Random Things Tours: Blind Eye by Anna M. Holmes

 

I do have a serious background both in political science and history of mentalities (it sounds most like a French hobby but in fact, it does make sense if you are into looking for meaning in historical facts, instead of just accumulating data and facts). One of the most intersting parts of this kind of study is the ability to recognize and identify social and political trends based on the frequency of certain topics as reflected in arts, literature and daily news. When a topic acquire a certain ubiquity in both everyday media reports and cultural representations, it means that it achieved an acceptable level of maturity in order to turn into a society - both at local and global level - issue.

Such a status is lately achieved by environmental topics. Although the topic is around the cultural realm for a decade already, only in the last years there is a high frequency of approaches. It may be that the Corona pandemic outlined the emergency of such topics but fact is that I am reading in the last 12 months more books, good books to be precise, with environmental interests than 18 months before. And I am glad, as only when more and more people are becoming aware of the details and outreach of the issue there will be more social pressure towards governments and institutions to start looking for solutions.

Blind Eye by Anna M. Holmes is my latest addition to the newest TBR dedicated to environmental topics. It is a fast-paced novel, with a flair of international conspiracy mostly dedicated to the problem faced by the Indonesian forest. Ben, an economist whose life is at a crossroad, with a conscience that needs a dramatic awakening, is faced with difficult choices. Should he dare or rather keep doing his anodine reports and enjoy a relatively uneventuful life, free of any moral decisions? Ben is not necessarily a hero, rather an anti-hero, but those are the times we are living in: everyone can overnight turn into a concerned citizen of the Earth and pushed to take responsibility for the future of the Planet. 

The book was initially a screenplay and she started writing it in 2008. The background and theoretical topics were inspired by her partner, a founder member of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). In addition to the warnings associated with the deforestration and intensive industrialisation, there is a story which is built up, involving assassinations of environmental activitists, courageous online journalists and international conspiracies.

Although I enjoyed the fast-paced story, there are the dialogues which are the backbones of the story, creating a very lively environment, very readable. Exactly what one needs for a first - or even second - immersion into such serious and high-risk issues.

After reading Blind Eye, the curious reader is left not only with the sense of emergency of taking stances and not giving up in protecting the environment but also raise awareness on topics that cannot be ignored any longer. The action-driven suspenseful novel is a great start for anyone curious about such topics but also keen of good written stories.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own