A family struggles to maintain their cohesion and financial stability as the global economy collapses and societal norms disintegrate over two decades. The narrative follows the members of the wealthy, dysfunctional Mandible family as they navigate the fallout of a catastrophic currency devaluation and the subsequent breakdown of the American state. Shriver employs a multi-perspective, third-person narrative framework to track the disparate reactions of family members—ranging from denial to desperate adaptation—as they are forced to confront a world where their previous status and assets have become worthless. The story examines the tension between individual survival instincts and the lingering obligations of kinship in a rapidly shrinking, resource-scarce environment.

This novel is widely recognized for its provocative premise and its unflinching look at the fragility of modern economic systems. Critics often highlight the author's ability to blend dark humor with a terrifyingly plausible vision of societal decay. Readers frequently note the polarizing nature of the characters, whose flaws are laid bare by the extreme circumstances they face. The work is consistently praised for its intellectual rigor and its refusal to offer easy resolutions to the moral dilemmas posed by the narrative. It remains a significant entry in contemporary speculative fiction for its focus on the intersection of personal ambition and systemic collapse.