THE MOTHERLAND AND MR. HYDE

In Doonan’s novel, the last male FBI agent must prevent war with Mexico in a future when women control the government of the former United States.

FBI agent Robert Hyde has some advantages—his late wife was wealthy, and her family is politically connected—but he has much more stacked against him. After suffering an epidemic called the Pox, the world’s population was decimated, chaos broke out, and women were hunted. After that awful period, the U.S. is now known as the Matriarchal States of America. For safety’s sake, men were left with no rights; they can’t have money, bullets, or even enjoy a soda (bottled water is all they can drink, and it is laced with a drug that prevents erections). Violence against women has plummeted, and now there is almost no femicide. Robert, who is the FBI’s last remaining male agent, has a daughter, but his senator mother-in-law wants full custody, which she can easily obtain if the father commits a crime. In the midst of this dystopian mess, Mexico is threatening war: Aztecs are amassing at the border, and Robert is sent (with a female minder) to negotiate for peace. It’s a tall order, he’s off the bottled water, and a beautiful princess named Xochil is waiting for him upon his arrival (“‘You’ll never want to leave,’ she whispers”). Doonan’s premise of a female-controlled authoritarian state is audacious, and both the novel’s backstory and present reality are full of gritty details that give the narrative a unique plausibility. The Matriarchal States isn’t a pleasant place, but Robert and other characters make wry, sarcastic observations that lighten the mood and add a necessary human aspect to the stark landscape. (It is also intriguing to see what Mexico is like in relation to the former U.S.) The characters are clearly drawn and have convincing motivations. The plot grows slightly convoluted when Robert reaches Mexico but returns to form nicely later on.

A unique action story with a compelling conceit, a tenacious lead, and believable characters.