Books

What We Have Tamed, YA sci-fi

“A richly imagined sci-fi adventure, perfect for animal lovers!” – New York Times bestselling author Melissa Landers

The only place sixteen-year-old Alaina can breathe is at work, caring for the animals in the ARK Program as they wait for their upcoming journey to Mars. She knows what it’s like to feel caged, tamed by her mother’s emotionally abusive boyfriend.

Her refuge unravels with a security breach, a rescue, and a knee-jerk reaction, in which she’s caught on camera calling the animals she loves dangerous. Now, protesters are threatening the future of the program, and Alaina, suspended from work, is trapped at home. So when her boss offers her a chance to redeem the program’s reputation by joining the mission herself, she jumps at the one-way ticket. Four months in space with only the animals and small crew is a welcome relief from the noise of Earth.

But everyone on board has a secret, and an animal rights extremist threatening the mission appears to have inside help. When false orders send the ship on a collision course, animals escape, lives are lost, and Alaina must decide where she stands with the program—and humans’ responsibility to preserve animals that would kill us.

Praise for What We Have Tamed :

“What We Have Tamed is a true masterpiece that combines the tension and suspense of a classic space movie with the heart of any animal movie, then adds in a sweet romance, real animal science, AND large, existential questions about morality and life! It is SO hard for me to concisely sum up how much I am impressed by and in absolute adoration of this book. The characters struck a perfect balance in portraying diverse opinions, relationships, and threads of love, all shades, healthy and toxic. The animals were fun yet realistic in their behavior. The fact that decisions about which animals to include/exclude were made based on parenting systems, mating systems, and gestation is just freaking phenomenal. This book is just pure joy for a biologist nerd like myself. What a beautiful work of art!” – Dr. Allison Lau, primatologist

“Harrington’s language and storytelling are excellent! Each metaphor and word gives the readers a richer, deeper emotional connection. Harrington smoothly weaves science, fiction, and reality here into one beautiful tapestry and answers every question one might have about sustainable, responsible living. It teaches us to respect every living being, irrespective of their size or role in human life. I hope everyone reads it to understand the choices they have to make living on this planet a better experience for all.” (Ranjeeta Raam, If Elephants Could Talk)

“The first creatures hurled into space aboard primitive rockets were euphemistically called Animal Astronauts, but essentially they were expendable test subjects, charged with proving that humans could survive the rigors and dangers of space flight. Many were sacrificed, either during their missions or after. This extraordinary, highly readable book is set in a future when many major animal species have become extinct and a space ark filled with animals tended by a young animal activist is on a course to Mars. But it is a troubled journey filled with mayhem, sabotage and loss. WHAT WE HAVE TAMED is a fascinating book that not only tells an intriguing, appealing story, but at the same time subtly educates the reader on the animal kingdom and their crucial role in our spaceflight history.”  (Colin Burgess, Animals in Space)