When She Woke
When She Woke by Hillary Jordan, published by HarperCollins on October 4, 2011, is a thought-provoking narrative set in a dystopian mid-21st century Texas. This first edition spans 352 pages and presents a world where a young woman, Hannah Payne, faces the consequences of her choices in a society that punishes individuals by altering their skin color based on their crimes. The story draws inspiration from The Scarlet Letter, exploring themes of societal judgment and personal transformation against a backdrop of political extremism and personal struggle.
Readers will find Hannah’s journey to safety as she navigates a hostile environment marked by terrorism, natural disasters, and a pandemic that has led to widespread infertility. As she seeks refuge, the narrative delves into her self-discovery, revealing how faith, love, and sexuality intersect with her personal experiences. When She Woke offers a compelling exploration of identity and resilience in a world that challenges individual freedoms, making it a significant addition to contemporary literary fiction.
Official synopsis Publisher
In the mid–21st century, a young woman in Texas awakens to a nightmare: her skin has been genetically altered, turned bright red as punishment for the crime of having an abortion.
Inspired by The Scarlet Letter, When She Woke depicts an American dystopia where terrorist attacks, natural disasters and a pandemic causing infertility have swung the country to the far right, and convicted criminals are “chromed” according to the nature of their crime and then released. A stigmatized woman in a hostile and frightening world, Hannah Payne must seek a path northward to safety. Her perilous journey becomes one of self-discovery and transfiguration as she realizes that faith, love and sexuality are not just political. They’re personal.
Mudbound, Hillary Jordan’s first novel (a national bestseller in the U.S. and the U.K. and a local bestseller in Canada), won the 2006 Bellwether Prize and a 2009 Alex Award from the American Library Association. Longlisted for the 2009 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, Mudbound was also the 2008 NAIBA (New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association) Fiction Book of the Year. Additionally, it was a Barnes & Noble Discover pick, Borders Original Voices selection, Book Sense Pick and Waterstone’s New Voices pick.
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