He is the central role model for Lauren, who takes his lessons to heart. Lauren’s father is the ersatz leader of this community, He leads the neighborhood’s shooting practices, trains them in survival skills, and organizes a perimeter watch against the thieves and arsonists that constantly threaten their survival. Lauren lives in a gated community in a sort of compound with her brothers, stepmother, and father, an academic/preacher. When we first meet our narrator Lauren Olamina, she is one of the lucky few who has a life of moderate comfort, stability, and security. Hyperinflation abounds, infrastructure is falling apart, water is scarce, environmental collapse is imminent, and the social institutions that bind the nation have all but frayed. Octavia Butler’s 1993 novel Parable of the Sower imagines what a radical affirmation of life might look like set against a backdrop of impending extinction. Set between 20, Parable of the Sower conjures a crumbling America. Cover art for Parable of the Sower by John Jude Palencar
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