Set in a dystopian near future ravaged by climate change and agricultural collapse, 'The City Where We Once Lived' explores the stark divide between the abandoned North End and the surviving South End of an unnamed city. Within the desolate North End, only a few thousand people remain, living amongst ruins and trying to forget their pasts, including the introspective narrator. Amidst societal breakdown, the narrative weaves a story of humanity as outsiders begin to stir up the fragile peace. When the threat of fundamentally altering the narrator’s newfound sanctuary looms, a dilemma arises: view the newcomers with hostility or accept them as part of the community. Through the struggle to preserve the essence of home in the face of change, the book dives into themes of identity, the human propensity for violence, and what it means to belong.