The Stack family consists of father, Larry, a teacher and head of the teachers' union, Ellish, the mother and microbiologist, and their children, Mark, Molly, Bailey, and Ben. The National Alliance Party (NAP) has seized the government of the country and has virtually stripped its citizens of their liberties. Larry is arrested for his participation in union activities and has not further contact with his family. Ellish is convinced that he will at some point in the near future return home to his family. She works hard at trying to contact him, but to no avail. This leaves her as the head of the family and, as such, she does her best in keeping things as normal as possible for her children. As news of her husband's arrest becomes known, Ellish loses her job as well.
With tensions at a breaking point, war eventually breaks out between the state and rebels. Mark is drafted by the army, but joins up with the rebel forces. With airstrikes and government checkpoints the Stack home is in the midst of the conflict. Her sister, Áine, reaches out and tries to convince her to leave Dublin, but she does not want to leave feeling that it will resolve and Larry and Mark will be found. When Bailey is wounded, Ellish begins to reconsider her choice.
As most dystopian novels, Prophet Song is most disturbing. It is not hard to envision a political party coming to power that is intent on doing away with civil liberties, eg the tenets of Project 2025. This theme resonated for me as I read the book. As the government expands its power, the citizens lose power over their lives. It is not hard to comprehend this as we watch freedom and autonomy being stripped from many citizens today.
A powerful read that is a cautionary tale of a spiral into darkness if a citizenry is complicit and silent.
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