Madeline Cash's debut novel, Lost Lambs, offers a tender satire of a dysfunctional American family's search for moral guidance, precisely suited to our times. Set in a small American town, the book is witty and quickfire, filled with clever lists and typographical quirks that mirror the gnats plaguing the local church.
The Flynn family is in disarray. Parents Catherine and Bud, once a passionate young rock star and aspiring artist, now have three daughters and a mundane life. Catherine embarks on an open marriage with amateur artist Jim, while Bud, depressed, finds solace in Miss Winkle, leader of the 'Lost Lambs' support group. Their daughters include Harper, a 13-year-old child genius; Louise, the middle child drawn to an online lover who encourages bomb-making; and Abigail, the beauty involved with War Crimes Wes, a former soldier.
The plot revolves around a competition for the Flynns' souls between God and Paul Alabaster, a megalomaniac billionaire shipping magnate. Bud, inspired by Miss Winkle to be better, confronts Alabaster over a mysterious shipping container. Meanwhile, conspiracy theories about Alabaster's vampiric pursuits, led by Abigail's friend Tibet, converge at Alabaster's high-security party.
Cash's novel explores themes of goodness and truth through characters like Miss Winkle and Tibet. Miss Winkle champions an unfashionable vision of goodness, while Tibet advocates for pooled knowledge in an age of conspiracy theories. The novel ultimately vindicates both, offering a collective truth that warms hearts while satirising modern anxieties.
