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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Andrew Demillo

Book Review: 'America Fantastica' entertaining journey that looks at consequences of lies

Tim OBrien JCPenney
ASSOCIATED PRESS

The premise of “America Fantastica,” the latest work by novelist Tim O'Brien, feels like the standard plot for a crime caper. A JCPenney employee in a small California town walks into a bank to rob it and goes on the run with $81,000 on hand and the teller who's been flirting with him.

But O'Brien is no standard novelist, and “America Fantastica” is anything but a standard novel. O'Brien's first book in two decades is a funny and sad satire that explores the consequences of misinformation on society.

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