Features The Big Thrill Recommends: REAP THE WIND by Joel Burcat

The Big Thrill Recommends: REAP THE WIND by Joel Burcat

Recommended by Damyanti Biswas

If you enjoyed the movie Twister (a group of tornado-watchers chasing a storm) and have enjoyed novels by John Grisham, run—don’t walk—to pick up REAP THE WIND, a pacy eco-thriller by award-winning author Joel Burcat.

With the prologue, I knew I was in for a ride, and the novel does prove a thrilling ride, both in the literal and metaphorical sense, as young lawyer Josh Goldberg takes the American road trip of a lifetime to reach his pregnant and unwell girlfriend, while braving a hurricane.

The stakes couldn’t be higher, especially when you realize that his companions are Geoff, his drug-addicted best friend, and Diane, his boss who has designs on him and her own professional agenda. While this could work as a buddy road trip story, a relationship drama, or an environmental thriller, it somehow manages to do all three quite well.

As I read on, I realized I was also being gently educated on themes like the dangers of climate change, human greed, and vulnerability—not a surprise since the author is an environmental lawyer himself. Add to that the insightful character portrayal, where the storm outside the car is echoed in the storm within the brave hero’s heart, and you have an unputdownable narrative. I found myself fearing for Josh as he overcame all the odds, and with each pivot in the tale, I looked forward to an explosive finale. Burcat did not disappoint.

Without giving out spoilers, it is possible to say that the novel lays out multiple twists you won’t see coming, as everyone in the car, beset by a hurricane, struggles with their own secrets, agendas, and insecurities.

REAP THE WIND is the kind of novel we need in our fraught times when we can only hope that human perseverance and indefatigable resilience will triumph against the odds.

REAP THE WIND by Joel Burcat