It Could Happen Here CZM Book Club: Because Change Was the Ocean and We Lived by Her Mercy, by Charlie Jane Anders, Part Two
Jan 25, 2026
A reading of a climate-shifted tale about subculture, love, and hard choices. Scenes move from tense confrontations and social fallout to reconnections, music scenes, and political change. Coastal solitude and a peaceful solo sail give way to a desperate rescue and lingering loss. Reflections on commitment, identity, and hopeful reconstruction close the story.
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Leaving Friends Behind During a Food Run
- Margaret Kiljoy reads the narrator recounting leaving comrades behind to work for armed farmers in Marin for food.
- The memory of walking away haunts the narrator and fractures their sense of community and self.
A Shove That Splits A Community
- The narrator describes tension with Miranda after a shove on a hill and social fallout inside the community.
- People take sides, leaving the narrator isolated and emotionally paralyzed despite whispered support from some.
Subcultures Evolve Beyond Nostalgia
- Reconnecting with old friends and scenes reminds the narrator that subcultures evolve beyond one's memory of them.
- The narrator oscillates between seeing the island as a temporary stop and imagining long-term commitment to the community.
