California (novel)

Lore & Background

The novel's main characters, Frida Ellis and Calvin Friedman, are young lovers who flee a nearly-destroyed Los Angeles to live in an abandoned house in Northern California as subsistence foragers and farmers. Wealthier survivors live in 'Communities' with internet access, private security, and other luxuries. The couple leave their home when Frida discovers she is pregnant, seeking the support of a community in which to raise their child. They struggle to decide whether to tell their new community about the pregnancy, which might sway a communal vote on whether they should be allowed to stay.

Reader's Guide

California gained national attention primarily due to the 'Colbert Bump'. On June 4, 2014, Stephen Colbert used his television show to satirically attack Amazon over its decision to remove particular titles from sale, including books from Hachette. Colbert retaliated by encouraging viewers to pre-order copies of California from independent retailer Powell's Books. The novel was subsequently reviewed by major US newspapers including The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. The New York Times suggested Lepucki had 'won the literary Lotto'. Hachette increased its inventory from an initial print run of 12,000 copies to 60,000 copies, making it 'one of the most preordered debut titles in Hachette history'. Lepucki spent three days signing 10,000 copies at Powell's headquarters. The novel received generally positive reviews, though many reviewers noted it might not have otherwise received national attention without Colbert's campaign, thus 'subjecting this modest post-apocalyptic tale to intense scrutiny'.

Did You Know?

• The novel debuted at number 3 on The New York Times Best Seller list on July 21, 2014.
• Stephen Colbert urged viewers to pre-order the book from independent retailer Powell's Books as part of a dispute with Amazon.
• Hachette increased the initial print run from 12,000 to 60,000 copies due to demand.