40 A Novel
40 A Novel by Alan Heathcock, published by Picador in August 2023, is a literary work that explores a future America marked by civil war, disaster, and political turmoil. The narrative follows Mazzy Goodwin, a young soldier searching for her sister, Ava Lynn, who awakens in a bomb crater with mysterious wings. As she grapples with her new reality, the story unfolds against the backdrop of a fundamentalist faction, the Novae Terrae, which rises to power by captivating the populace with promises of spectacle and security.
Readers will find a richly woven tale that delves into themes of faith, deception, and familial love. As Mazzy navigates the complexities of her transformation and the chaotic world around her, she becomes an unlikely figurehead in a revolution, leading her to the heart of New Los Angeles, where propaganda thrives amidst the ruins of Hollywood. Alan Heathcock’s sharp prose captures the mythic and tragic elements of Mazzy’s journey, inviting readers to reflect on the consequences of blind faith and the challenges of forging a new existence in a fractured society. This edition spans 304 pages and is presented in English.
Official synopsis Publisher
From the award-winning author Alan Heathcock comes an American myth of the future: a vision of civil war, spectacle, and disaster of biblical proportions.
In a future America ravaged by natural disaster, pandemic, and political unrest, a fundamentalist faction emerges. As the Novae Terrae gain power, enticing civilians with bread and circuses, a civil war breaks out between its members and the U.S. government.
Mazzy Goodwin, a young soldier, wants only to find her little sister, Ava Lynn. One day, she wakes in a bomb crater to find wings have sprouted from her back. Has she died? Been given wings by God? Undergone a military experiment?
The world sees a miracle. Mazzy is coaxed into seeing it as an opportunity: to become the angel-like figurehead of the revolution in return for being reunited with her sister. Her journey leads her to New Los Angeles, where the Novae have set up the headquarters for their propaganda machine—right in the ruins of Hollywood. Aided by friends old and new, she must navigate a web of deceit while staying true to herself.
Told in sharp, haunting prose as cinematic as it is precise, Alan Heathcock’s 40 is a dizzyingly fantastical novel about the dangers of blind faith, the temptation of spectacle, and the love of family. In a tale by turns mythic and tragic, one heroine must come to terms with the consequences of her decisions and face the challenges of building a new world.
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