This book would be an excellent choice for a book club group!
It easily prompts discussion from page one and all the way through. ( )

All over the world, small wooden boxes are showing on doorsteps. Inside each box is a string, a string which tells you how long you will live. Some people open their boxes, others do not. Some government make you open, others tell you not to. But many people do open them, and then the problems begin. The long-stringers are relieved, but the short-stringers are dismayed. Soon support groups sprout up to help the short-stringers cope with their fate. And then, a short-stringer loses control and starts shooting people, which leads to a new set of problems. Short-stringers are under so much stress, they are not to be trusted, or employed, or elected to positions in government. Why bother with them when they won’t be around for much longer? This well-written book raises some interesting questions as a new form of age discrimination grips the world. The story follows eight people as they try to live normal lives in a world that has no normal any more. The tension gradually builds as the story progresses. Is it better to know the length of your days, or should you just live each day to the fullest, enjoying the moment and being with those you love? Should long-stringers only marry other long-stringers? Should they even be friends with a short-stringer? These are just a few of the questions that haunt the people in this new world. As for me, I’d keep that box shut, though even if I knew my world would end tomorrow, I’d plant an apple tree today. ( )

Best for:
Those who love a meaty philosophical explorations about the meaning of life and the decisions we make.

In a nutshell:
One morning, everyone age 22 and older in the entire world receives a box that says ‘The measure of your life lies within.’ Society quickly learns the strings inside correlate with how long each person will live.

Worth quoting:
“Since the strings arrived, so many of our conversations are about such big, heavy ideas, literally life and death. And I miss talking about the little things, especially in a city filled with so many wonderful little things.”

“Living long is not the same is living well.”

Why I chose it:
My sister-in-law recommended it and I’m so thankful because I found it to be so thought-provoking and so, so good.

Review:
You wake up one morning and find a box on your doorstep. Inside is a string. You quickly learn that everyone other adult in the world has received the same thing, and soon you all discover that the strings are, in fact, truthful. If your string is short, you will die before someone with a longer string.

This book looks at how eight adults handle the receipt of these strings. Do they look at them? What if their partner has a shorter or longer string? What if the string is so short that they know they will die within the year? What if it’s longer but not long enough - like they’ll die in their mid-40s and they’re currently in their early 30s?

Through the eyes of these individuals we learn about all sorts of things that one could predict might happen. Some people with short strings become distraught; other don’t trust the people with the short strings because those people appear to have nothing to lose. Couples break up. Parents fight to get custody from exes who have shorter strings. Insurance companies consider canceling coverage. Politicians and CEOs look for ways to exploit this knowledge for power.

I absolutely loved this book. I think despite following eight characters, each one was developed well enough for the reader to care (or perhaps not care) about them, and to generally understand their feelings about their particular situations. I appreciated the issues that were raised by the author as background national and international issues, but also the interpersonal concerns. The strings impacted everyone, whether they chose to look at them or not.

I could go on and on about this book, but if it sounds even remotely interesting to you, I recommend you check it out.

This is a 350 page book that I read in one day. I only put it down because I was on holiday and had other things I wanted to do.

What’s next for this book:
Recommend to everyone ( )

https://olvasonaplo.net/olvasonaplo/2024/07/09/nikki-erlick-az-eletfonal/ ( )

Book on CD performed by Julia Whelan.

It begins with a surprise delivery. All over the world, adults receive a box. A seemingly plain wooden box with an inscription: The measure of your life lies within. Inside is a bit of delicate white fabric, under which is a string. The string is a measurement of the recipient’s life. Some people get noticeably longer strings; others receive noticeably short strings. And therein lies the difference.

This is a remarkable debut work of literary fiction. I don’t remember the last time a work of literature made me think so long and hard about my life, my goals, my experiences, my dreams.

Erlick chooses eight recipients who are of different ages and backgrounds. Some open the box immediately; others wait for a while; others never open their box. Some share their news with family or friends. Others keep the knowledge to themselves.

Will knowing your relative fate help you live your best life? Will it hinder you? If you are a “short-stringer” will you be angry enough to take drastic action? If you are a “long-stringer” will you take riskier options given you guaranteed longevity? Can those with short strings find contentment and success? Can those with long strings find compassion for those less fortunate?

Erlick takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster. At the end I’m left wrung out, and ready to go again. I can hardly wait for my F2F book club discussion!

Julia Whelan does a superb job of narrating the audiobook, though I admit to reading at least half of this in text format because I just couldn't stop "reading" and I could hardly spend 24 hours a day riding around in my car to listen. She has a significant number of different characters to interpret and several times there are conversations between two people of the same gender and relative age. Still I was never confused about who was speaking. ( )