Human Capital

In the style of American Beauty, The Ice Storm and The Corrections - an incredibly touching yet hugely suspenseful novel about three American suburban families.

It's the spring of 2001, the Connecticut suburbs are looking fresh and opulent. Everyone is driving great cars, building beautiful houses, living the American Dream. But Drew Hagel has spent the last decade watching things slip away - his first marriage, his real estate brokerage, and his beloved daughter, Shannon, now a distant and mysterious high school senior. He is in danger of losing his place in the affluent suburbs once ruled by his father, when an unexpected friendship with Quint Manning opens Drew's eyes to vast wealth. What Drew doesn't know is that Manning has problems of his own - his midas touch is abandoning him, his restless wife, Carrie is growing disillusioned with all the money, and his hard-drinking son, Jamie, Shannon's classmate, is careering out of control. As the fortunes of three families - parents and teenagers - collide, a terrible accident involving Jamie and Shannon gives Drew the leverage he needs to stay in the game. But what are the consequences of speculating with human lives rather than money? In this astonishing, compelling novel, Stephen Amidon chronicles the American suburban dream with devastating accuracy.