I live in Portland — so very close to Seattle — and like you said, everyone in the Pacific Northwest lives under the shadow of something coming that you can never really prepare for. And as a climate journalist, I was really interested in that. I was interested in the ways that we can’t get prepared. And at the time that I started writing this book, I was also pregnant. Pregnancy and having a kid is another thing that everyone tells you to get prepared for, because of how scary and unknowable it is, but the reality is that it’s completely unknowable. You cannot imagine it until you have lived through it. I think that, thematically, is what brought me to the book. What gave me the idea for the book was definitely that I was terrified of the earthquake. I was pregnant, and I could not stop thinking about the earthquake.
― Emma Pattee, Interview, Bookweb
What booksellers are saying about Tilt
- This debut’s cover looks sweet, but don’t be deceived. A journey through post-apocalyptic-earthquake Portland, it gave me Portlandia meets The Road vibes. Apocalyptic fiction and disaster movie lovers, this one is for you.
― Leslie Logemann, Highland Books in Brevard, North Carolina | BUY
- Who knew such a quick read could feel so long! Following our extremely pregnant narrator from beneath a pile of IKEA furniture through the dusty, confused streets of Portland on her search for home and her husband, leaves you feeling like you’re right in the chaos with her! You’re agonizing through the hot hours of walking right alongside her all the while hearing her deepest darkest thoughts. This book had me flipping through the pages dying to know what happens next!
― Mandy Martin, Novel in Memphis, Tennessee | BUY
- A truly immersive read, Annie narrates her day to her unborn child, called only “Bean,” through a day that starts with a poorly planned Ikea trip disrupted by a massive earthquake. Tilt’s tight point of view engages readers as Annie navigates the present, persistent threats presented by aftershocks, damaged infrastructure, and other humans, and as she reflects back on her life leading up to the quake in chapters exposing the faultlines of her marriage.
― Ginger Kautz, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina | BUY
- I can confidently say that this novel lives up to its description of being a heart-racing debut. Our main character is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Oregon. I read this in one sitting because it was just so captivating. I did have to take a few breaks in between because there were parts where I needed to take a deep breath since I was holding my breath turning each page.
― Percy Castillo, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana | BUY
About Emma Pattee
Emma Pattee is a climate journalist and fiction writer. Her work has been published in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and elsewhere. She lives in Oregon.
