Upright Women Wanted

By Sarah Gailey

A 2021 Hugo Award Finalist!
A 2021 Locus Award Finalist!
A 2020 ALA Booklist Top 10 SF/F Pick!
A Booklist Editor's Choice Pick!
Book Riot's Best Books of 2020 So Far!

Named a Best of 2020 Pick for NPR | NYPL | Booklist | Bustle | Den of Geek

In Upright Women Wanted, award-winning author Sarah Gailey reinvents the pulp Western with an explicitly antifascist, near-future story of queer identity.

“That girl’s got more wrong notions than a barn owl’s got mean looks.”

Esther is a stowaway. She’s hidden herself away in the Librarian’s book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her—a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda.

The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing.

Praise for Upright Women Wanted

"A good old-fashioned horse opera for the 22nd century. Gunslinger librarians of the apocalypse are on a mission to spread public health, decency, and the revolution."—Charles Stross

"A dazzling neo-western adventure. . . . Gailey’s gorgeous writing and authentic characters make this slim volume a pure delight."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Feb 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781250213655

Sarah Gailey

Hugo Award-winning and bestselling author Sarah Gailey is the author of the novels The Echo Wife and Magic for Liars. Their nonfiction has been published by Mashable and The Boston Globe, and they won a Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer. Their fiction credits also include Vice and The Atlantic. Their debut novella, River of Teeth, was a 2018 finalist for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

Book preview

CHAPTER

1

As Esther breathed in the sweet, musty smell of the horse blankets in the back of the Librarians’ wagon, she chewed on the I-told-you-so feeling that had overwhelmed her ever since her father had told her the news about Beatriz. She’d known that none of it would come to any good. She’d told Beatriz as much. Tried to tell her, anyway.

But Beatriz never did listen. She always was stubborn, as stubborn as a hot day, the kind that comes too long before a storm breaks, and so she hanged. She swung by her neck while Esther’s father, Victor Augustus, made a speech about the dangers of deviance. Silas Whitmour had stood a few feet behind the podium with his fists clenched in his pockets. His lips had been pressed together tight, his eyes on Esther.

Not on Beatriz. He wouldn’t hardly look at Beatriz at all.

His eyes were on Esther, who had lied to her father and told him she’d make the whole thing right.

---

The Head Librarian didn’t find Esther Augustus until they were two whole days outside of Valor, Arizona. She swore so loud and colorful that it snapped Esther right out of the Beatriz-dream she’d been having, and by the time Esther was sitting upright, the Head Librarian’s revolver was pointed right at her face.

Don’t shoot me, Esther said, her voice raspy. Her mouth tasted foul from two days with only the bottle of water she’d brought, two days without a toothbrush and without food. Please, she added, because her mother had raised her right and because manners seemed like a good idea when a gun was involved.

Give me a single good reason. The Head Librarian’s badge glittered in the early-morning sun. It was a hammered copper star with three columns etched into it—one for virtue, one for knowledge, and one for patriotism. It shone as bright as Beatriz’s eyes had.

Esther wasn’t sure if the Head Librarian was asking for a single good reason to shoot or a single good reason not to, but she decided to play her only card.

My name is Esther Augustus, she said. My father is Victor Augustus. He’s—he’s the Superintendent of the Lower Southwest Territory, she added uncertainly.

The Head Librarian surely knew who Victor Augustus was, but her face didn’t change at the sound of his name. Her square jaw was set just the same as it had been, her flinty gray eyes were just as furious, and her finger was still awfully close to the trigger of her six-shooter.

Leda! The Head Librarian didn’t yell, but her voice carried all the same. After a few seconds, Esther heard unhurried footsteps crunching toward the wagon. The Head Librarian didn’t take her eyes off Esther as those footsteps approached, her gaze matching the unblinking eye that was the barrel of her gun. All three of those eyes watched Esther Augustus, and she watched them back, too dehydrated to sweat and unable to draw a full breath.

