The Chrysalids is set in a time long after a nuclear war which was so
devastating that cities were utterly destroyed,
plant and animal life
mutated, and nations eradicated. Some areas of the world are
still so contaminated with radiation that it is impossible to walk
through them. The fringe areas between the badlands and inhabited
regions are home to people who have been banished as abominations and
plants and animals that are so mutated as to be unrecognisable.
The story is told from the point of view of David Strorm, whose father
is a leading citizen of Waknuk and a stern advocate of ruthlessly
stamping out all forms of life – animal, vegetable, or human – which
deviate from the norm. Utterly and piteously righteous, he
extends that creed even to members of his own family.
David is shown what that means when he befriends a
little girl named
Sophie who must be hidden by her parents because she has an extra
toe. David keeps Sophie’s secret not just because he likes her
and fears what his father would do to her, but also because he and his
cousin Rosalind are also a little different. As David ages, his
wise and observant Uncle Axel urges David to be careful and Rosalind
and her mother give the same counsel. If David needed any more
encouragement to be discreet, he gets it when Sophie is finally caught
and banished to the Fringes.
Trouble arises, however, when David’s little sister begins to show
signs of the same heightened faculty as himself, Rosalind, and six
others who over the years have cautiously come to know one
another. Unfortunately, Petra’s gift is much more powerful than
the others’ and eventually draws the suspicion of “normal” citizens of
Waknuk, particularly those keen on wiping out “
offences” and
“abominations”. When Anne marries a “norm” who is also savagely
keen on wiping out offences, the group prepares to flee. However,
they have left it a little too late.
The Chrysalids is an entertaining story that can be enjoyed without
understanding the Cold War issues that inspired it. Although it
sounds a clear warning against the nuclear arms race, it is also a
story of hope. After all, none of this need ever happen.