This is not a drill

Did you feel it? We experienced an earthquake in Tehachapi this past week. It was a moderate quake and broke some glassware but did not bring devastation. The next time could. We live in a very active zone where the earth is stretching and pushing itself in all directions. This quake was a good reminder to be prepared for the ever rattling of the earth beneath our feet in California. Families have checked their evacuation kits and talked to their children again about earthquake safety and emergency procedures. Yet, eventually things go back to what is considered California normal.

Having experienced a series of destructive tornadoes during a vacation in Oklahoma, this California girl realized I'd rather deal with earthquakes! Not tornadoes or hurricanes. Not any of those catastrophes like meteors either. Or alien invasions. Or zombies!

Recently exploring the long lists of disaster books, I found so many apocalyptic tales ... stories that make your hair stand on end, make you break out in a sweat or break your heart. I chose one and jumped in. Alice Longo has written five books under "The American Odyssey Series." It begins with "America's Last Storm" and ends with "America's Last Chance."

Having no prior knowledge of the series, it began rather benignly with an introduction to a single dad Jack, his son Zeke and their dog Scrunch in a small rural town. They had regular worries. The imminent start of the school year, bullies, fights, principal meetings, possible expulsions. Little did they know that expulsion would seem minute in the overwhelming catastrophes ahead.

After the reader is introduced to a variety of lively townsfolk and a friendly, pretty blonde neighbor, Jack, Zeke and the whole town face an unexpected weather occurrence that they call a land hurricane. Devastation abounds. But Jack, a natural survivalist with military experience, has a fully equipped underground bunker to weather out the storm.

A regular book would end there, but an apocalyptic book pushes the edges into further terrors.

Not only are there multiple land hurricanes, but they are not just local. Storms hit all across America wiping out communication, infrastructure, industry and even military might. The first action in town is to set up safety measures and gather supplies and water. Then, power struggles emerge from a high-handed sheriff and gangs come through terrorizing citizens. Sadly, that is not the worst of it. The worst comes with military helicopters bearing Chinese writing and carrying Chinese soldiers.

Were the storms just the beginning? Were they even storms? Or some kind of weather weapon? When Jack and his extended family move out from the town into the wilderness, they are followed and hunted. Their immediate future becomes clear when they are put into concentration camps and expected to work physical labor or die. The world has totally changed in the face of a successful enemy coup.

So we have a weather apocalypse that challenges the fabric of our nation, morphing into an actual military takeover. The books that follow Longo's introductory offering dig Americans deeper and deeper into ruin and despair with the main hero a strong but flawed human, trying his best to turn around an impossible situation.

The writing is often pointed and harsh, revealing a horrific, realistic take of terrorizing actions. There is adult material, adult emotions and adult situations. These books are definitely not cozy or comfortable. But they do serve a purpose. Just like with earthquake preparedness, it is practical to think about "what if." What if our world was hit by enumerable catastrophes that suddenly catapult us into unknown territory? Shouldn't we be prepared somewhat to handle the unthinkable? Think on our feet? Move with assuredness? How about moving with compassion? I like that at every turn Jack and his group chose to help those in need, those in total distress, and they continued to be compassionate people even through unthinkable duress.

Perhaps that is how best we prepare for any apocalypse, from weather to zombies, from natural occurrences to manmade. Prepare our hearts. Be the people that we should be before anything untoward happens. Be prepared to give it our all to help those around us. The world can be cruel, but we have no need to be.

Good Books.

Good reading.

*Midge Lyn'dee is a fictional character used for the purpose of entertainment though the reviews are real and sincere.