Sharks in the Time of Saviours

'The novel you never knew you were waiting for' Marlon James 'As vivid as it is splendid' New York Times 'I didn't want it to end' Sarah Moss A Barack Obama Book of the Year. Named one of the Best Books of 2020 by New York Times, Guardian, Irish Times, Oprah Magazine, BBC Culture, Good Housekeeping, Kirkus Reviews and Amazon In 1995 in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i, seven-year-old Nainoa Flores is saved from drowning by a shiver of sharks. His family, struggling to make ends meet amidst the collapse of the sugar cane industry, hails his rescue as a sign of favour from ancient Hawaiian gods. But as time passes, this hope gives way to economic realities, forcing Nainoa and his siblings to seek salvation across the continental United States, leaving behind home and family. With a profound command of language, Washburn's powerful debut novel examines what it means to be both of a place, and a stranger in it.

Kawai Strong Washburn was born and raised on the Hamakua coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i. His work has appeared in McSweeney's, Electric Literature and The Best American Nonrequired Reading, among others. He has worked in software and as a climate policy advocate. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and children. Sharks in the Time of Saviours was his first novel. It won the 2021 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, was shortlisted for the Kitschies Golden Tentacle Award, was a Barack Obama book of the year, and a Best Book of the Year in the New York Times, Guardian, Irish Times, Oprah Magazine and BBC Culture.