Book Club Selection: The Wager and the Bear by John Ironmonger

When young idealist Tom publicly humiliates politician Monty in a Cornish pub, their heated argument escalates into a deadly wager that will haunt them for decades. The bet? In fifty years, either rising seas will drown Monty in his beachfront home, or Tom will walk into the ocean himself. Their lives become tragically intertwined as climate change unfolds around them, ultimately leading both men to a massive iceberg off Greenland’s coast, accompanied only by a starving polar bear.

Why This Book?

Unlike typical dystopian futures, this story follows real people over a lifetime, making environmental changes feel immediate and personal.
Praised as “a heart-warming dystopia” and “a novel about a serious subject treated with sure-footed lightness of touch.”

Discussion Questions to Consider:

How do Tom and Monty represent different responses to climate change?
What role does the deadly wager play in driving the narrative forward?
How does the author balance hope with the harsh realities of environmental collapse?
What does the polar bear symbolise in the story’s conclusion?

About the Author:

John Ironmonger brings unique credentials to climate fiction: he holds a doctorate in zoology and is the international bestselling author of “The Whale at the End of the World.”

Join us for what promises to be a thought-provoking discussion for the first half hour, and then we will be joined by the author for the last half of our session, for any questions!