This is a survival story with a fairly wild concept. What inspired this story of a family— eventually two families— trapped inside a dome? 

“I loved the idea of a teenager and his family waking up inside their cottage—but somewhere totally different. How would you explain this? What kind of story would you have to tell yourself to make sense of this? Were there any explanations that didn’t sound insane? The fun part is seeing how different people react to this incomprehensible situation.”  

Xavier Oak is alone with family for three years when he finally meets a girl his age, Mackenzie Jackson, after another (very different) family arrives in their dome. What drew you to include this somewhat forbidden romance in a science-fiction thriller?  

“Forbidden romances belong in every genre! This one is especially charged and complicated because Xavier and Mackenzie are in an incredibly unusual and tense situation. We only get Xavier’s point of view, so Mackenzie’s feelings and motivations are always mysterious.” 

The Oaks, from Montreal, often find themselves at odds with the Jacksons, from Tennessee. Did you know how high U.S./Canada tensions would be when you were writing the book? How have American readers responded to it? 

“When I started writing Best of All Worlds it felt like a cautionary tale or speculative fiction. Now it feels more like headlines. Imagine: you wake up in a dome to discover your only neighbour is a conspiracy theorist, science denier, master of misinformation who’s mangled the concept of freedom to justify naked self-interest and trampling the rights of others. One scarcely needs to imagine it anymore, with the Trump administration’s daily behaviour. But thank heavens for book people! I’m happy to say that, so far, the book has been enthusiastically embraced by American booksellers and early readers.” 

No electronics the Oaks brought with them will work in the dome. What is one electronic item you'd need to function if you were trapped with your family in a dome? 

“Well, a phone is really very handy because, as my hero Xavier knows, it can serve as a compass and pedometer, and camera—and also store music, photos, videos, diary—basically your personal archive. In terms of usefulness, though, it’s good old-fashioned books on homesteading that save the day!” 

Aside from your own, what's one Canadian-authored YA book you'd recommend for summer reading? 

“Not written as YA but totally could be read by young adults: Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.”