Yeva, a scientist who has devoted her life to rescuing endangered snails, funds her research by joining a romance tour, where wealthy bachelors from other countries come to Ukraine looking for a wife. Nastiya and Solomiya are sisters also involved in the marriage industry for non-marriage reasons; they are trying to find their activist mother who disappeared from their lives years ago. Nastiya convinces Yeva to kidnap some of the bachelors in her snail habitat van in a stunt that will surely get her mother’s attention, just as a potential mate for Lefty, the last snail of his kind, is discovered across the country, and Russia bombs Ukraine. As the characters race to save themselves, Lefty, and possibly the bachelors trapped in their van, author Maria Reva suddenly writes herself into the story, turning what was already a fascinating read into an ambitious and experimental piece of meta fiction.
Will Lefty find his mate and save the species? Will the bachelors ever be convinced the war is real and not just a publicity stunt? Will writing a novel while in Canada watching her childhood home crumble still feel useless to Maria? Will her grandfather ever leave Ukraine? Endling is a fascinating and often deeply (and darkly) funny read that explores war, love, home, family, science, art, and, of course, snails. A timely but timeless tale that blew my mind in the best way possible. Definitely in the running for my favorite book of the year!
