The We and the They
My debut novel is available as an e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
What is The We and the They about?
The We and the They is set in a world crumbling underneath the grip of the Great Famine. There are people who are wandering throughout the wilderness, who ultimately coalesce and meet each other and agree to look out for one another as they find food. This group ultimately ends up calling themselves the We.
As the We are moving through the desert, they encounter a group of people called the They who invite the We to their big farm oasis amid the wilderness, promising to feed them. The We willingly go with the They and the They do, in fact, feed the We. However, it soon becomes clear that the They intend to abuse the We in different and more insidious ways. Even as the We are eating these elaborate feasts on a beautiful dining table, their legs are tied to the chairs and they are not released until every morsel on their plates is consumed.
Though the “We” perspective is maintained throughout the entire book, readers will have the opportunity to meet six named We characters. All six of them die from things they swallow while the We are still with the They. As the We wrestle with grief and honor their lost ones' memory, they discover that the They invited them to the big farm for an even darker purpose. With all of this in mind, the We decide whether or not they need to escape.
Meet the Characters
What themes does The We and the They address?
The We and the They explores the intersections of collectivity, loss, and different definitions of satisfaction. Throughout the plot, this book engages with questions like:
How does a community maintain unity in the midst of scarcity?
What does it mean to navigate grief and honor the memories of those who pass away?
How does the framing of satisfaction change the ways in which people go about attaining it?
You will enjoy this book if you are fascinated by oral tradition, you like considering questions about community and identity, or you just want a break from curating your “I.”
Awards
See more award information here: Kyra Ann Dawkins Firebird Book Award Winner.
Honorable Mention in Science Fiction/Fantast Ebooks
Honorable Mention in the Wild Card Category
(New England Book Award Festival)
Reviews
BookViral
ReadingWithTyler
Archaeolibrarian–I Dig Good Books!
OnlineBookClub.org
InD’tale Magazine
BookeryBliss
“I can’t remember a time when I felt so swept up, scooped as if by hands, carried away, wind in my teeth, allowed to soar, high above and with complete trust, by a story of speculative fiction. The world Kyra Ann Dawkins creates may be dystopic, but the generosity of her prose and fictional narrative guides give a reader hope. Through her writing you’ll feel it and know: we belong to each other.”
— Kate Greene, Author of Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars
“Thought-provoking and uniquely written. This is a timeless piece that honors the beauty of community and shared history in a society that prioritizes individuality.”
— Bailee Noella, Author of bathtub in flames
“ Kyra Ann Dawkins brilliantly and creatively tackles the negative aspects that comes with our hustle and bustle individualistic society. Through her vivid recollection of the Great Famine and how the We navigates it, she gives us a different take what a collective identity can nurture in us. The We and the They is for any reader who feels trapped and isolated in the individualistic ideal, and who are looking for an alternative in a collective We.”
— Keri Vornadore, Author of Pennies From Jude
“This is every bit as riveting as any Ayn Rand or 1984 or Swastika Night.”
— John Robert Stark
“The We and The They is a thoughtful meditation on personal identity and what it means for that identity to exist within a larger group. Careful, honest and exploratory, the work flows between perspectives in a breathy yet poignant narrative. The story captures beautiful moments of humanity, nature and humans living alongside nature. This book is told through a deeply human voice that pays careful attention to what drives people to act the ways they do. A lovely read.”
— Julia Morgan Leatham
“In her unique style, Dawkins calls back to the traditions of oral storytelling to remind readers deeply immersed in today’s individualistic society that we are ultimately larger parts of a powerful whole: a collective identity.”
— Karina Cheah, Author of This Side of the Veil
“This is a book for all the senses. You will see the people, feel the emotions, taste the food, smell the night air and you will hear the all the sounds. This book is truly a journey.”
— Lorraine Dick Rice
“Stories of identity and community are needed now more than ever. The We and the They encourages the reader to critically examine society and their place in it.”
— Morgan A. Wider, author of The Worthy Wardrobe