"Damn it, Bet, if you can’t start dealing with scorpions on your own, I’ll—oh." A second woman appeared next to the Head Librarian. Bet, Leda had called her. The two women couldn’t have looked more different. Leda was tall and wide where Bet was somewhere between wiry and scrawny. She was pale where Bet was brown, her skin smooth where Bet’s was scarred. Leda’s eyes were gentle. At least, they were. Until they landed on Esther’s little nest among the saddle blankets and dry goods, that is. When she saw Esther’s hiding place, those gentle eyes flashed hard, then went wary and darting.

Now, Leda, Bet growled, her eyes still on Esther like a snake watching an approaching ankle, didn’t I ask you to check this wagon when we left town?

Leda didn’t answer, but her face told the story well enough: asked to do the task, didn’t feel like doing it, said it was done to move things along.

Please don’t shoot me, Esther said, coughing as the words hit her dry throat. I don’t mean any harm, it’s just—

It’s just that you’re running away, Bet intoned flatly. You’re running away to join the Librarians.

"Well, I’m not … I’m not running away from anything, Esther stammered, the lie loose on her tongue. I’m running to something."

Give the girl some water, Leda muttered to Bet. She’s delirious.

She’s Victor Augustus’s daughter, Bet replied.

Leda’s eyes got big as she looked back to Esther. Those eyes were canaries, Esther realized—they sang everything that passed through Leda’s head, loud and clear enough for anyone to catch. Shit, she hissed. We don’t have time for this.

Does your father know where you are right now? Bet asked. Esther hesitated, then shook her head. Bet mirrored the movement. No? Stupid to tell me so, she said. If he doesn’t know you’re here, there’s not a chance of a consequence for me if I shoot you dead and dump your body in the desert. She sighed, lowering the revolver, and Esther took in a full breath at long last. Get out of that wagon before you sweat fear-stink all over my horse blankets. Leda, this water is coming out of your supply. With that, Bet walked away and out of sight.

Esther slid out of the wagon on weak legs, her feet slipping in the gravel. She’d worn her most practical shoes, but she could already tell they wouldn’t keep her upright on the trails the Librarians rode.

Not that good shoes should be her immediate concern, she thought. She couldn’t rightly say that this wasn’t going according to plan, since there hadn’t been much of a plan in the first place, but it certainly wasn’t going the way she’d hoped it might. She couldn’t think of why a Head Librarian would need to carry a revolver instead of a rifle. A rifle would do just fine for whatever might be in the desert, whatever might come across the horizon to make a woman nervous. A revolver was too close-up for a woman to carry, her father’d always said. A revolver was a man’s weapon, made to end an argument.

A Librarian, Esther thought, shouldn’t ever have need of arguing. That was the whole point.

A strong, callused hand caught her by the elbow before she could stumble again. It was Leda holding a canteen. Esther would have sworn she could smell the water inside of it. She drank too gratefully, and that strong hand slapped her on the back hard to make her cough up the water she inhaled.

You don’t want to lie to Bet, you understand? Leda whispered, her mouth close enough to Esther’s ear to stir the hair near her temples.

I wouldn’t, Esther replied. She decided not to remember the last time Beatriz had been that close to her ear, the things they’d whispered to each other then.

I mean it, Leda said. She’ll know if you lie, and if you do, you can forget about her letting you stay.

Esther nodded, her heart pounding. If she played this thing wrong, she had no idea what might happen. Maybe Bet would take her home to face her father’s wrath. Maybe Bet would turn her loose in the scrubland to wander, lost and alone. Maybe Bet would pull that iron out again, and maybe this time, she’d use it.

But, Esther reminded herself, that was only if she screwed up.

If she did everything right, on the other hand? Well, then she might just get to become a Librarian.

---

A full canteen of water later, Esther was sitting on a rock across from Leda and Bet, and she was lying harder than she ever had before.

