First published 1988
At the Organization, a sprawling international body committed to world peace and humanitarian service, employees struggle to maintain their humanity within rigid institutional walls. The staff members find themselves caught between genuine human connections and the cold machinery of bureaucratic life. Personal friendships bloom and wither under the pressure of organizational demands. Colleagues who entered with idealistic hopes of serving humanity discover that the very structure meant to foster global harmony often crushes individual spirit. Romance develops between coworkers even as corporate politics threaten to tear them apart. Each person must choose whether to preserve their authentic relationships or surrender to the impersonal forces that govern their professional lives. The tension builds as workers realize that their personal bonds may be the only refuge from an institution that treats people as expendable resources. At its heart, this is a story about finding genuine human connection in a world that values efficiency over empathy.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, organizational-culture
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Organization
Period: 20th-century
160 pages · Paperback · Penguin / King Penguin