The End We Start From: your questions answered
Everything you need to know about Megan Hunter's dystopian novel, The End We Start From, and its film adaptation.
The End We Start From by Megan Hunter made the leap from page to screen with Mahalia Belo's powerful film adaptation. Set in a near-future world ravaged by flooding, the story follows a new mother as she struggles to survive and protect her child. First released in 2023, the film features a star-studded cast including Jodie Comer, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Katherine Waterston. Here, we answer your questions about both the book and the film.
Is The End We Start From a book?
Yes, The End We Start From is a book written by Megan Hunter. Released in 2017, it received critical acclaim for its spare, poetic prose and its evocative exploration of both environmental catastrophe and the personal experience of becoming a mother. The book has since been adapted into a film.
The End We Start From
by Megan Hunter
A young mother gives birth just as a catastrophic flood engulfs London, forcing her and her newborn to flee. As the city drowns and society falls apart, she journeys across an unrecognisable landscape, moving through temporary shelters and survival camps, all while caring for her infant son. Along the way, she encounters other displaced people, each struggling to adapt to their new reality. A startlingly beautiful story of a family's survival, The End We Start From is a haunting but hopeful dystopian vision of a familiar world made dangerous and unstable.
Where can I watch The End We Start From?
The film adaption of The End We Start From was released in 2023. It stars Jodie Comer as the unnamed protagonist, for which Comer won Best Lead Performance at the 2023 British Independent Film Awards. The film is now available to stream on Netflix.
What is the plot of The End We Start From?
The End We Start From follows an unnamed woman who gives birth to her son just as a massive flood forces her and her family to flee their home. As they navigate through a landscape ravaged by disaster, the story shifts between the intense vulnerability of new motherhood and the need for survival in an unforgiving world. The novel focuses on the mother’s internal journey, portraying her resilience and the small, significant moments that carry her forward amidst the collapse.
Is The End We Start From based on a true story?
No, The End We Start From is not based on a true story. The book is a work of fiction, set in a speculative future where an environmental disaster leads to catastrophic flooding in the UK. While the events are fictional, the themes of climate change, displacement, and the experience of motherhood in crisis are drawn from contemporary global issues.
What is Megan Hunter's new book?
Out in hardback on 17 April 2025, Days of Light is Megan Hunter's new novel. Find out more and download an exclusive extract below.
Days of Light
by Megan Hunter
Days of Light follows Ivy, a young woman whose life is forever changed when her brother Joseph drowns near their family home. At his funeral, she meets the man she will marry and the woman she will love, setting the course for a life marked by unconventional choices. Spanning from 1938, through World War II, and into the twenty-first century, the novel traces Ivy's journey in a world shaped by art, love, and the search for meaning.
