I read Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed a few weeks ago while we were on vacation. Somehow, it was the perfect vacation read. When I first heard about this book, I wasn’t super motivated to read it. I packed it on a whim after Little Brown sent it to me and I’m really glad I did! This book really worked for me.

Gather the Daughters takes place on an island after some post-apocalyptic event happens in the US that forces everyone to flee. On the island, everyone has a role, and once someone’s role is finished - so, they get to old to be useful - they take the “final draft” and die. Only the wanderers, a group of apparent chosen men, are allowed to venture back to the old mainland via ferry for supplies. The islanders believe that the mainland is desolate and everyone left behind is suffering. The role of women is to get married and have children as soon as they’re able. Daughters are forced to marry when they’re still very young. Oh, and this book comes with a warning: it alludes to both child abuse and incest. 

The island has a tradition in the summer of allowing the children to roam completely free. No school, no rules, and a summer of adventure and fun. However, the girls know that as soon as they start their period, there will be no more summers for them, no matter how young they are.

This book follows the stories of girls on the island. Vanessa’s father is a wanderer who allows her to read books. Janey Solomon doesn’t eat in an attempt to stop herself from reaching “fruition”. Caitlin is a bit of an outsider. Amanda reaches her summer of fruition before her best friend Janey.

As the girls near their final summers of childhood, they start to unravel the mysteries and secrets of the island. If the mainland is a wasteland, how can the wanderers find supplies from there? They suspect something more sinister is happening and will go to great lengths to find out.

This book reminded me of The Handmaid’s Tale with slightly less of that Margaret Atwood expertise, but I really enjoyed it. I was rooting for the girls and wanted to find out the truth along with them. If you like dystopias, I would highly recommend this book.