The Raptures, Jan Carson
A darkly humorous yet moving tale, The Raptures explores the ripples of fear and bewilderment that spread through a small town in Ireland when children succumb to a mysterious illness.
Carson’s inventive and compassionate novel, The Raptures, follows the plight of a community of families who experience an unexpectedly tragic summer. Set in a small town in Ulster, Northern Ireland, the story is told through a number of characters and families who – despite their contrary perspectives and outlooks, are inescapably connected by a common fear.
The impending sense of dress and confusion begins when Ross, a student in the local school, succumbs to a violent and mysterious illness. When several other children from the same class start to fall ill, questions about what – or who – is responsible for this illness starts to cause fractures within the community. As this sense of fearful disarray escalates, Carson’s writing presents an unflinching and profoundly empathetic view of the destructive effects of fear and uncertainty.
Much of the action in The Raptures is told through the lens of Hannah Adger, a young girl and classmate of the first victim, Ross. Carson’s instinctive and thorough understanding of children is clear, as Hannah’s voice is beautifully and convincingly childlike as she watches her entire world crumbling around her.
Replete with sharp wit, imagination, and a touch of the extraordinary, The Raptures beautifully explores the many ways in which panic can both unite – and tear apart – a community.
Review featured in the Family Issue