I’ve always wanted to be a Librarian, she said, looking Bet right in the face, making her eyes wide and earnest the way she did whenever she talked to the Superintendent about the importance of the flag and the troops and the border. Her long hair was matted with sweat in spite of the tight braid she’d bound it in before climbing into the back of the wagon, and she felt like something that had gotten stuck on the tread of a tank, but none of that would matter if she could make herself shine with earnest dedication to the cause. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of joining an Honorable Brigade of Morally Upright Women, doing Rewarding Work Supporting a Bright Future for—

—the Nation’s Children, Bet finished flatly. You memorized the posters.

I hate those things, Leda muttered, and Bet shot her a sharp look.

Of course I memorized them, Esther said. If she didn’t blink for long enough, she could get her eyes to water a little, so she’d look like she was overcome by passion for the Librarians’ work. She clasped her hands together in front of her and let her shoulders rise. I had one of the recruitment posters hung over my bed since I was a little girl. I love everything about Librarians.

What’s the part that appeals most? Bet asked.

I just admire the work you do so much, she gasped, and there it was: her eyes were burning and she knew they’d take on a real shine soon. Helping to further the spread of correct education is so important. If it weren’t for the Librarians, no one would have up-to-date Approved Materials to read and watch and listen to. My father always said—Bet made a soft sound at this, and Esther reminded herself not to bring up her father again for a little while—he always said that when boredom takes hold, that’s when people get up to trouble. So, I figure that if it weren’t for the Librarians, people would probably be coming up with dangerous new materials all the time. She looked down at her feet and gave a soft sniff. "I just want to help. I want to be part of something that’s bigger than I am. I want to be a

Reviews for Upright Women Wanted

[Moira · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lesbians fighting fascism? Yes, sounds interesting, right? That's because it is! A perfect little novella exploring a lot of idea surrounding being queer, like the need to hide and the self-hate. Despite this, it gives a good sense pf hope that, if we keep fighting, things will be better!

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was a giveaway from Tor and I probably wouldn't have picked it up if I remembered that Sarah Gailey wrote the Hippo westerns -- which were the most brilliant idea, but I didn't care for the writing.

This little book was a bit of a revelation, though, and I think maybe my issues with her writing are solved by the novella format. I liked the new future/western/dystopian setting. I liked that we never really found out the answers/backstory to a lot of what was happening in the world. I like imagining badass lesbian librarian gunslingers -- who doesn't? And I think this was a good balance of Esther's internal struggles and fast paced adventure. I also really enjoyed Cye, the ornery non-binary mentor.

[g33kgrrl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a book with a good plot, characters I believed in and rooted for, and great world-building. I wish it had been fleshed out more - I think I would have enjoyed it more as a full-length novel. Everything happened a little too quickly and such important and moving topics, and life-changing events, didn't hit with as much oomph as I like them to. It's a good read, and certainly worth reading, it's just... missing a certain something.

[quondame · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In post apocalyptic US in a resource consuming war against internal insurrectionists, Esther has stowed away on a Librarians wagon hoping to make a righteous life for herself after her father hanged her best friend and lover for possession of Unauthorized Materials. Very on point, what you are is not bad message, which is fine, but lacks the zany humor I expect from Gailey.

[pyrocat-110012 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book so very much! I love all of Sarah Gailey’s work but this is by far my favorite.

[zoes_human · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The state war machine has created an impoverished and repressive society in which citizens' lives are rigidly controlled. Media is regulated, and resources are strictly rationed. Esther flees an arranged marriage, hoping to rebuild her life and atone for her sins by becoming a Librarian delivering Approved Materials throughout the country. This novella merges the action-packed excitement of a western with the social examination of a dystopian to create a weird western that even makes space for a slow-burn romantic subplot. It is a story both more hopeful and modern than one typically expects of either genre.Fun and fast with an interesting universe, but overall too upbeat for my current mood and too romantic for my particular tastes.

