Maria Takolander's novel The End of Romance presents a harrowing vision of a future Earth rendered inhospitable by environmental degradation and colonial warfare. The story centers on a woman, Marianna, living in a degraded urban settlement with her young son. The planet is poisoned by a sentient fog, and only cacti grow. Humanity's only hope is a distant planet called the Promised Land, but an interstellar war for its control forces the conscription of every healthy boy. Marianna, trained in survival by her mother's violent partner, the Captain, is self-reliant but deeply protective of her son, who is on the cusp of being taken away to military school.
A Desperate Bargain
While scavenging, Marianna encounters a young man named Josif, who has evaded conscription. Desperate to save her son, she demands he take them to the monastery where he was raised, a place of potential sanctuary. However, this refuge may come at a terrible cost. The novel unfolds in four distinct sections, each offering a unique perspective on the same future. Book One is from Marianna's viewpoint, written in a stark, unemotional style that reflects her disconnection from herself and her surroundings. Book Two is a transcript of the final transmission from Eeva, one of the first explorers sent to the Promised Land, with co-pilot Adan. This section is deeply personal and rich with physicality, contrasting sharply with Marianna's narration.
Four Perspectives on a Broken World
Book Three belongs to Josif, who represents the remnants of civilization but is also entitled and whiny, expecting attention from women and lacking survival skills. Book Four is written by Marianna's son in a "Gospels for Young Readers Journaling Edition," offering vivid sensory detail and meandering thoughts. His voice is more present than his mother's and more insightful than Josif's, ending the novel on a note of tentative hope. The novel is saturated with religious imagery, from the names Eeva, Adan, and the Promised Land to the plagues of cacti and fog. These references can feel heavy-handed, but the intrusion of modern elements—like people scrolling on phones and abandoned shipping containers—anchors the story in the present, making the dystopia feel possible rather than symbolic.
Themes of Violence and Motherhood
The novel explores gendered violence, masculinity, and motherhood. Some women disfigure their sons to prevent conscription, and teenage boys prey on girls with impunity. It is a world of grieving mothers and absent fathers, where boys are prized and then sent to die. According to Takolander, this future continues cycles of environmental, domestic, military, and colonial violence that are all too familiar. The horrors are mundane and everyday, yet terrible in their familiarity. The book offers no happy ending, but the narrator, like the boy, chooses hope despite the odds.
