How would you react if the Rapture suddenly struck and you were one of the poor souls left on Earth to sort out the mess? Would you lose all hope for mankind or vehemently hold onto your faith? Would you see it as an act of God or a freak accident? Tom Perrotta explores all these themes in his suburban fantasy/sci-fi/what if novel, The Leftovers.
There are some authors who deliver every time they put pen to paper and Perrotta is one of these literary few. From his debut novel, The Wishbones, to the critically acclaimed novels, Election and Little Children (which were both made into award-winning movies), Perrotta’s re-imaginings of what happens behind closed doors in American suburbia knows no bounds. I have to plan out when I sit down to read a Perrotta novel, because chances are I won’t answer my phone or check in with reality until I’ve read the entire thing.
With his latest offering,, Perrotta once again delivers. This book is truly magical and will grab your attention within the first few pages. Perrotta introduces us to the residents of Mapleton – an idyllic American town dealing with a big issue: what to do when half of your residents literally vanish into thin air. The ‘Rapture’ has struck three years prior to the book’s beginning and those who have been left behind all over the world are still in shock. One minute everyone is going about their day, and the next, millions of people have evaporated into the sky. The book follows several of Mapleton’s residents as they come to terms with what has happened while still trying to make sense of why they were left behind. Are they being punished for their earthly sins? Was it just a fluke why some people got beamed up and others didn’t?
Much of the book deals with the residents different – if not any less extreme – reactions to that faithful day. Mayor Kevin Garvey is trying to put back the pieces of his once cookie cutter life after his formally atheist wife, Laurie, leaves him and their two children to follow the Guilty Remnant, a cult that believes its their duty to make sure everyone lives as pure a life as possible before they too are taken. (The chapters with these members are particularly creepy. Having taken a vow of silence, the members smoke, wear all white, and stare down potential sinners while they follow them home). Meanwhile, their son has left college to follow a religious radical and their daughter is dealing with watching one of her best friends evaporate into the sky.
Throw in the town widow, Nora Durst, who lost her husband and two kids in the tragedy, and Jill’s sexually overt friend, Amie, who comes over to their house one day and never leaves, and you have a complex cast of characters.
While the subject matter can get dark at times, Perrotta’s knack for satire makes each and every page count as you unlock more and more secrets about Mapleton’s colorful residents. What made Laurie join the Remnant? Will their son finally come home when scandal erupts? Will their daughter join her mother’s creepy cult? Every character is beautifully layered that just when you think you’ve figured one of them out, you’re thrown a curveball.
HBO bought the rights to the book before it was even published and plans to turn it into a television series sometime next year. Do yourself a favor and read this gem before it hits the small screen and picture Mapleton and its inhabitants for yourself. This novel is a truly a beautiful trip that will make you laugh, cry, and re-think your own beliefs on the afterlife.
