To the Lightning

by Catherine Ennis

Discoloured covers, good clean copy otherwise

Genres: Fiction, Queer, Lesbian, LGBT, Lesbian Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Dannica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb of this book says that it's about two women who get stranded in the wilderness after lightning strikes their car, and have to survive in the wild (while falling in love).

Failing to mention!
That the lightning magically transported them to prehistoric times and that is why they are stranded.
I will say it is more survival story than fantasy or sci-fi but there definitely is a fantastical element.

Quite enjoyed all their foraging and DIY efforts. The romance feels a little informed but once they're together I'm into it.

[Kara S · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two women are out in their VW van to go camping when they are struck by lightning, sending them to a clean-slate of a world untouched by (and unpopulated by) humans. Left to their own devices they must use what they have on hand and materials found in nature to survive.

I really wanted to like this book because I love survival stories and was hoping it would be the lesbian equivalent of "My Side of the Mountain". The problem is, having read as many non-fiction accounts of survival as I have (and having grown up in semi-rural Alaska) I have a pretty good grasp on the realities of survival. And this book flies in the face of that reality. Everything was just WAY too easy and the characters just randomly knew how to do all kinds of craftsman-level things, like build furniture from scratch.

The story itself is kind of aimless. It is largely a "let's play house" theme, which is common in lesbian fanfiction as the stereotypical dream is to make a home and family. The survival aspect brings the tension but not until the end. Because everything is way too easy at the start, the story just spirals into a dreary "when are we going to leave/die" waiting game that I felt was underwhelming and disappointing.

It's a short story and likely meant to be fun escapism but even having a background of sci-fi and fantasy reading didn't help me suspend my belief enough to really enjoy the book. With authors like Radclyffe Hall in our past and Sarah Waters, Nancy Gordon, and Jacqueline Carey in our present I feel there's little excuse to make queer readers suffer through thin plots and cardboard characters. I give it 2 stars for interesting concept and for helping add to the pool of queer fiction.

[Frances Donovan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still remember some of the haunting images from this book, although in many ways it's standard lesbian escapist fantasy. The sense of total isolation from the rest of society as the two protagonists fall in love is very real, especially for young dykes.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If My Side of the Mountain was written for middle-aged lesbians it would pretty much be this book.