{"product_id":"9781913193263-the-waiting-rooms","title":"The Waiting Rooms","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSwinging from South Africa to England, a woman hunts for her birthmother in a near future in which an antibiotic crisis has decimated the population.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSwinging from South Africa to England: one woman’s hunt for her birth mother in an all-too-believable near future in which an antibiotic crisis has decimated the population. A prescient, thrilling debut.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘Combines the excitement of a medical thriller à la Michael Crichton with sensitive characterisation and social insight in a timely debut novel all the more remarkable for being conceived and written before the current pandemic’ \u003cb\u003eGuardian\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘STUNNING and terrifying … \u003ci\u003eThe Waiting Rooms\u003c\/i\u003e wrenches your heart in every way possible, but written with such humanity and emotion’ \u003cb\u003eMiranda Dickinson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ‘Chillingly close to reality, this gripping thriller brims with authenticity … a captivating, accomplished and timely debut from an author to watch’ \u003cb\u003eAdam Hamdy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  ________________\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Decades of spiralling drug resistance have unleashed a global antibiotic crisis. Ordinary infections are untreatable, and a scratch from a pet can kill. A sacrifice is required to keep the majority safe: no one over seventy is allowed new antibiotics. The elderly are sent to hospitals nicknamed ‘\u003ci\u003eThe Waiting Rooms\u003c\/i\u003e’ … hospitals where no one ever gets well.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Twenty years after the crisis takes hold, Kate begins a search for her birth mother, armed only with her name and her age. As Kate unearths disturbing facts about her mother’s past, she puts her family in danger and risks losing everything. Because Kate is not the only secret that her mother is hiding. Someone else is looking for her, too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Sweeping from an all-too-real modern Britain to a pre-crisis South Africa, \u003ci\u003eThe Waiting Rooms\u003c\/i\u003e is epic in scope, richly populated with unforgettable characters, and a tense, haunting vision of a future that is only a few mutations away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ________________\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ‘Engrossing and eye-opening, with heart-stopping plot twists … a stunning medical thriller set in a terrifying possible future’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eForeword Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e‘\u003c\/i\u003eA touching, gut-wrenching story of family mystery and tragedy … a thriller that punches on two fronts – heart AND mind’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Sun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ‘Gripping and disturbing … the medical research is convincing, the scenarios plausible, and the story is emotionally engaging. This is an incredible debut!’\u003cb\u003e Gill Paul\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ‘If the themes are dark and topical, the writing is exquisite. Breath held, I got to the finale with my heart in my mouth. Eve Smith weaves a complex and clever tale, merging countries and timelines; the result is a superb and satisfying novel’ \u003cb\u003eLouise Beech\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ‘Margaret Atwood is one of my all-time writing heroes and \u003ci\u003eThe Handmaid's Tale\u003c\/i\u003e is probably the best book I’ve ever read. Eve Smith and \u003ci\u003eThe Waiting Rooms\u003c\/i\u003e really do challenge that long-held crown…’ \u003cb\u003eRandom Things through My Letterbox\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ‘Thoroughly engaging … an eye-opening read’ \u003cb\u003eCrime Fiction Lover\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  ‘A novel of our times’ \u003cb\u003eTrip Fiction\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ‘Haunting, honest and horrifying in its reality … An epic and thrilling read’ \u003cb\u003eBook Literati\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   \u003cbr\u003e ‘Stunning dystopian debut. A prescient and alarming tale that seems just a whisper from reality’ \u003cb\u003eSuzy Apsley\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ‘\u003ci\u003eThe Waiting Rooms\u003c\/i\u003e will certainly distract us from the real world for a few hours and this is the immeasurable value of fiction. It gives hope that, as in Eve Smith’s fictitious world, the possibility of a happy ending still exists’ \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDie Burger\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e ‘\u003ci\u003eThe Waiting Rooms\u003c\/i\u003e is a seriously impressive debut, a novel that is intuitive and chilling, one that will resonate with all in this current climate’ \u003cb\u003eSwirl \u0026amp; Thread\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57535939510646,"sku":"9781913193263","price":6.75,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_39014144.jpg?v=1774283491","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781913193263-the-waiting-rooms","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}