Experience two “brilliant, endlessly rich” (John Green) dystopian novels from a legendary Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author. This gift set comes with an exclusive bookmark! The action set forth Parable of the Sower begins in the early 2020s, in a world facing global climate change, economic crises, and social chaos. California becomes full of dangers, from pervasive water shortage to masses of vagabonds who will do anything to live to see another day. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding anarchy. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy, a debilitating sensitivity to others’ emotions. In Parable of the Talents, Lauren has survived the destruction of her home and family and realized her vision of a peaceful community in northern California based on her newly founded faith, Earthseed. The fledgling community provides refuge for outcasts facing persecution after the election of an ultra-conservative president who vows to “make America great again.” In an increasingly divided and dangerous nation, Lauren’s subversive colony–a minority religious faction led by a young black woman–becomes a target for President Jarret’s reign of terror and oppression. Years later, Asha Vere reads the journals of a mother she never knew, Lauren Olamina. As she searches for answers about her own past, she also struggles to reconcile with the legacy of a mother caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future. Gift set includes one copy of Parable of the Sower, one copy of Parable of the Talents, and one deluxe bookmark. See Less
