Exploring Family Dynamics in a Near Dystopian Novel

In Gary Shteyngart’s new novel, “Vera, or Faith,” a precocious 10-year old Korean-American girl, with a curious mind and exceptional vocabulary, navigates her way through a dystopian nearfuture. The politics of this America, in which a constitutional amendment to give “exceptional” white Americans more voting rights is being considered, are confusing. But even more so is Vera’s complicated family life that includes a dead mother, a scattered and self-involved father, and a stepmother who Vera is not sure loves her. Reviewers have called the book a “brilliant fable.” We talk to Shteyngart about the future and families.

Guests:

Gary Shteyngart, writer, Shteyngart's latest novel is "Vera, or Faith" - he is also the author of "Our Country Friends," "Little Failure: A Memoir" and "Super Sad True Love Story"

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