“Prescient, funny, smart, a story to disappear into and come out the other side.” —Alexander Chee, author of The Queen of the Night
“A fascinating and ambitious first novel by a very talented writer.…An indispensable read.” —Rudolfo Anaya, author of Bless Me, Ultima
The America of 2037 is a country distracted by, infatuated with, and addicted to Arcadia.
The brainchild of reclusive genius Juan Diego Reyes, Arcadia is a wickedly immersive, all-encompassing social-media platform and virtual-reality interface. Although Arcadia has made the Reyes family fabulously wealthy, it’s left them—and the rest of the country—impoverished of that rare currency: intimacy. When Juan Diego mysteriously vanishes, the consequences shatter the lives of the entire Reyes clan.
As matriarch Autumn struggles to hold the family together, siblings Gideon, Holly, and Devon wrestle with questions of purpose and meaning—seeking self-worth in a world where everything has been cheapened. Outside the artificial safety of Arcadia, America has crumbled into an unrecognizable nation where a fundamentalist ex-preacher occupies the Oval Office, megacorporations blithely exploit their full citizenship, and a twenty-foot-high Great Wall of Freedom plastered with lucrative advertising bestrides the US-Mexican border.
In a polarized society now cripplingly hooked on manufactured highs, the Reyes family must overcome the seduction of simulation to find the kind of authentic human connection that offers salvation for all.
Not political, more a commentary on 21st Century American life First of all, read this book if you just enjoy good writing. Mr. Gandertâs prose is effortless and beautiful.
“Lost in Arcadia;” Polarizing, Authentic Look at a Dysfunctional Future. Will Tickle & Anger Many, Due to Language and Attitudes Looking for a book to share with your church group or your scholar student? You might want to pass on this one. But, if you’re looking for a work of art that will grab hold of your emotions and senses, and that might help you understand your unruly teenager (or your neighbor’s obnoxious brat), then you may have stumbled onto the perfect novel. Well, perfect might be a bit too strong. Read on to learn more…
Gandert is an excellent writer whose language is simple but striking Gandert is an excellent writer whose language is simple but striking. I read a lot of books set in the near future and many in the genre offer interesting ideas about where society is headed without the literary prowess to take you there, not so with Lost In Arcadia. The book builds gracefully and when it really kicks in the writing gets punchy and efficient. Unlike other books I’ve read set in the future, Lost in Arcadia doesn’t rely on cheap tricks and long winded explanations of new…