Fun Fiction Series that might make you Think

The Restoration Series by Terri Blackstock

I just happened upon the first book of this series called “Last Light”, and I was intrigued by the story. It was an easy, fast read and I could not put it down.

The premise is: the whole world is hit by an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) and suddenly NONE of the modern equipment works. Planes fall out of the sky, all forms of transportation STOP where they are, no form of communication works. Just imagine, you are stuck on the highway, and NO ONE is coming to rescue you. You want to get home to YOUR FAMILY so YOU WALK. You have no idea how other family members are doing because there is your phone does not work. You want to know WHY is this happening. HAH. NO ONE KNOWS. There is no communication!

We are all used to short power outages. But the lights always come back on, right? Well, what if they don’t? And you DON’T KNOW WHY. You think, we will be OK, we have generators to make electricity. Nope, they don’t work. NOTHING WORKS. The water doesn’t flow. The few stores that do open and take CASH empty out in one day. Think about it, besides food, what would you purchase if you did not know WHEN things would start working again?? Bikes were top, then candles, matches. But does Walmart have enough supplies for everyone in the area? No trucks are coming to restock!

So these books really made me think...what do I have saved and how long would my supplies last?

These stories take place in a suburban community filled with people who don’t even know how to grow a garden (I am sure you know a few people like this). They did not know how to function without all their modern conveniences. There was no school, but the kids were devastated without their TVs, computers and phones. Oh No! Families had to talk to each other at mealtimes. Mothers struggled to feed their families with what they had left in their pantries, they had to learn how to make bread in a wood stove. Reading these stories about how this one family and their community learned to cope with the loss of their comfortable, suburban life was very interesting.

It turns out that the EMP was caused by a dying PULSAR in space, and it lasted for a year. But no one knew that for several months. They had to learn a lot of new skills waiting for the power to come back on. Each book had its own subplot of murders to solve, and relationships to develop and repair.

Now this is fiction, but it really made me think. How long would I last with no Walmart to run to twice a week, no cash to spend, no McDonalds to grab a quick meal when we are tired and hungry. Here in Montezuma County, we are blessed with plenty of fresh food options, horses to ride, and hand tools to work with. But still, a WHOLE YEAR without power? Barter, barter, barter. Oh, and I need to get a basket for my bike.

I really enjoyed these books. This author is a good storyteller. If you want to read them, let me know and I will share my copies!