Set in the future after a devastating global nuclear war, The Chrysalids is a philosophical tale with as much resonance today as it had when it was first written.     David Strorm lives in a tight-knit community of religious and genetic fundamentalists; a group of people who exist in a state of constant alert for any deviation of what they believe to be the norm of Godâs creation. âOffensesâ consist of plants and animals that are in any way unusual, and they are publicly burned to the accompaniment of the singing of hymns. âBlasphemiesâ are human beings who show any sign of abnormality, and theyâre banned from society. So when David realizes that he is in possession of a power that would label him a mutant, he is forced to keep it a secret and reckon with the idea of fleeing to the Badlandsâa new world that could offer him either a death sentence or freedom.
