The Things That Keep Us Here: Summary and book reviews of The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley, plus links to an excerpt from The Things That Keep Us Here and a biography of Carla Buckley.

How far would you go to protect your family? Ann Brooks never thought she’d have to answer that question. Then she found her limits tested by a crisis no one could prevent. Now, as her neighborhood descends into panic, she must make tough choices to protect everyone she loves from a threat she cannot even see. In this chillingly urgent novel, Carla Buckley confronts us with the terrifying decisions we are forced to make when ordinary life changes overnight. A year ago, Ann and Peter Brooks were just another unhappily married couple trying–and failing–to keep their relationship together while they raised two young daughters. Now the world around them is about to be shaken as Peter, a university researcher, comes to a startling realization: A virulent pandemic has made the terrible leap across the ocean to America’s heartland. And it is killing fifty out of every hundred people it touches. As their town goes into lockdown, Peter is forced to return home–with his beautiful graduate assistant. But the Brookses’ safe suburban world is no longer the refuge it once was. Food grows scarce, and neighbor turns against neighbor in grocery stores and at gas pumps. And then a winter storm strikes, and the community is left huddling in the dark. Trapped inside the house she once called home, Ann Brooks must make life-or-death decisions in an environment where opening a door to a neighbor could threaten all the things she holds dear. Carla Buckley’s poignant debut raises important questions to which there are no easy answers, in an emotionally riveting tale of one family facing unimaginable stress.

Media Reviews

The Dallas Morning New, Joy Tipping [A] chilling, engrossing debut novel   Suspense Magazine The Things That Keep Us Here is without a doubt one of the most powerful and realistically frightening books I have ever read... Readers will find themselves inevitably swept into the lives of this family; sharing their fears, heartbreak and success while watching helplessly as the systems meant to better everyone's lives breakdown. With staggering intensity, Buckley's writing will leave you speechless.   The Straits Times, Niki Bruce This is one of the scariest books I've read recently, and there's not a single zombie, vampire, genetically modified creature or mass murderer in sight.   Kirkus Reviews Mawkish prose and blatantly contrived plot developments make this a disappointing debut.   Publishers Weekly Although Buckley raises important questions about trust, loyalty and forgiveness, the narrative flaws detract from the overall effect.   Library Journal Despite structural flaws, this vivid depiction of suburban America gone bad is riveting. It has the potential for broad appeal and could attract fans of authors as diverse as Jodi Picoult, Robin Cook, and P.D. James.   Booklist ...her story gradually gains depth and momentum, operating both as a psychological profile of a family under duress and as a scary, gripping look at the effects of a pandemic. For fans of Robin Cook, Michael Palmer, and Daniel Kalla.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Louise Jolly
Grabs You and Pulls You In!
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW! Ann and Peter Brooks have two daughters: twelve-year-old Kate and seven-year-old Maddie who live in the comfortable suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Their baby, William, had died causing...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Hunter C.
Structure vs. Plot
Who cares if this story doesn't have the best structure in the world? It is a STORY to be told, to entertain and to grip it's readers. This is one of the best books I've ever read. Kudos! I very highly recommend that anyone who has the chance to...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Judy B. (Marysville, OH)
Scary, excellent, compelling
I could not put this book down. This is a riveting story of how a broken family living in the Columbus, Ohio, area (where I live, too) try to survive an avian flu epidemic that more than decimates the population worldwide. Could this book be more...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Shellie - Layers of Thought Book Blog
A Woman's Science Fiction Book
An apocalyptic novel and page turner, it is an event which could happen making the story poignant. It has technical information to keep it intellectual, and reflective insight to make it heart wrenching. It made me consider what boundaries I would...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Shannon R. (Sunburst, MT)
Good for a first time author
This book was really intriguing. I really enjoyed learning about the "science" of the avian flu. It was really thought provoking about would I be ready for a pandemic and had to stay at home for an unknown amount of time. However, the ending...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Zonetta G. (Winter Springs, FL)
The Things that Keep Us Here
The author presents a thought provoking picture of a real potential threat to families in today's world. While I found the character development a little weak (one dimensional) the intensity picked up about two-thirds through the novel. All the...   Read More

...22 More Reader Reviews

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