The Unwanted

Fishman (A Replacement Life) chronicles a family’s attempt to escape their totalitarian European country in this rousing near-future saga. George, 51, belongs to the oppressed “minority-sect” and teaches poetry at an elite university. After he’s fired, he and his wife, Susanna, make secret plans to flee with their fearless eight-year-old daughter, Dina. The family heads for the seashore hoping to survive long enough to raft across the ocean to America. Their path to the coast is rough, as a long-simmering rebellion against the government-backed “dominantsect” has erupted into a civil war. Along the way, the family traverse frightening refugee camps, where they pay bribes to fellow refugees in exchange for help. Fishman’s worldbuilding is impeccable as he conjures a fallen nation ruled by a fascist regime and a family desperate to escape its clutches. He skillfully ramps up the tension as Susanna learns of George’s strategic if risky practice of aligning himself with both rebel factions and the government during his stint at the university, a move that’s jeopardized his family’s security. Fans of dystopian classics like 1984 will find much to savor in Fishman’s spellbinding tale. Agent: Henry Dunow, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (Mar.)