THE THINGS THAT KEEP US HERE

Now available!

How far would you go to protect your family?

"Here is an apocalyptic novel as topical as today's headlines, yet as intimate as a lover's touch. A brilliant debut that deserves to be read by everyone."
—New York Times bestselling author James Rollins

Read more praise

A year ago, Ann and Peter Brooks were just another unhappily married couple trying—and failing—to keep their relationship together while they raised two young daughters. Now the world around them is about to be shaken again, when Peter, a university researcher, comes to a startling realization: a virulent pandemic has made the terrible leap across the ocean to America's heartland.

And it is killing fifty out of every hundred people it touches.

As her town goes into lockdown, Peter is forced to return home—with his beautiful graduate assistant. But their safe suburban world is no longer the refuge it once was. Food grows scarce. Neighbor turns against neighbor in grocery stores and at gas pumps. And then a winter storm strikes, and they are left huddling in the dark.

Trapped inside the house she once called home, Ann Brooks must make life-or-death decisions in an environment where opening a door to a neighbor could threaten all the things she holds dear.

Carla Buckley's poignant debut raises important questions to which there are no easy answers, in an emotionally riveting tale of one family facing unimaginable horror.

Read an excerpt

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BUY THE AUDIO BOOK

Audio Book

Delacorte Press, Hardcover, February 2010, ISBN: 978-0440245094

PRAISE

"[A] chilling, engrossing debut novel."
—Dallas Morning News (read the full review)

"A confident and timely first outing with just the right blend of horror and realism."
—Bookreporter.com (read the full review)

The Things That Keep Us Here is a MORE magazine pick! ("Books we're buzzing about")

"Few books are powerful enough to keep me awake at night, as this one was. I just kept thinking: This could happen."
—The Minneapolis/St. Paul StarTribune (read the full review)

"My mouth went dry again and again while reading this fully realized story of the fallout from a viral pandemic. It was terrifying and utterly riveting, with characters I have continued to think about long after the turning the final pages.""
—Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author

"It isn't often that a book has a very profound impact on my life and until now, it has never occurred when reading an author's debut. The Things That Keep Us Here is without a doubt one of the most powerful and realistically frightening books I have ever read."
—Suspense Magazine

"An amazing achievement. What makes it work is that Buckley explores a global catastrophe with such a narrow focus, and with complex characters that we come to care deeply about."
—Linwood Barclay, international bestselling author

The Things That Keep Us Here is one of three "terrific books" that Carol Fitzgerald (BookReporter.com) highly recommends!

"The Things That Keep Us Here balances all-too-real terrors with genuine emotion. I read it in one sitting."
—Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author

"Buckley is a master of the emotional journey, winding through love and resentment and guilt and longing and heartbreak and back, again, to love. The Things That Keep Us Here is utterly unforgettable."
—Sophie Littlefield, Edgar-nominated author of A BAD DAY FOR SORRY

"Utterly engrossing. The Things That Keep Us Here is the book guaranteed to keep you up all night, as you follow one family's pulse-pounding journey through the worst that can happen and beyond."
—Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author

"Carla Buckley's debut The Things That Keep Us Here stunned me. Here is an apocalyptic novel as topical as today's headlines, yet as intimate as a lover's touch. A brilliant debut that deserves to be read by everyone."
—James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author

"Carla Buckley takes a nightmare effecting the entire world, combines it with a riveting family drama, and describes it in such rich, elegant prose that I couldn't tear myself away from the pages."
—Chevy Stevens, NYT bestselling author of STILL MISSING

"Carla Buckley understands love, relationships, as well as the terror of loss and the power of the human spirit triumphing over impossible odds. The Things That Keep Us Here is not simply the best 'first' novel I've ever read. It's one of the best novels I've ever read."
—John Ramsey Miller, New York Times bestselling author

"Impeccable. This is the strong and true depiction of a family and a neighborhood in the face of don't-open-the-door fear."
—Carolyn Wall, acclaimed author of Sweeping Up Glass

"A totally chilling, deftly-written, many-layered novel, fraught with all the foreboding of a top-notch thriller, that asks a moral question every mother must look in the mirror and answer for herself. Do not miss this one!"
—Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author

"Carla Buckley's timely debut is at once heart-breaking and downright terrifying. With plot twists that raise some heavy moral questions, The Things That Keep Us Here is destined to become a book club favorite."
—Julie Compton, author of the critically-acclaimed RESCUING OLIVIA

"A riveting and utterly believable story."
—The Sudbury Star (read the full review)

"This is one of the scariest books I've read recently, and there's not a single zombie, vampire, genetically modified creature or mass murderer in sight."
—The Straits Times (read the full review)

