Description

The dazzling new state-of-the-nation novel from one of America’s most significant contemporary writers and winner of the Women’s Prize for May We Be Forgiven, which explores the makings of our political times.

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‘A terrific black comedy, written almost entirely in pitch-perfect dialogue, that feels terrifyingly close to the unfunny truth’ – Salman Rushdie

The Big Guy loves his family, money and democracy. Undone by the results of the 2008 Presidential election, he taps a group of like-minded men to reclaim their version of America. As they build a scheme to disturb and disrupt, the Big Guy also faces turbulence within his family and must take responsibility for his past actions. For his wife and daughter are having their own awakenings: self-denying Charlotte enters rehab, and eighteen year old Megan, who has voted for the first time, explores a political future that deviates from her father’s ideology, while delving into deeply buried family secrets.

Dark, funny and prescient, The Unfolding explores the implosion of the dream and how we arrived in today’s divided world.

‘From her first book onward, A. M. Holmes has been challenging us to look at fiction, the world, and one another as we haven’t done-because we haven’t had the nerve, the eyes, the dire and dispassionate imagination. Gripping, sad, funny, by turns aching and antic and, as always, exceedingly well-observed and written, The Unfolding opens up another one of her jagged windows, at times indistinguishable from a crack, in the world that is always unfolding, and always vanishing, around us’ – Michael Chabon

Publisher Review

From her first book onward, A. M. Holmes has been challenging us to look at fiction, the world, and one another as we haven't done-because we haven't had the nerve, the eyes, the dire and dispassionate imagination. Gripping, sad, funny, by turns aching and antic and, as always, exceedingly well-observed and written, The Unfolding opens up another one of her jagged windows, at times indistinguishable from a crack, in the world that is always unfolding, and always vanishing, around us -- Michael Chabon A terrific black comedy, written almost entirely in pitch-perfect dialogue, that feels terrifying close to the unfunny truth -- Salman Rushdie How can a book be hilarious and chilling at the same time? A.M. Homes's The Unfolding is a modern masterpiece, a scary immersion deep into the heart of American power -- Gary Shteyngart, author of Our Country Friends Compelling, funny, horrifying, and tremendously astute, this novel cuts right to the bone -- Phil Klay, author of Missionaries A.M. Homes has perfectly captured an America as it lurches toward freak-out, and a family as it shreds the lies it's been living by... Hilarious and shocking and heartbreaking and just a little bit deranged -- Nathan Hill, author of The Nix