Alice in Fred's Place

An unlikely group take on the task of saving the world from itself. Amita is a physicist, a computer hacker, a lover…and 79 years old. Jake is strong, in love with Amita, overprotective of his granddaughters…and 81 years old. Emmy is gentle, yet pragmatic, and has an unusual connection with nature…for an 8-year-old child. Jack is gorgeous, fearless, and powerful. But he’s a dog. These are Rondy’s companions as she ventures into a perilous no-man’s land on a quest to rescue her brother. They are joined by Bear, a boy who makes Rondy feel things she has never felt. It begins when Rondy is arrested for the crime of missing a Dentist appointment. This glitch in Main’s instructions is quickly remedied, but these glitches have been increasing in frequency as Main begins to break down. Rondy learns that Main didn’t always arrange schedules, provide food, health care, education, and entertainment. Fifty years earlier the world’s population traded their frightening and unpredictable lives for the safety, security, and peaceful busyness of the world created by Main. Every trace of the past has been deleted; all information is filtered through Main. As Rondy tries to assimilate information that must be kept secret, her younger brother, Garn, is discovered to be one of the few people left in the world who understands the forbidden art of computer programming. When Garn is kidnapped to join a select group of children who can fix Main, Rondy realizes that everyone in her family is in danger. Main’s ability to track every movement and every conversation of every citizen makes finding a way to escape from their City a dangerous and difficult task. Escape brings them into the Wild, a no-man’s land where Main banishes the most violent criminals. The Wild is a treacherous place and they have no weapons, provisions, or experience taking care of themselves. They must depend on their wits as they encounter the worst mankind has to offer and the best, sometimes in the same people. And Rondy discovers her own weaknesses, her strengths, and is shocked to find herself falling in love with Bear. This is a dystopian novel replete with danger and adventure, humor, and, woven gently throughout, a love story. It is not a book about good vs. evil but rather an exploration into all aspects of what makes us human.