Shriver's intelligence, biting humor, and sharp leaps of imagination come together in a novel that is as disturbing as it is entertaining.

The brilliant new novel from the Orange Prize-winning author of "We Need to Talk About Kevin."

It is 2029.

The Mandibles had hoped for a substantial fortune to flow in when their 97-year-old patriarch dies. However, America's skyrocketing national debt is so immense that it can never be repaid. Under attack from an emerging international currency, the dollar is in free fall. A bloodless world war will wipe out the savings of millions of American families.

With their inheritance turned to ash, each family member must cope with disappointment, but also—with the effects of the decline becoming palpable—with the challenge of mere survival. The once-prosperous Avery is irritable about it.