Set in the hills of North Carolina, college professor and former military officer John Matherson as he fights to preserve the lives of his family and neighbors in the wake of an electromagnetic pulse attack. In just one second, the United States is completely incapacitated, thousands are killed, and millions are stranded. Planes fall from the sky, electricity goes out everywhere, supply lines collapse, and transportation is limited to pre-digital-era vehicles and horses. Millions of travelers, unable to get home, wander the highways in search of shelter. In the resulting chaos, residents of John’s tight-knit community look to him to guide them through the difficult decisions that must be made if any of them are to survive.