First published 2009
Pygmy, a young agent from a totalitarian state, arrives in the Midwest disguised as an exchange student. Blending in with his American host family, he and his fellow operatives plot a massive, unthinkable act of terrorism to bring this "big dumb country" to its knees. Through Pygmy's indoctrinated eyes, we see the absurdities of suburban life - and the suspicious realization that maybe these Americans aren't so different after all. A sly satire of xenophobia and cultural clash, Pygmy is both a chilling thriller and a bittersweet comedy of finding home where you least expect it.
Genres: american-fiction, adventure, action, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Midwest, United States
Period: 21st-century
255 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday
Content warnings: violence