Unusual. Creation Lake is essentially an espionage thriller that somehow combines spying with existential inquiries and the psychology of Neandertals. It offers no straightforward answers and remains ambiguous throughout. 

The story follows Sadie Smith, a hard-drinking, enigmatic 34-year-old undercover agent, whose mission takes her deep into the remote Guyenne valley in France. Hired by shadowy entities (who cares about such things as long as the pay is right?), Sadie’s tasked with infiltrating and destabilizing a radical anarchist collective accused of sabotaging the construction of massive water reservoirs that threaten the local environment and farming communities.

Sadie is a great example of a flawed character - a master of disguise with a cold approach to her work and people she meets and uses. She’s an excellent manipulator, unable to form a genuine human connection. The mission will, of course, make her question her empty and transactional life. All thanks to Bruno Lacombe, an elderly philosopher who advocates a return to pre-industrial living. In his view, modern society is on the path to extinction. Initially, Sadie takes him for a lunatic, but with time his beliefs force her to reconsider her life and choices.

The tone of the story is tense and on the bleaker side. Kushner writes precisely and concisely, and it makes the oppressive atmosphere palpable. Her philosophical musings and social critique won’t appeal to everyone, but I found them interesting (idealism vs. human nature.) Despite dark tone, we get welcomed moments of deadpan wit and dark humor.

In all, Creation Lake is a book worth trying.