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The Way
A postapocalyptic road trip and a quest for redemption
It’s 2048, and the world has been ravaged by a lethal virus. With few exceptions, only the young have survived. Cities and electrical grids have been destroyed, and the natural world has reclaimed the landscape in surprising ways, with herds of wild camels roaming the American West and bioluminescent crocodiles lurking in the rivers.
Will Collins, the last surviving resident of a Buddhist retreat center in Colorado, receives an urgent request: to deliver a potential cure to a scientist on the West Coast. So Will sets out into an unknown and perilous world, haunted by dreams of the woman he once loved, in a rusted-out pickup pulled by two mules. He doesn’t have much time—temperatures are rising to lethal heights, a notorious bandit is on his tail, and armed militias patrol the roads. Fortunately, he has allies: a clever raven, a huge stray cat, and a tough teenage girl who has learned to survive on her own.
"A highly original contribution to the canon of dystopian literature, The Way is a thrilling and imaginative novel, full of warmth, wisdom, and surprises. It raises age-old questions about life, death, and how to live, while reflecting our own world in unsettling, uncanny, and even hopeful ways." — Spiegel & Grau
The Way has been named to Zibby Media's "Most Anticipated" list for this fall and winter! The book will be published in the U.S. on Dec. 3, 2024, and in the U.K. in March 2025.
Praise for The Way
— Roland Merullo, Author of Breakfast with Buddha
"Part survival story, part grimoire, The Way is a magical book. Cary Groner is a master storyteller. His glorious, enchanting prose cast a spell on me from the bleak beginnings of his post-apocalyptic tale until its symphonic conclusion."
— Domenica Ruta, author of Last Day
"Cary Groner's The Way is everything that apocalyptic doomer novels should be: entertaining, unsparing, and spiritual. This is an invigorating addition to the vital literature that bears witness to what we can't afford to ignore: our collective patterns of self-destruction. I loved it."
— Claire Vaye Watkins, author of I Love You but I’ve Chosen Darkness
— Katie Hafner, author of The Boys
"A smart, tough-minded thriller."
— The San Francisco Chronicle
"Cary Groner's latest is a triumphant success."
— Booklist
"An ultimately hopeful vision of the aftermath of disaster....An engaging window into a strange new world."
— Kirkus Reviews
"Groner offers a contemplative take on the postapocalyptic genre that leaves room for hope but doesn’t stint on realism. This novel reads like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road meets Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Highly recommended."
"Groner paints a persuasive picture of his dystopian world, peopled with strong characters and driven by cinematic action. This [novel] reinvigorates an overworked genre."
— Publishers Weekly