California, Edan Lepucki
California, Edan Lepucki
7 Rating(s)
List: $31.99 | Sale: $22.40
Club: $15.99

California
A Novel

Author: Edan Lepucki

Narrator: Emma Galvin

Unabridged: 12 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/08/2014


Synopsis

The world Cal and Frida have always known is gone, and they've left the crumbling city of Los Angeles far behind them. They now live in a shack in the wilderness, working side-by-side to make their days tolerable in the face of hardship and isolation. Mourning a past they can't reclaim, they seek solace in each other. But the tentative existence they've built for themselves is thrown into doubt when Frida finds out she's pregnant.

Terrified of the unknown and unsure of their ability to raise a child alone, Cal and Frida set out for the nearest settlement, a guarded and paranoid community with dark secrets. These people can offer them security, but Cal and Frida soon realize this community poses dangers of its own. In this unfamiliar world, where everything and everyone can be perceived as a threat, the couple must quickly decide whom to trust.

A gripping and provocative debut novel by a stunning new talent, California imagines a frighteningly realistic near future, in which clashes between mankind's dark nature and deep-seated resilience force us to question how far we will go to protect the ones we love.

"In her arresting debut novel, Edan Lepucki conjures a lush, intricate, deeply disturbing vision of the future, then masterfully exploits its dramatic possibilities."-Jennifer Egan, author of A Visit from the Goon Squad

Reviews

Goodreads review by Patrick on July 26, 2016

If you're looking for an unbiased review, you can look elsewhere. I'm married to the author of this book. I read drafts of this at various stages and since I know the author in the Biblical sense (hey now), I am completely incapable of giving an unbiased review. But if you're interested in hearing w......more

Goodreads review by karen on August 20, 2018

this is another fine literary post-apoc/survival book. like The Road, or Zone One, it uses its setting as a backdrop to explore larger human concerns. it doesn't focus on the "how we got here," but rather on "what do we do with what we have left?" and specifically on the effects of solitude and commu......more

Goodreads review by Delee on October 11, 2017

CALIFORNIA- in my humble opinion- is one of the most realistic post-apocalyptic novels that I have ever read (No, I have not read The Road yet- but it is on my list). There are no zombies here, there is not a lot of action...not a lot of blood, and nooooo love triangles. And it is not one BIG BANG t......more

Goodreads review by Christopher on July 08, 2014

FIRST BOOK PROBLEMS. So first off: hats off to Lepucki for getting plugged on The Colbert Show by Sherman Alexie. There are worse writers and people to get more attention, for worse reasons. (Though, as I now consider California's Frida, a protagonist who looks on at the double-helixed scheming of h......more

Goodreads review by Wendy Darling on February 04, 2016

Well, that was the dullest post-apocalyptic story I've ever read. I'm just going to refer you to this review: [URL not allowed] And add that I really disliked the writing style, logic gaps, and characterization. Also, I'd normally enjoy baking scenes, but the baked goods in Canter......more