Lost Lambs

Loaded with snarky one-liners and absurdist set pieces, Cash’s glittering debut novel (after the collection Earth Angel) follows the middle-class Flynn family as they try and fail to find a sense of purpose. Their trouble starts when mom Catherine, an aspiring artist, proposes an “arrangement” that will allow her to pursue a romantic relationship with next-door neighbor Jim. Her husband, Bud, turns to the Lost Lambs support group at the local church, and shacks up with the moderator. Meanwhile, eldest daughter Abigail, 17, is dating a 20-something veteran known as War Crimes Wes because of rumors he “did some crazy shit in the war.” Her 15-year-old sister Louise tells her priest she’s been “experimenting with Islamic fundamentalism” and chats online with her Canadian “lover” known only as yours truly, who encourages her to take up bomb-making. Twelve-year-old Harper, the youngest, organizes a sit-in to raise awareness of what she believes is an evil surveillance program operated by tech billionaire Paul Alabaster. Cash has a finely tuned ear for the silliness of modern language (volunteer events have names like Apple Bobbing for Autism and Knitting for Narcolepsy), and she serves up wild slapstick and a twist of nasty horror before sending things out on a sweet and surprisingly sentimental note. The novel is anchored in its affection for the hapless but well-meaning Flynns, whose banter is endlessly irresistible (“Am I really the woman of your dreams?” Catherine asks. “Who cares!” Bud replies, “You’re the woman of my reality”). It’s unforgettable. (Jan.)