Lark Ascending

By: Silas House

Narrated by: Charlie Thurston

Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

A riveting story of survival and hope, set in the not-too-distant future, about a young man forced to flee the United States and seek refuge across the Atlantic.

As fires devastate most of the United States, Lark and his family secure a place on a refugee boat headed to Ireland, the last country not yet overrun by extremists and rumored to be accepting American refugees. But Lark is the only one to survive the trip, and once ashore, he doesn’t find the safe haven he’d hoped for. As he runs for his life, Lark finds an abandoned dog who becomes his closest companion, and then a woman in search of her lost son. Together they form a makeshift family and attempt to reach Glendalough, a place they believe will offer protection. But can any community provide the safety that they seek?

For fans of novels such as Station Eleven, The Dog Stars, and Migrations, Lark Ascending is a moving and unforgettable story of friendship, family, and healing.

©2022 Silas House (P)2022 Algonquin Books

Critic reviews

“Just astonishing . . . Terrifying, moving, beautiful, instructive, and haunting. I have never been more deeply moved by a novel.”—Lee Smith, author of Dimestore

“In Lark Ascending, Silas House casts an irresistible spell, conjuring a near future that is both familiar and unbearable, illuminating the brutality and suffering that our own thoughtless age seems determined to invoke. But Lark Ascending is not merely, or even mainly, a tale of pain and grief. This beautiful book is shot through with such tenderness and humanity, such love and courage and beauty and hope, that it feels almost like a prayer.”—Margaret Renkl, author of Late Migrations

“A dystopian classic, finding new notes of peril and possibility in the once-and-future homeland of Ireland and giving us the kind of richly observed alternative family that humanity of any era would call savior. It also has the best dog ever, excepting my own. Don’t miss this one.”—Louis Bayard, author of Jackie & Me

Wonderful story

Silas House has done it again and written a masterpiece. I encourage everyone to listen to it; it is moving and draws the listener into the to story, as does all of his work.

My first dystopian novel and I loved it

Silas House is a fellow Kentuckian so I have this a listen. I’m not much for dystopian tales of future woes but I genuinely loved this story. They dystopia doesn’t overshadow real human relationships and emotions. It was quite masterful.

Beautiful, timely book

The near-future setting feels remarkably, frighteningly real and possible. But as always in Silas House’s works, it’s the human story that is at the heart of the book - the relationships, the chosen family, the sweetness of love. And the beagle’s story is so tender.

Pulitzer Prize worthy

Silas has once again written a book of serious substance. He’s captured the possibility of what may truly happen if we’re not vigilant in our society.
Rich, moving, seriously thought provoking and horrifying at the same time.
It’s a masterpiece. Thank you for being you Silas.

A man's misguided fears rolled into a story.

A gay author pushes his fears of persecution of the church into a story. I was forced to read this in college and regret doing so.

Lark Ascending

This is absolutely one of the best books that I have read in a very long time.

Truly Extraordinary

The story is heartbreaking yet beautiful, haunting yet uplifting.
The main characters are compelling and it all feels very possible and very real.

Recommend

Performed with a graceful movement-as a ballet of words danced within the worlds the author has given us windows into- woven with rich emotion and narrated with sensitive and an emotive empathy. I was drawn into this sensitive young man’s life and become intimate friends by the book’s end with not the young man, Lark-but to all Lark loves including Seamus.
Well sone performance- entertaining, poignant, and concerned with many of the issues dominating our news cycles now without being pretentious or preachy.

Wonderful!

I listened all in one day and really enjoyed the narration and of course the story.

Great read for dog lovers

As a dog lover, this book pulled all my heart strings. I loved it ten stars worth! Will read again it’s a book you’ll want to keep in your library. There’s love and loss and anger and danger, all the elements of a great story. I listened straight through.