[bgknighton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Post civilization fall -- The American SW is broken into mostly conservative enclaves. The Librarians are the voice of the different and the disenfranchised.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book that I borrowed from the library.Story (4/5): This was a fun and quick read and I enjoyed it. It's set in a post-apocalyptic world that has a very western feel to it. We mainly travel with Librarians who travel from town to town to distribute Approved reading materials. Esther stows away in a Librarian wagon in hopes of both escaping an unwanted marriage and learning how to be a better person (by ignoring her love of other women). She does not find what she thinks she's going to in this group of adventurous Librarians.Characters (4/5): The characters are well done and I liked them. Esther comes off as pretty naive and vanilla, but grows a lot through the story. The characters she travels with are well done and I wanted to get to know them better. I think all of the side characters here could have really good stories if Gailey ever opts to write more in this world.Setting (4/5): The world development is a bit thin here, we don't get a ton of background but there's enough surrounding detail to picture the world you're in and figure out the general gist of its history. Writing Style (4/5): I enjoyed the pacing and adventure. Again, this isn't a complex read but just a fun little peek into this world. I would love to read more books set in this world and really enjoyed this. My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this. This is a fairly simple story, set in an interesting world. I would love to learn more about both this world and the characters here. I enjoyed Gailey’s writing style and will be looking up more books by her in the future. I would recommend this if you enjoy stories set in a post-apocalyptic western flavored world.

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Esther is fleeing the death of her friend, Beatrice, whom she was in love with, and the marriage her father intends to force her into. To get away, she hides herself in the Librarians' book wagon. The Librarians, she knows, are upright women spreading approved materials and information. She knows that when they find her, she'll have to be very careful not to let slip the true nature of her relationship with Beatrice, because they are upright women and will be appalled.Boy, does she have a lot to learn about Librarians, and the world they, and she, live in!This is a story set in the American west of a future time, when there has been a breakdown of the society we know. We gradually learn that there is a war, though perhaps it is of the "We have always been at war with Eastasia" variety, and technology more advanced than the 19th century is restricted and rationed. It's a repressive society, with unapproved views bringing harsh consequences.And while the Librarians distribute approved materials, they also distribute other things.Esther is in for an adventure she never anticipated.This is fast-paced, exciting, and both the characters and the world are very well-drawn, with just enough information about the world that, like Esther, we are figuring things out as we go along.Recommended.I bought this audiobook.

[citizenjoyce · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is like The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek but without blue people, with lesbians and if the women had been political terrorists. This is one of the few books I've read that I'd hoped would be the beginning of a series. I'd read all of them.

[katybee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sarah Gailey's new novella, ‘Upright Women Wanted’, is set in an alternative future where a dystopian USA society resembles the Old West. In this world, information is strictly controlled by the government - feeding alternative facts and propaganda to a society struggling with poverty, intolerance, scarcity, and a depressed economy. This story deals with homophobia, misogyny, patriarchy, fascism, and militarism. Esther Augustus is a young woman who has just witnessed the public hanging of her secret lover, Beatriz, for ‘deviance’ and ‘the possession of unapproved materials.’ The agents of this information are the Librarians (hooray for librarians!), a group of women who travel in wagons, disseminating reading materials to the countryside towns. The focus is on Esther, her newfound family of Librarians, and her passage toward queer consciousness and self-awakening. Esther is brave, proficient, and spirited, and her determination to earn the right to become a Librarian is an inspiration. There are no wasted words in this story, and the audio book is a good listening experience.

[sarahlh-41506 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Queer Southwestern librarian would be life goals if I wasn’t already doing it, but Sarah Gailey makes it way more exciting with their latest book. A lot of things really clicked for me during this in a way they never did in other Gailey books, and I appreciate that. I would really enjoy reading more stories in this particular world they’ve built, if Gailey is willing to write them. Great characters, lots of action, good world building, queer AF romance, and HORSEBACK LIBRARIANS FIGHTING FASCISM, FUCK YES.

PS: I want the tagline “are you a coward or a librarian?” on all the damn things in the universe. I want to carry that specific energy with me every time I go to work.

