I.O.U.

by John Lanchester

First published 2010

Roger Yount expects his massive bonus at Pinker Lloyd investment bank. Instead, he receives devastating news: zero payout during the 2008 financial collapse. Suddenly, his expensive Clapham home, private school for his children, and entire lifestyle hang by a thread. As the economic meltdown ripples through London's financial district, Roger's wife Arabella confronts their mounting debts. His colleagues experience similar implosions—marriages disintegrate, careers evaporate, and the comfortable illusion of perpetual wealth shatters. Each character must navigate a new reality where money vanishes faster than trust. Roger's desperate attempts to maintain his status become a raw portrait of a system built on fragile promises. Some will survive. Some will fall completely apart.

Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century

Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: fall-from-grace, social-commentary

Setting: Clapham, London

Period: 21st-century

272 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster

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