The Measure by Nikki Erlick

January 14, 2023

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

On a spring morning, little wooden boxes show up at every door in the world, even non-traditional doors such as Bedouin tent flaps and next to homeless people sleeping outdoors. Every adult over the age of 21 receives a box with their name on it. Inside the box is a string that measures the length of each person's life. Nina, a magazine editor, gets a long string while her girlfriend Maura's string is barely half the length of Nina's, yet they stay together. Nina's parents and her sister Amie opt to not open their boxes, preferring to live in blissful ignorance. Ben, an architect, gets a short string and his girlfriend of two years breaks up with him almost immediately. Hank is an emergency room doctor who receives a short string and decides to resign from the hospital and use his remaining time as best he can. Political figures, governments, and religions all weigh in on the importance, meaning, and origin of the strings. What do the strings really mean? How will they change society and impact the future? Written by several narrators with differing viewpoints.

Normally when I see a book with one of those celebrity book club stickers on the cover, I go the other way or don't expect much, in this case the "Read with Jenna" TV book club. I decided to read this book since it was recommended to me by a friend. It's an interesting take on a futuristic/dystopian society combined with the mythology of the Fates and also the story of Pandora. After people begin receiving the strings, the societal response is similar to the varied responses to COVID-19 and the vaccines: some extreme, some violent, some benign, some believing it's a hoax, some looking to profit. Highly recommended.

"Que sera, sera (Whatever will be, will be)" - song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, sung by Doris Day

The Fates — Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos — were divinities in Greek mythology who presided over human life. Clotho spun the thread, Lachesis measure it out, and Atropos cut it off. They represented birth, life and death.