[needmoreshelves · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In case you were wondering - yes, you do need lesbian while west librarians in your life.My major quibble - at only 176 pages, this reads more like an extended short story, and I have sooooo many questions. Please let this be the start of many adventures in this world!#readingwomen #readingwomenchallenge #dmplchallenge #popsugarchallenge

[renbedell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Wild West story mixed with a dystopian atmosphere about a girl on the run, joining up with a group of free-thinking Librarians who distribute material around the country. It is an uplifting, empowering story about a girl learning to be okay with how she feels and what she wants. There are a very interesting group of characters she learns from as she goes from experience to experience on their journey. It is written really well. As a short book, it is packed with gripping moments and character development. I really enjoyed this book. The narrator does a great job of creating an environment, but she breathes really loudly at times, but overall I would say her narration added to the story.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

That was an interesting read but felt too short, then again I hasn't really looked at whether it was a novel or a novella before starting still this story of lesbian librarians in a post-new-american civil war was interesting and entertaining. Esther has seen what happens to those who buck the system and it's not pretty, now she's trying to find a place for herself but finds that the truth about the travelling librarians is more complicated than she thought. It's a story about fitting square pegs into round holes and about subtle subversion.I enjoyed the read and found the characters interesting and I'd like some more set in this world.

[lyndainoregon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting genre- and gender-bending Western/scifi/LGTBQ novelette about a futuristic Balkanized America where bands of roving "librarians" distribute more than "approved" reading materials. They are also active agents in a vaguely-described "resistance" movement and a haven for free-thinkers of all stripes. Gailey sometimes reaches a bit too far trying for quasi-Western dialogue (particularly when describing firearms), but it's overall a quick read with a fresh viewpoint.

[amanda4242_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In a dystopian near-future with trappings of the Old West, Esther Augustus escapes an arranged marriage by stowing away with traveling librarians. As she makes the rounds with them, she slowly realizes that they're part of a resistance against the tyrannical government. I was well-primed to love this book as I have a deep love of bad-ass librarians: Rupert Giles, the Librarian of Discworld, even the eldritch horrors of the Night Vale Public Library all have a place in my heart. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that it didn't really matter much that these bad-ass subversives are librarians; granted, Esther's entire concept of her sexuality comes from reading the government-approved books they bring (spoiler: the government's big on burying their gays), but she could have run off with a bunch of women selling Mary Kay and the story wouldn't have been much different. Despite my disappointment, it's not a bad read and the ending is open enough for a sequel. I just hope if Gailey continues to write in this world they focus a little more on books and those who wrangle them.

[angiestahl-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting, unique, and compact novella. Dystopian wild west with lesbian librarians on horseback smuggling people for the resistance.Got this as a blind book pick after asking for something quirky and different. This is that in spades. Absolutely worth a try and as others have said, wouldn't mind another visit to this world to check on Esther.

[maryellencg-894309 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I want more of this story!

[lavaturtle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this heartwarming story about a young woman finding her place in the world. There's a great cast of characters, including a non-binary character who is the love interest! <3

[laughterhp · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Unfortunately, I don’t think Sarah Gailey is for me. I don’t know if it’s because her books are mostly novellas or what, but I can’t connect with her characters. This audiobook was super short, but I was pretty bored. I just have trouble connecting and caring about the people in their book.

[bookwren · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A kick-ass, sophisticated Western featuring queer librarians! I would call this an adult/YA crossover novel. Hoof-pounding plot, characters well-developed, flaws and all, and a quick read that I wished had been longer, or at least will have a sequel.

[gwendydd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Future dystopian Wild West lesbian librarians.Need I say more?

[librolindsay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I only wish this were longer!

[booksandliquids · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this, but I wish it would have been more than it was.

What I loved

The worldbuilding. A post apocalyptic world mixed with the wild west, yes, sign me up! An oppressive government and a group of female librarians working for the rebellion under the cover of being 'proper women' - sign me up! The premise is cool and I feel there are a lot of great stories to be told in this world.
The representation. I love representation and here it didn't feel forced, it fit the story and got its message accross clearly without hitting you over the head with what it wants you to take away from it.
The writing. It was engaging, very on point and I want to read more of this. I will definitely check out more books by Sarah Gailey.

