The Sacrifice Zone

Winner of the 2022 Nautilus Book Award for Fiction (Silver Medalist)



"How does she do it?" marvels Daniel Aiken. While the environmental crisis fills him with rage and fear his lover and fellow activist Sarah Carson still takes joy in life. As their work becomes increasingly dangerous, a tragic accident makes him face another question: can he learn her secret-or will his heart become yet another sacrifice zone?American Buddhist teacher Anne Sattvic's spiritual tranquility is giving way: long suppressed memories bring back the devastation caused by her sister's heroin addiction. Facing the past, Anne must decide how much of her mastery of Buddhist teaching is only a mask hiding a sacrifice of both family ties and her own ability to feel."Sacrifice Zone"-A Place so polluted it can never be cleaned up.

Professor of Philosophy Roger S. Gottlieb is the award-winning author or editor of 21 books of philosophy, religious studies, environmentalism, and contemporary spirituality. Morality and the Environmental Crisis received "the book most likely to save the planet" award from Independent Publisher and was semi-finalist for the Siskiyou Prize for new environmental literature. His short story collection Engaging Voices won a Nautilus Book award; as did Spirituality What it Is and Why it Matters, which was also called a "best book of the year" by Spirituality and Practice.

 

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The book is beautifully written and scene after scene immerses the reader in the demands of environmental activism and the soul-crushing effects of addiction. A highly original, deeply moving new novel." 

~San Diego Jewish World 

 

"The Sacrifice Zone is a brilliant and moving work of contemporary fiction: an unflinching exploration of the moral, emotional, and spiritual realities of our time."

~Times of Israel



This is a novel of ideas but it is also riveting, heartbreaking, tender, and informative. It covers so many themes: Activism, environmentalism, spirituality, drug addiction, family life, family dysfunction, kindness, love. Gottlieb follows many story lines, many people, and I often found myself wondering how a particular character was doing even as Gottlieb was focusing on someone else. An important read.

~Phyllis Chesler

 

A marvelous and revealing book. I couldn't put it down.

~Joanna Macy of A Wild Love for the World, Joanna Macy and the Work of Our Time