In John Scott Winter’s novel Fragility Bob, a cataclysmic world event forces individuals to band together and fight for survival as they face the unknown.

The story is divided into three parts. Readers are first introduced to Bob, a widower living with his trusted dog in a cabin he built in the Tennessee woods. With his neighbor Fred, he witnesses a low flying plane, then a large explosion in the distance. Suddenly, all electrical circuitry appears to be erased. Fred enlists Bob to help him to stockpile fuel, although Bob thinks Fred might be overreacting.

Meanwhile young teen Jupiter has been staying in Nashville with her bohemian Aunt Cara while her father is away. Strange power outages are putting Aunt Cara on guard as she heads to the airport with Jupiter and two cats to pick up Jupiter’s dad.

The story begins to alternate between Bob and Fred’s pursuits, and Jupiter and her aunt’s anxious ride. Both sets of travelers deal with caustic encounters and face severe repercussions in this new world. Non-working cars are suddenly abandoned on the highways, businesses are being looted, and people are roaming the roadsides like zombies, with looks of loss and abandonment.

In Part 2, unexpected circumstances bring these two groups together as they cooperate to help one another survive. Part 3 offers the one-year later aftermath.

These central characters display an uplifting moral compass as they conscientiously help one another come to terms with their new reality. The author propels the narrative forward with creative characters, heartfelt dialogue and absorbing action, including a sorrowful burial, police interaction, a military style battle against a nefarious biker group and more.

The resolution is a bit abrupt, and the text has random missing letters and words throughout that can be distracting. Such issues aside, readers pondering what could become of this world should enjoy Winter’s characters and the unusual chain of events that carry them into the future.

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