Author Maria Reva weaves ecology, conflict, and cultural identity into a story that questions survival and representation.
Endling, the debut novel by Canadian author Maria Reva, offers a dynamic narrative that blends sharp social commentary with dark humor. Set initially in Ukraine, the story centers on Yeva, an unconventional ecologist who lives in a mobile lab and works to save endangered snails. One of them, Lefty, is the last of its kind — an endling.
To fund her efforts, Yeva works for a Canadian company that organizes romance tours in Ukraine, a euphemism for the mail-order bride industry. The story soon shifts as Yeva joins forces with two sisters, Nastia and Sol, who devise a plan to kidnap foreign bachelors as a form of protest.
As their journey unfolds across the Ukrainian countryside, geopolitical tensions escalate and war breaks out, forcing the characters to confront the implications of their actions.
In a surprising narrative twist, the novel then shifts to a fictional version of the author, Maria Reva, who is dealing with artistic doubts while living in her parents’ attic in Vancouver. Struggling to complete the very book readers have been engaged with, Reva reflects on the ethical concerns of writing about Ukraine from afar and the clichés embedded in Western portrayals of Eastern Europe.
This metafictional turn enriches the story, exploring themes of cultural authenticity, the responsibilities of artists, and the emotional distance of diaspora.
Despite its complexity, Endling manages to tie together its many threads — war, ecological preservation, satire, and artistic introspection — into a cohesive and thought-provoking narrative. Without being overtly didactic, Reva poses a compelling question: In a world where species and nations fight for survival, what is our role in helping them endure?
