prospect already, but considering humanities history it already isn’t unbelievable.

Then add in the fact the Author then jumps back a few decades, and shows us just how the world got to that state, how society got to there and the why behind it, and this makes for a wonderful story. Not entirely comfortable perhaps, but purely because it is so well done that you wind up believing it could happen!

The Characters were done brilliantly, their attitudes and personalities wonderfully suited tot he world the Author has created, again not always a comfortable prospect but certainly intriguing for it’s originality and realism!

In short, not a long book but one that is very memorable and a lot of fun to get stuck into! If you enjoy realistic Dystopian stories, you need to pick this one up ASAP!

[Danielle Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting. I was caught up in the story and couldn’t put it down.

In the near future, the UK is cut off from the rest of the world while climatic changes and world tumult have led to the downfall of civilization. The story centers around Evie, an erstwhile activist and current herbalist grandmother, trying to maintain her life on a tiny farm community in the late 21st century. Many in the insular, self-sufficient society has succumbed to old superstitions and backwards religious beliefs. They are led by Evie’s fanatical grandson who is not beyond whipping the fervour of his followers to create an old-fashioned witch hunt. Evie’s fears are summed up in the chilling first line: My grandson means to kill me.

Slipping between present day and Evie’s past, her life is put together a puzzle piece at a time to create a portrait of her and the choices that have brought her (and the world) to the book’s present time. From the sometimes-turbulent relationships with her loved ones to the scary events that led to the creation of their inward-looking society, the story is woven beautifully into a dystopian tapestry.

The most fascinating, and yet disturbing, thing about this book is how believable it is. The domino effect that created Evie’s world feels like it could very well happen in our own and the backward treatment of women feels far too close for comfort. Nevertheless, Amanda Saint has created a mesmerizing story. It is captivating and beautifully written. Highly recommend!

[Abigayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Evie, a herbalist who wants to save the world, and her fight against religious dogma and members of her own family who would see her tried for witchcraft. This is a well written and emotive dystopian novel about a bleak future world where everyone is suspicious of ‘the others’ and the darkest parts of history are being relived.

It is clear from the writing that the author has a deep understanding of the world we are currently living in and the dangers our political and environmental damage is doing. Some moments in the book sound spookily accurate and possible in the current climate, and for our immediate future. We should take heed from this if we do not want our planet to end up like the one in this novel.

Evie’s story is compelling. There are a lot of twists and turns, and often you hope for the best whilst fearing the worst. Whilst some parts of the novel are quite dark there is a thread of hope that weaves through the book, which you find yourself clinging to as you read on. An enjoyable and recommended read, with a very topical warning thrown in for good measure!

[Lucy A. McLaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was swept into this brilliant book from the first page and I found it hard to put down. The characters are interesting and I was eager to learn more about Evie’s past to understand what had happened to cause the present day situation in the book.

A scarily realistic look at where our country could be headed, especially given the current political climate. Well worth a read!