Fatherland A Novel

By: Victoria Shorr

Published by W. W. Norton, Incorporated, 2026-03-10

Dr. and Mrs. Henry Brier, with three young children, possess all the trappings of a perfect life...except Henry is having yet another affair. Without warning he abandons the family for his mistress and a new house on the other side of town.

Shifting perspective between Henry, Lora, and their eldest child, Josie, this brisk, short novel focuses on the effect of convenient lies and discovered truths, narrating the financial and emotional fallout of Henry's betrayal. Interwoven with vivid snapshots of Midwestern life in the 1950s and 60s, the story brings us face to face with a woman unable to comprehend the nature of her struggle, trying to nurture and provide for her children, and a daughter who tries to make sense of what she sees and feels. Evoking the works of Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Strout in theme and style, Fatherland portrays the complexities of family life in the aftermath of deception.