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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'AFTER THE FIRES. AFTER THE VIRUS. THEY CAME. A remarkable literary novel from the multi-award-nominated Australian writer
'It's night, and the walls of Rachel's home creak as they settle into the cover of darkness. Fear has led her to a reclusive life on the land, her only occasional contact with her sister.
'A hammering on the door. There stand a mother, Hannah, and her sick baby. They are running for their lives from a mysterious death sweeping the Australian countryside.
'Now Rachel must face her worst fears: should she take up the fight to help these strangers survive in a society she has rejected for so long' (Production summary)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Rachel and Hannah : Inga Simpson’s Post-apocalyptic New Novel
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December no. 438 2021; (p. 32)
— Review of The Last Woman in the World 2021 single work novel'Rachel isn’t the last woman in the world, but she might as well be. Cloistered in her bushland home on Yuin country, in New South Wales, Rachel’s days consist of birdsong, simple meals prepared from a pantry stocked with home-made preserves, and glass-blowing in her private studio – a craft that is both her livelihood and her religion. It’s a peaceful yet precarious existence. The land is scarred by bushfires. Rachel’s senses are attuned to the absence of wallabies and small birds. For all her proficiency with sourdough starter, Rachel isn’t self-sufficient. Her older sister, Monique, provides an emotional tether to the world, while townswoman Mia delivers supplies and transports Rachel’s glassworks to a gallery. When Mia fails to show, Rachel rues the lack of a back-up plan. When Hannah, a young mother, raving about a nation-wide outbreak of death, arrives on her doorstep with a sick infant, luddite Rachel must choose between taking Hannah’s word for it or rejecting her.' (Introduction)
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The Last Woman in the World by Inga Simpson Review – Apocalyptic Thriller Preys on Australians’ Worst Nightmares
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 12 November 2021;
— Review of The Last Woman in the World 2021 single work novel'Simpson’s page-turner, about a recluse living in the aftermath of bushfires and pandemic, makes us see the world anew as it meditates on the importance of companionship'
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The Best New Books to Read in November As Selected by Avid Readers and Critics
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , November 2021;
— Review of Devotion 2021 single work novel ; How to End a Story : Diaries 1995–1998 2021 single work diary ; The Last Woman in the World 2021 single work novel 'Welcome to ABC Arts' monthly book column. Each month, we'll present a shortlist of new releases read and recommended by The Bookshelf's Kate Evans and The Book Show's Claire Nichols and Sarah L'Estrange — alongside freelance writers and book reviewers. This month, we're thrilled to present recommendations from Declan Fry and Khalid Warsame.'
-
The Best New Books to Read in November As Selected by Avid Readers and Critics
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , November 2021;
— Review of Devotion 2021 single work novel ; How to End a Story : Diaries 1995–1998 2021 single work diary ; The Last Woman in the World 2021 single work novel 'Welcome to ABC Arts' monthly book column. Each month, we'll present a shortlist of new releases read and recommended by The Bookshelf's Kate Evans and The Book Show's Claire Nichols and Sarah L'Estrange — alongside freelance writers and book reviewers. This month, we're thrilled to present recommendations from Declan Fry and Khalid Warsame.' -
The Last Woman in the World by Inga Simpson Review – Apocalyptic Thriller Preys on Australians’ Worst Nightmares
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 12 November 2021;
— Review of The Last Woman in the World 2021 single work novel'Simpson’s page-turner, about a recluse living in the aftermath of bushfires and pandemic, makes us see the world anew as it meditates on the importance of companionship'
-
Rachel and Hannah : Inga Simpson’s Post-apocalyptic New Novel
2021
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December no. 438 2021; (p. 32)
— Review of The Last Woman in the World 2021 single work novel'Rachel isn’t the last woman in the world, but she might as well be. Cloistered in her bushland home on Yuin country, in New South Wales, Rachel’s days consist of birdsong, simple meals prepared from a pantry stocked with home-made preserves, and glass-blowing in her private studio – a craft that is both her livelihood and her religion. It’s a peaceful yet precarious existence. The land is scarred by bushfires. Rachel’s senses are attuned to the absence of wallabies and small birds. For all her proficiency with sourdough starter, Rachel isn’t self-sufficient. Her older sister, Monique, provides an emotional tether to the world, while townswoman Mia delivers supplies and transports Rachel’s glassworks to a gallery. When Mia fails to show, Rachel rues the lack of a back-up plan. When Hannah, a young mother, raving about a nation-wide outbreak of death, arrives on her doorstep with a sick infant, luddite Rachel must choose between taking Hannah’s word for it or rejecting her.' (Introduction)
Awards
- 2022 longlisted Indie Awards — Fiction