The Last Town on Earth

This gripping story set during the infamous flu epidemic of 1918 raises big questions about responsibilities to family and community, and what happens when moral obligations conflict. Charles Worthy establishes the town of Commonwealth with the best intentions in the world. A haven for exploited workers, the town is run on Utopian principles. Material goods are shared, houses are the same, community members help newcomers get established, the mill is run for the good of workers, and government is by consensus. But when the town decides to set up a quarantine to protect against the raging epidemic, cracks appear. When people are put under pressure, moral values can be a source of strength or they can crumble, and it's hard to predict in any individual case which of those two things will happen. And so it was in Commonwealth, as fear of the flu, a lack of supplies, and chafing under the agreed-upon restrictions to protect the town take over. Add the pressure of the great War, and it was a dangerous mix. Although the style can be a bit plodding at times, this novel raises big questions in a thoughtful and realistic way. What would I have done?--the inevitable question is raised in the reader's mind. This novel is well worth your time.

This novel is all about fear and what it does to human beings. For fear of catching the deadly 1918 "Spanish flu" the people of the town of Commonwealth block the road to their town and refuse entry to outsiders. When one wanderer manages to talk his way past a teenage sentry (Philip) who is guarding the road, the townspeople imprison him for fear that he will either infect them with the virus or that he is a German spy. The fact that it is highly unlikely that their town, located in the middle of the Pacific Northwoods, would be a place of interest to a spy doesn't appear to enter their minds. Fear has so distorted their view of reality that they fail to respond rationally to any circumstance that is out of the ordinary. And there is a great deal about the time in which this novel is set (the fall of 1918) that is not ordinary. The First World War is raging and people are dropping like flies from a viscous influenza that nothing seems to stop or cure. The worst part is the randomness of who gets infected and, once infected, who lives or dies. Young children and the elderly are often spared, while healthy young adults in the prime of life fall ill and die. The characters in this novel are very well drawn and through them author Thomas Mullen shows the many ways that fear leeches away their humanity, making them suspicious even of old friends and loved ones. A very interesting facet of the plot is that Commonwealth was founded by unionists and socialists as a utopian village where work and wages are shared far more fairly than was the case in most of the Northwest lumber towns. Those who are the informal leaders of the town seem to view themselves as a cut above those who live in neighboring villages, specifically Timber Falls, which is a short distance down the road. The Timber Falls folks are far more conventional and classist and, in their turn, look down on Commonwealth residents as "reds" and "radicals." While this animosity between the villages is contained in better times, the events of 1918 put so much stress on relations between the two groups of people that they ultimately come to blows. Timber Falls has a chapter of the American Protective League (APL), a group that actually existed in the US during the WW I years. The APL was created by the federal government to promote the war and, incredibly, to inform on neighbors who did not appear to sufficiently support the war effort. During this time the feds also instituted a draft and passed the Alien and Sedition Act, which effectively suspended First Amendment rights of speech and the press. It also put a lot of pressure on Americans who were of German descent and, de facto, encouraged ostracism and even oppression of those with German surnames. This is all factual and I was aware of it, but reading about the effects of this legislation in The Last Town on Earth made is scarily immediate and real. It's appalling to know that the United States could sink this low. A grou

I was amazed to find out this was Mullen's first novel. His writing style could be described as quietly brilliant, the kind of style that, when it's done perfectly, calls no attention to itself, and allows you to just slip seamlessly into the world he has created. Like getting into a really comfy bed with silk sheets, it's just a wonderful experience. Within the first ten or so pages of chapter one, I was hooked. After I was hooked, the novel hauled me into the boat and beat me with the oar - I was completely under its power. It's the kind of book that makes you forget that you're reading a book. I ripped through it in about three days, and then I went back to re-read it a week later. Ridiculously engaging. The characters, far from being the usual caricatures you see in so many books, all behave in very real, very believeable ways. Mullen does an incredible job of subtly putting the reader in each character's mind, and you realize that they are all making very honest, difficult decisions about severely morally challenging issues. He ends up, through his characters, indirectly asking the reader, "What would YOU do in this situation?" The characters all behave and make choices, surprisingly, like honest, real people, and not like characters in a novel. This is the sort of thing that is infinitely rewarding about this book, and really places it above and beyond anything else I've read lately. The author has some serious talent, and the world should experience it. I eagerly await Mullen's next work, and I hope to be reading him for decades to come. You are depriving yourself if you do not read this book. In a word, stellar.

The Last Town on Earth begs to be added to your high school's summer reading list or, better yet, to your curriculum! The Last Town on Earth presents many opportunities to discuss the very essential questions our high school students should be exploring: How far should we go to protect our freedom and safety, and at what cost? How do we fit into our community and into society at large? The well developed themes, and characters, as well as the fascinating plot that Mullen has carefully crafted make this book a rare gem, one that can easily draw you in and mesmerize you from the first glance. Mullen has found the perfect balance between history and fiction. Your students will be so captivated by the suspenseful plot that they will learn about the historic details relating to the labor conflicts, civilians' sentiment towards WWI, and woefully lacking medical knowledge during this time without even realizing that they are learning about history. The details Mullen has included about the effects of the flu provide just enough `blood and guts' for the modern teen while remaining, all the while, high school appropriate. Your students will love this book and so will you. Just be sure to have them read it before the movie comes out!!

I am not exactly sure which I found more shocking - the fact that there actually were armed guards protecting the borders of a town from a deadly virus, or that this is only Thomas Mullen's first novel. The Last Town on Earth is easily the most fascinating and intense book I've read this year. The vivid, relentless descriptions of the infection are truly terrifying and they managed to keep me in constant fear throughout. Mullen does an excellent job showing how an entire town could justify something that on the surface, seems fundamentally wrong. How far would you go to protect your family and your own life? Is it worth killing for? Would you be willing to turn your back on your freedom, your country? The Last Town on Earth explores the ramifications of such choices to their inevitably grim conclusions. Wholeheartedly recommended, you will not be disappointed!