About the Author:
Christina Dalcher currently resides in Norfolk, Virginia, but she has called many places home; she’s lived on four continents and four islands. She’s a bit of a renaissance personality with a variety of interests, from knitting and cross-stitch crafts to cooking, and of course, reading and writing. She speaks Italian and Spanish. She has a doctorate in theoretical linguistics from Georgetown University. The technical, scientific terms and explanations in Vox come easily as she is a former research scientist with expertise in variable sound change. She’s also taught at several universities (George Mason University and University of Westminster), and was a researcher at City University London. A proliferate writer with short stories in print in over 100 journals worldwide, Voxis her debut novel.
What Critics Are Saying about Vox:
- “Chilling and gripping, a real page-turner.”(Karen Cleveland, NY Times Bestselling Author of Need to Know)
- “A bold, brilliant, and unforgettable debut.” (Alice Feeney, author of Sometimes I Lie)
Vox was named one of Entertainment Weekly’s and SheRead’s books recommended to be read after The Handmaid’s Tale. Vox was also selected as one of Good Morning
America’s “Best Books to Bring to the Beach This Summer.”
About Vox:
Have you ever thought about how many words a day the average woman speaks? The general estimate is around 20,000 according to research. What would a world be like if the female population was limited to 100 words per day? Vox opens to a world where this phenomenon has occurred and is strictly enforced. In Vox, politicians at the highest level of the US government have made sweeping changes – women no longer work outside the home, schools for girls are limited to learning math and homemaker skills, print materials are for males only, and all females must wear a counter. You just read 100 words in this section. Think about what would happen if you had spoken those in the world of Vox. The counter worn on the wrist would issue an electric shock at the 101st word spoken and increase the intensity of the shock with every word spoken thereafter until it resets at midnight back to 100. No exceptions.
Jean and her family live in this world. Although a renowned scientist, Jean now keeps house and monitors her daughter closely to avoid the shocks from the counter. Her daughter, Sonia, has learned so well that her counter registers zero for most of her school day. Her brothers and dad chatter all through family meals, she and her mom are mute.
A glimmer of hope arises when Jean is asked to once again take up her research role to save the President’s brother from a condition that affects his speech. How the novel unfolds is suspenseful and intense. You may have to have a reality check while reading Vox; it’s that gripping.
Where to find Vox:
Voxwas released on August 21, 2018, via Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Voxis available locally from Barnes & Noble, Bookmarks, and wherever books are sold. It is offered in hard copy, e-book, and audio versions. Follow Christina on her website (christinadalcher.com) and via social media (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook).
SIDEBAR:
- Christina Dalcher will participate in a free panel discussion with Kelly Barnhill and Edgar Cantero on the topic What the Fiction? Genre-Bending Bookson Saturday, September 8, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Reynolds Place.
- The 2018 Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors will run from September 6 through 9 in downtown Winston-Salem. Check their website (bookmarksnc.org) for details.
