Saltcrop

From the acclaimed author of The Deep Sky and The Stardust Grail comes the tender and gripping tale of two sisters who sail across oceans to find their missing third sister – and Earth’s environmental salvation. 'An absorbing, compelling tale of love, loyalty and danger' Guardian 'An unforgettable novel that teems with big ideas and abundant heart' Michelle Min Sterling, New York Times bestselling author of Camp Zero 'A brilliant triumph and a heartfelt love letter' J.R. Dawson, award-winning author of The First Bright Thing 'Urgent and gorgeously written' Sarah Brooks, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands 'Get a copy of Saltcrop for all the perpetually warring siblings you know' Vajra Chandrasekera, author of the Nebula, Ignyte, Crawford, and Locus award-winning The Saint of Bright Doors 'Luminous, credible, and engrossing from beginning to end' Kirkus, starred review 'A tale that feels both intimate and expansive. It’s an impressive feat' Publishers Weekly, starred review In Earth's near future, seas consume coastal cities and mutant fish lurk in their depths. Skipper, a skilled sailor and the youngest of three sisters, earns money skimming and reselling plastic from the ocean to care for her ailing grandmother. Her eldest sister, Nora, left home in pursuit of a cure for failing crops all over the world. Now, she’s missing. When Skipper and her other sister, Carmen, receive a cryptic plea for help, they must put aside their differences and set out across the sea to save her. But their voyage through a dying world both beautiful and strange brings them to question what dangerous attention did Nora attract, and how well do they really know their sister – or each other? Thus begins an epic journey spanning oceans and continents and a wistful rumination on sisterhood, friendship, and ecological disaster. Saltcrop, the latest literary fiction by Yume Kitasei, is a top pick for fans of dystopian and post-apocalyptic narratives. The story delves into the heart of environmental science, presenting a world where nature has turned against humanity. For fans of Robert Jackson Bennett (The Company Man), James S. A. Corey (Nemesis Games), John Scalzi (The Kaiju Preservation Society), India Holton (The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love), and Ann Leckie (The Raven Tower). HarperCollins 2025