Notes on Extinction

by Janice Deaner

Will Mendelsohn is a modern-day Charles Darwin whose first book has made him wealthy. In order to begin his magnum opus, a massive work on extinction, he sets off on a worldwide research trip. He makes a special visit to Assam, a state in northeast India, so he can spend time with his mother's friend Mim, a Holocaust survivor in frail health. But once he meets Mim's enigmatic neighbor, a married expatriate screenwriter named Grace Tagore, Will's brief stop turns into an extended stay. As he and Grace are drawn together by their haunted pasts into a transformative affair, Assam erupts in political turmoil, setting off an irrevocable chain of events that forever alters their lives.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[krdito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read and liked Janice Deaner's two earlier novels, I found they actually pale in comparison to this one. "Notes on Extinction" is so beautifully written and heartfelt...Janice Deaner really fine-tuned and improved her writing style in this, her third (and apparently last) book! It is the story of a broken man, a broken country, two broken woman....with themes of extinction woven throughout. Just a wonderful book! Reminded me a bit of Out of Africa because it takes place in an exotic location and features a romance between an adventurer and a married woman. I was so touched by the tender relationship Will built with Mim, a Holocause survivor. There is one part of the story that is a bit melodramatic (i.e., not really believable), but I did not find it distracted from the beauty of this novel. Sadly, it looks as if Deaner has not written anything since. We did you go Janice??!! Please write more novels!!

[M]

I really love Janice Deaner's "Where Blue Begins" so I am giving this book a shot, even though the protagonist is so quietly despicable in his narcissism that I can barely stand him. He is saved so far by, of all things, location. The descriptions of India take you into the world of the book. We'll see where it goes.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this...an excellent bargain book find! A cool setting (northern Indian tea plantation if mememory serves me right) and interesting thoughts about the profoundness of extinction. A little different which is always nice!

[Holly Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my top twenty!

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Exhausting book with a good ending. Confusing right?

[Callie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elusive to me. It's an enjoyable read, just not a memorable one.

52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2025, Book Prompt #39 Has an epigraph.