First published 2007
Multiple characters navigate the complexities of American life as their paths intersect across different communities and backgrounds. The novel weaves together their individual struggles with larger questions of belonging, identity, and what it means to be American in the early 21st century. Each character faces personal challenges that reflect broader social tensions, from economic uncertainty to cultural divisions. Their stories converge and diverge as they search for connection and meaning in a rapidly changing nation. At its heart, the book examines how ordinary people create their own sense of home and purpose while grappling with the promises and contradictions of the American experience.
Genres: fiction, family-life, american-fiction, american, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, intersecting-lives
Setting: America
Period: Early 21st Century
1354 pages · Hardcover · Holt Rinehart & Winston