‘The Hummingbird Effect’ by Kate Mildenhall

Past, present, future have been imagined, across four time zones and author Kate Mildenhall has crafted a clever, thoughtful tale in The Hummingbird Effect.

Big, bold ideas, crafted into four separate stories but linked over time.

Peggy is young but fortunate to be working during The Depression in the local meatworks in Footscray, Melbourne, 1933. Hilda’s life is fading in the stark room of a nursing home during the pandemic of 2020. La is smarting from the use of her voice in AI and trudging through a soul-less automated production-line job at WANT in 2031. Maz is young, diving amongst the flooded city for evidence of the past human existence under the ‘invisible weight of threat’ from JP in the Newcoast, 2181. 

All linked by the theme of human error or flaws of humanity…can mistakes ever be reversed? Can the misuse of man’s power that breaks others or civilization be unwound… can it be undone? Can the AI algorithm called Hummingbird really reverse what humans can inflict? The Hummingbird Effect explores man’s relentless pursuit to destroy what is vulnerable and weaker but reminds us there are always others in our midst to counter-balance and reverse the smashes of power.

So much is wound into this deeply thought-through story – part climate-fiction, part human brokenness...four collective stories that you connect with in four different ways. 

If you’re a fan of Norwegian author, Maja Lunde’s History Of Bees or The End Of The Ocean then you will be enthralled by Australian Kate Mildenhall’s new unique masterpiece. 

Available in store and online. Also available as an audiobook from LibroFM.