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Cover of The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047

The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047

by Lionel Shriver

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"A provocative and very funny page-turner..."--Wall Street Journal With dry wit and psychological acuity, this near-future novel explores the aftershocks of an economically devastating U.S. sovereign debt default on four generations of a once-prosperous American family. Down-to-earth and perfectly realistic in scale, this is not an over-the-top Blade Runner tale. It is not science fiction. In 2029, the United States is engaged in a bloodless world war that will wipe out the savings of millions of American families. Overnight, on the international currency exchange, the “almighty dollar” plummets in value, to be replaced by a new global currency, the “bancor.” In retaliation, the president declares that America will default on its loans.…

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"Brexit happened as I read The Mandibles: A Family 2029-2047. The sky-is-falling narrative that accompanied the U.K.’s vote to exit the EU turned out to be the ideal background music for this book. The dystopian tale by Lionel Shriver follows the extended and once wealthy Mandible family into a world in which the dollar is worthless, inflation skyrockets, food and basics are in short supply, the United States is no longer No. 1. Mexico builds a wall to keep indigent Americans from fleeing south. It felt all too possible. I highly recommend this compelling take on a broken, but not hopeless future."
NPR Books We Love — 2016 · apps.npr.org