After
A Cautionary Tale
by Paul Meloche

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As 2032 comes to a close, Max Poirier and Annie Dekker are enjoying a vacation in Lofoten, Norway. Moments before Max proposes to Annie, a nuclear explosion rocks Bodø, almost a hundred kilometres away across the sea. They soon learn that Bodø is not an isolated incident; as they try to protect themselves from nuclear fallout, they learn that dozens of cities around the world have been hit with nuclear weapons and that nuclear war is imminent, if not already completely underway. Meanwhile, at a small farm in the Netherlands, the retired couple Magda and Jan Bouwman are just as devastated by a nearby nuclear attack. Their farm provides them with a modicum of food and safety, but with a dearth of medication necessary for Magda’s health and a lack of information regarding their adult children’s survival, they decide to brave the unknown. Max and Annie grow closer in despair, weathering hopelessness and the seemingly endless death around them as they trek south on Lofoten to find help that may never come. Magda and Jan find themselves drifting apart as their journey reminds them of their family, past regrets, and a secret they both know Jan has been keeping from Magda—a secret that might finally be their undoing. After: A Cautionary Tale is a haunting novel about humans at their core: flawed, yet resilient and hopeful.

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Paul Meloche is a professional accountant with a keen curiosity across a breadth of subjects and an avid enthusiasm for the outdoors. Passionate about exploring the rugged Ontario wilderness, he has embarked on many backcountry canoe trips with his son and enjoys camping and kayaking with his wife and daughter. He has also travelled outside Canada to other exotic, beautiful places. A few years ago, he hiked the rugged trails of Lofoten, Norway, with a friend and in that beautiful and isolated land he wondered: What if someone was trapped here, all alone? More recently, and prompted by another friend’s challenge, he discovered his passion for writing after completing a poem about beauty and a pair of short stories. He continued to create many poems, delving into themes of love, loss, rebirth, and death. Although he originally conceived of After: A Cautionary Tale as a short story, as he wrote, the story took on a life of its own and became the novel it is now. Paul lives in Ottawa with his wife, their teenage daughter, and their goofy Goldendoodle Penny.

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Contributors

Author

Paul Meloche

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