The Curtain Between Us by Jenny Liang is a Christian dystopian novel that follows several characters as they are forced to face the collapse or aftermath of human civilization, the losses this incurs, and their connections with the divine, sacred, or supernatural. Hagar, a young girl in a post-apocalyptic enclave, is trained and sent on a mission tied to mysterious rituals and the symbolic Curtain. Hare, shaped by survival, violence, and his mother’s guidance, travels across dangerous landscapes, facing threats, visions, and serpents while carrying the memory and tools of a lost world. Hannah, in modern America, copes with trauma and isolation, eventually feeling drawn to the Rockies by visions and an inner call. Parceled throughout are notable ancient figures like Lilith and Iphis, whose actions ripple through history.
Jenny Liang’s The Curtain Between Us is a really unique piece of speculative fiction set in a world painted as both fragile and extraordinary. Each character holds their own, representing an arc of scripture within the character’s cyclical journey, woven into storylines like Hagar’s mission and Hannah’s solitary climb, as well as the depiction of Hare’s courage and the mysterious guidance of Nehushtan. The settings are absolutely top-notch, from burned communes to the peaks of the Rockies. They are textured and raw, and dripping with symbolism and history. Hidden texts, visions, and the Parochet Curtain bind all these together in the context of its Christian foundations, giving readers who want to be entertained, inspired, and fully immersed in a meticulously built world exactly the right story. Very highly recommended.
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