by David Corn
First published 1981
The book follows characters navigating the shifting social and political landscape of early 1980s America. Corn creates a story that examines how ordinary people respond when their personal desires clash with changing times. The protagonist faces choices that will determine not just their own future, but their relationships with family and community. Set against the backdrop of a nation embracing new economic policies and social attitudes, the novel explores what people are willing to sacrifice to get what they want. The central tension emerges from the gap between what characters believe they deserve and what they can actually achieve. Corn writes with attention to the small moments that reveal larger truths about human nature and American society during a period of transition.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: changing-times, personal-sacrifice
Setting: America
Period: Early 1980s
102 pages · Paperback · Center for Study of Responsive Law