What didn't work for me

I don't know if a novella was the right format for this story. It actually took me a bit to get into it, which I feel a novella shouldn't do. And then once it got started, it tried to do so much in the little time it had. I feel like this story should have been told in a novel or it should have been shortened to fit the length of a novella. As it is, some of the resolutions came too quickly for me, without much buildup, and at the same time I wished for more character development, but there wasn't time to explore those characters further and most of them ended up a bit flat.

I wish I could read a whole novel set in this world, and I hope someday I will.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Esther escapes her town after her girlfriend is hung for having unacceptable literature, and decides she'll become a Librarian, bringing only approved books by wagon to the masses. The only trouble, as she finds out, is that's not exactly what Librarians do.Blending science fiction and western, this fun story is set in a future where war has taken over post-America yet the world's gone back in time in some ways because no one but the military has diesel for cars. Told primarily from Esther's perspective as she realizes not only who she is but also that she can be herself in a world that largely doesn't want to acknowledge she exists. Because it's so short, there's not a lot of fleshing out of characters or world-building, but I spent a pleasant day reading it and could recommend it to the right reader.

[streamsong_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The State rules with an iron fist in this Old West style dystopia. It features horses, cowboys, sheriffs, posses, six shooters and hangings when someone goes against the rules of the State – which believes in only heterosexual relationships and mind control by allowing only Approved Reading Matter.Esther’s special friend Beatriz runs afoul of this last law and Ester’s sheriff father hangs Beatriz for having unapproved reading material. Ester had previously been frightened by her growing affection for Beatriz.Now in order to escape her father and the marriage he has arranged for her, Ester flees to join a traveling group of State Authorized librarians who supposedly travel from town to town distributing approved reading from their horse drawn wagons. Ester is a booklover who hopes to find a place with them. What she finds is quite different: a band of women living their forbidden loves freely, secretly distributing unauthorized material and helping fugitives working to further a rebellion. Although Ester had no idea that women could think about- much less live - loving other women and rebelling against the Laws of the State, she aspires to become one of them.It’s a fun, slightly absurd story (they are heading to Utah where there is freedom and tolerance of the LGBTQ lifestyle). It’s thought-provoking at the same time (are we also embracing a society that devalues diversity?).I hope there is a sequel. I’d like to find out what happens next.

[sammusher · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What if Handmaid's Tale, but set in the American West and really, really gay?

[reading_fox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Short novel, long novella - just over 100 pages of writing - of an alternative history or dystopian near future, it's not quite clear which, where the US conservative right wing has been in established power for some time. Many of the men are off at the State Sponsored War, and the rest run the communities and households. All resources are devoted to the War Effort, so most communities are small towns living simple lives in a very Wild West sort of manner. One of the few national communications are the Travelling Librarians, who bring approved materials to each community. They are usually spinster women as men can't be spared from the War effort. The story starts with Our Heroine hiding away in a librarian's van, after her illicit girlfriend was caught with some Unapproved material and publicly hanged- a somewhat extreme response even by the prevalent standards. She just wants to get away to an upright populace where her feelings wont get her into trouble, and what could be more approved than the Librarians. It's cleverly written so that we gradually see the Librarians may be more than they first appeared, an although the Wild West violence is somewhat comical the characters shine.

[avogt221-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't know what I was expecting when I started this book. But what I got....I'm sure was not it. This is a pulpy western romp through some kind of post-apocalyptic world. Where lesbian and non-binary librarians roam the land on behalf of the government (but not really). I found myself really engaged with the story and the writing. My only real complaint is that I never understood the greater politics of this world beyond a general government = bad. This is largely because the story is focused on a group of individuals who are primarily wandering alone and not interacting with a lot of people outside their immediate circle. So you never really get the overview of what the world looks like beyond this small group, But overall when the book was finished (and it is a short book) I was actually sorry there was not more to go,