	THE THINGS THAT KEEP US HERE Now available! How far would you go to protect your family? "Here is an apocalyptic novel as topical as today's headlines, yet as intimate as a lover's touch. A brilliant debut that deserves to be read by everyone." —New York Times bestselling author James Rollins Read more praise A year ago, Ann and Peter Brooks were just another unhappily married couple trying—and failing—to keep their relationship together while they raised two young daughters. Now the world around them is about to be shaken again, when Peter, a university researcher, comes to a startling realization: a virulent pandemic has made the terrible leap across the ocean to America's heartland. And it is killing fifty out of every hundred people it touches. As her town goes into lockdown, Peter is forced to return home—with his beautiful graduate assistant. But their safe suburban world is no longer the refuge it once was. Food grows scarce. Neighbor turns against neighbor in grocery stores and at gas pumps. And then a winter storm strikes, and they are left huddling in the dark. Trapped inside the house she once called home, Ann Brooks must make life-or-death decisions in an environment where opening a door to a neighbor could threaten all the things she holds dear. Carla Buckley's poignant debut raises important questions to which there are no easy answers, in an emotionally riveting tale of one family facing unimaginable horror. Read an excerpt BUY THE BOOK Amazon Barnes & Noble Borders IndieBound Random House BUY THE AUDIO BOOK Audio Book Delacorte Press, Hardcover, February 2010, ISBN: 978-0440245094 PRAISE "[A] chilling, engrossing debut novel." —Dallas Morning News (read the full review) "A confident and timely first outing with just the right blend of horror and realism." —Bookreporter.com (read the full review) The Things That Keep Us Here *is a MORE* magazine pick! ("Books we're buzzing about") "Few books are powerful enough to keep me awake at night, as this one was. I just kept thinking: This could happen." —The Minneapolis/St. Paul StarTribune (read the full review*) "My mouth went dry again and again while reading this fully realized story of the fallout from a viral pandemic. It was terrifying and utterly riveting, with characters I have continued to think about long after the turning the final pages."" —Michael Palmer, New York Times bestselling author "It isn't often that a book has a very profound impact on my life and until now, it has never occurred when reading an author's debut. The Things That Keep Us Here* is without a doubt one of the most powerful and realistically frightening books I have ever read." —Suspense Magazine "An amazing achievement. What makes it work is that Buckley explores a global catastrophe with such a narrow focus, and with complex characters that we come to care deeply about." —Linwood Barclay, international bestselling author The Things That Keep Us Here is one of three "terrific books" that Carol Fitzgerald (BookReporter.com) highly recommends! "The Things That Keep Us Here balances all-too-real terrors with genuine emotion. I read it in one sitting." —Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author "Buckley is a master of the emotional journey, winding through love and resentment and guilt and longing and heartbreak and back, again, to love. The Things That Keep Us Here is utterly unforgettable." —Sophie Littlefield, Edgar-nominated author of A BAD DAY FOR SORRY "Utterly engrossing. The Things That Keep Us Here is the book guaranteed to keep you up all night, as you follow one family's pulse-pounding journey through the worst that can happen and beyond." —Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author "Carla Buckley's debut The Things That Keep Us Here stunned me. Here is an apocalyptic novel as topical as today's headlines, yet as intimate as a lover's touch. A brilliant debut that deserves to be read by everyone." —James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author "Carla Buckley takes a nightmare effecting the entire world, combines it with a riveting family drama, and describes it in such rich, elegant prose that I couldn't tear myself away from the pages." —Chevy Stevens, NYT bestselling author of STILL MISSING "Carla Buckley understands love, relationships, as well as the terror of loss and the power of the human spirit triumphing over impossible odds. The Things That Keep Us Here is not simply the best 'first' novel I've ever read. It's one of the best novels I've ever read." —John Ramsey Miller, New York Times bestselling author "Impeccable. This is the strong and true depiction of a family and a neighborhood in the face of don't-open-the-door fear." —Carolyn Wall, acclaimed author of Sweeping Up Glass "A totally chilling, deftly-written, many-layered novel, fraught with all the foreboding of a top-notch thriller, that asks a moral question every mother must look in the mirror and answer for herself. Do not miss this one!" —Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author "Carla Buckley's timely debut is at once heart-breaking and downright terrifying. With plot twists that raise some heavy moral questions, The Things That Keep Us Here is destined to become a book club favorite." —Julie Compton, author of the critically-acclaimed RESCUING OLIVIA "A riveting and utterly believable story." —The Sudbury Star (read the full review) "This is one of the scariest books I've read recently, and there's not a single zombie, vampire, genetically modified creature or mass murderer in sight." —The Straits Times (read the full review)