They Know Where They’re Going

by Jenni Daiches

Set in 2041 when England is dried up by climate change, this novel is seen through the eyes of 16-year-old Ishbel Saddler. Her Scottish mother has died, and drought and crop failure force her family to abandon their Cambridgeshire farm. They embark on a journey by wagon with horses, dogs and friends, their destination Scotland’s northwest Highlands. But Scotland is now independent and those seeking its plentiful water are not welcome – crossing the patrolled Border is going to be challenging. On their journey through a decaying country the family face threats and hostility as well as kindness and support. It is a tale of determination and hope with echoes of the USA’s pioneering overlanders and John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.