Parable of the Sower

Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives in a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, protected from the social chaos and anarchy outside caused by climate change and economic crisis. She suffers from hyperempathy—an acute sensitivity to others' emotions—a condition that makes her vulnerable in a society where any weakness is dangerous. Precocious and clear-eyed, Lauren recognizes the disasters her community refuses to acknowledge and works to protect her loved ones. Her fight for survival evolves into something larger: the creation of a new faith and a vision of human destiny. The book includes a foreword by LeVar Burton and an afterword by N.K. Jemisin. Lauren's story continues in The Parable of the Talents.