Rain Circle

It is 2036, and global warming is affecting everyone in different ways. Finnish scientist Christian Laakkonen begins the year without a job when his partner, Inka, finds work in Australia. Together they struggle with the intense heat and witness a changing landscape: farms that were once productive carry 'For Sale' signs on rusty gates, and no one wants to buy. Farmer Brian Ellson, who has an interest in technology that makes a difference, is more positive than most about the future. By year's end, he, and others like tuna fisherman Kris Pavic, will wield a difference that shocks the world with the power of science. Actions on such a scale, however, have a human dimension. It is people, not technology alone, who will make things happen in 2036, or at any time. Relationships, contrasting views and the make-up of individuals all come into play. Enter the families of Inka, Christian, Brian and Brian's friend Bernadette. Brian's son, the thoughtful Patrick, and Bernadette's teenage daughter, May, carry our conscience through this story. Behind them all is the power and single-mindedness of a woman dedicated to seeing things through, Hanni Neimenen. Yes, it is climate fiction, but no story can be told without people.