Climate Change

There are many instances of strange weather and animal migration being dismissed as climate change throughout the novel. Wildfires rage across California, explained as a result of the increased temperatures in the area. Deadly snakes traditionally seen in warmer climates are appearing on beaches. These events appear alongside apocalyptic descriptions of the Little Ice Age, a similar climate event with disastrous consequences.

Speaking to Deen, Piya tells him of shoals of dead fish and crab die-offs that have become increasingly commonplace. She tells him of a friend that is running a research project on bark beetles, which have extended their range into the mountains of Oregon due to the warming climate. Piya compares the treatment of her friend to “women being attacked as witches” (120) during the dark ages, drawing comparisons to mayhem experienced during the Little Ice Age.

Piya's dolphins are undergoing strange migratory patterns...