Pod

Bestselling author of The Bees Laline Paull returns with an immersive and transformative new novel of an ocean world - its extraordinary creatures, mysteries, and mythologies - that is increasingly haunted by the cruelty and ignorance of the human race.

Ea has always felt like an outsider. As a spinner dolphin who has recently come of age, she's now expected to join in the elaborate rituals that unite her pod. But Ea suffers from a type of deafness that means she just can't seem to master spinning. When catastrophe befalls her family and Ea knows she is partly to blame, she decides to make the ultimate sacrifice and leave the pod.

As Ea ventures into the vast, she discovers dangers everywhere, from lurking predators to strange objects floating in the water. Not to mention the ocean itself seems to be changing: creatures are mutating, demonic noises pierce the depths, whole species of fish disappear into the sky above. Just as she is coming to terms with her solitude, a chance encounter with a group of arrogant bottlenoses will irrevocably alter the course of her life.

In her terrifying, propulsive novel, Laline Paull explores the true meaning of family, belonging, sacrifice - the harmony and tragedy of the pod - within an ocean that is no longer the sanctuary it once was, and which reflects a world all too recognizable to our own.

“Beautifully written and unusual . . . A brave and original story that highlights our modern environmental crimes, and offers a fascinating glimpse into the intricacies of bee world - Sunday Times on The BeesOne wild ride. A sensual, visceral mini-epic about timeless rituals and modern environmental disaster. Paull's heart-pounding novel wrenches us into a new world - Emma Donoghue on The Bees[A] gripping Cinderella/Arthurian tale with lush Keatsian adjectives - Margaret Atwood on The Bees”

Laline Paull succeeds splendidly in rising to the most important literary challenge of our time - restoring voice and agency to other-than-human beings Amitav Ghosh
A pacy, provocative tale of survival in a fast-changing marine landscape Daily Mail
Extraordinary...A haunting story Red magazine
One for those intrigued by Cli-Fi . . . [a] terrifying novel Cosmo, 'Best new good books to read'
Thought provoking...The dramas of the ocean are played out in a perfectly compiled plot and, as you'd expect, the beauty of the underwater is vividly and sensitively written. It's another conversation starter Belfast Telegraph
What an extraordinary empathetic tale of life beneath the waves that spoke deeply to my salty heart . . . an absolutely essential read of an almost "psychedelic shaman" perspective of our underwater cousins Ed Gillespie, author of Only Planet
Any Laline Paull book release is something to get excited about. I love her work. Truly a distinctive force Irenosen Okojie, author of Nudibranch
Propulsive and pertinent... at once beautiful and terrifying, Paull captures the complexity of the dolphin pod dynamics, themes of family and belonging, and an eye-opening perspective of humanity's huge influence on the lives of sea creatures Bridge Bookshop
Keep an eye out for Pod ... [a] brilliant new novel, set amongst a dolphin community The Bookanista

London-born and of Indian heritage, Laline Paull studied English at Oxford, screenwriting in Los Angeles, and theatre in her home city. She writes across a variety of forms and lives in the English countryside with her family.

Bestselling author of The Bees Laline Paull returns with an immersive and transformative new novel of an ocean world - its extraordinary creatures, mysteries, and mythologies - that is increasingly haunted by the cruelty and ignorance of the human race. Ea has always felt like an outsider. As a spinner dolphin who has recently come of age, she's now expected to join in the elaborate rituals that unite her pod. But Ea suffers from a type of deafness that means she just can't seem to master spinning. When catastrophe befalls her family and Ea knows she is partly to blame, she decides to make the ultimate sacrifice and leave the pod.As Ea ventures into the vast, she discovers dangers everywhere, from lurking predators to strange objects floating in the water. Not to mention the ocean itself seems to be changing: creatures are mutating, demonic noises pierce the depths, whole species of fish disappear into the sky above. Just as she is coming to terms with her solitude, a chance encounter with a group of arrogant bottlenoses will irrevocably alter the course of her life.In her terrifying, propulsive novel, Laline Paull explores the true meaning of family, belonging, sacrifice - the harmony and tragedy of the pod - within an ocean that is no longer the sanctuary it once was, and which reflects a world all too recognizable to our own.

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