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. Deadbeat Nation being unable to
borrow, the government prints money to cover its bills. What little
remains to savers is rapidly eaten away by runaway inflation.The
Mandibles have been counting on a sizable fortune filtering down when
their ninety-seven-year-old patriarch dies. Once the inheritance turns
to ash, each family member must contend with disappointment, but also as
the U.S. economy spirals into dysfunction the challenge of sheer
survival.Recently affluent, Avery is petulant that she can t buy olive
oil, while her sister, Florence, absorbs strays into her cramped
household. An expat author, their aunt, Nollie, returns from abroad at
seventy-three to a country that s unrecognizable. Her brother, Carter,
fumes at caring for their demented stepmother, now that an assisted
living facility isn t affordable. Only Florence s oddball teenage son,
Willing, an economics autodidact, will save this formerly august
American family from the streets.The Mandibles is about money. Thus it
is necessarily about bitterness, rivalry, and selfishness but also about
surreal generosity, sacrifice, and transformative adaptation to
changing circumstances."
