In the near-future universe of Michael Farris Smith's Salvage This World, life-threatening hurricanes batter the United States on a regular basis as a result of climate change. In remote communities across Mississippi and Louisiana, businesses are closing, people are fleeing to safer ground, and those left behind must attempt to struggle on with what little they can salvage. It's in this bleak landscape that we find Jessie and her toddler Jace running from a band of armed men who stormed their home in search of Jessie's partner, Holt. The men were sent by Elser, a religious zealot traveling the region and rounding up followers with her enigmatic sermons. Elser promises salvation in the form of a young girl sent by God with the power to control the storms. But first, Elser wants to find Holt, who has stolen something she needs to make this promise come true. Desperate, Jessie seeks to ...