Machine Dreams

“Machine Dreams, is in its wisdom and its compassionate, utterly unsentimental rendering of the American condition, will rank as one of the great books of [the] decade. Jayne Anne Phillips is a blessing.”—Robert Stone

In her highly acclaimed debut novel, the bestselling author of Shelter introduces the Hampsons, an ordinary, small-town American family profoundly affected by the extraordinary events of history. Here is a stunning chronicle that begins with the Depression and ends with the Vietnam War, revealed in the thoughts, dreams, and memories of each family member. Deeply felt and vividly imagined, this lyrical novel is “among the wisest of a generation to grapple with a war that maimed us all” (The Village Voice), by a master of contemporary fiction.

“An intensely American, beautifully written first novel.... It carries the strength of myth, and yet is utterly of our times.”—The Wall Street Journal

“A remarkable novelist debut and an enduring literary achievement.... This astonishing book establishes Jayne Anne Phillips as a novelist of the first order.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“Reaches one’s deepest emotions. No number of books read or films seen can deaden one to the intimate act of art by which this wonderful young writer has penetrated the definitive experience of her generation.”—Nadine Gordimer