After a pandemic sweeps the world, Charlotte is left destitute with no family. So when ex-boyfriend Jake Monroe calls her up, inviting her to stay with him and his mother at their family compound-replete with an entire staff-Char takes him up on that offer. After all, she has nowhere to go, and she recalls fond childhood memories with Jake. In this world of post-pandemic inequity where the government-appointed guilds have connected one's job with housing status, entrepreneurship is heavily taxed, and growing one's own food is illegal, the Monroe family is the epitome of wealth and power, having longstanding ties with American banks.
Char is welcomed with open arms among the Monroes and their circle of friends, and she befriends Pam, the Monroe family chef. But as Char gets closer to Pam and the family living at The Ranch, an illegal operation where the Monroes purchase their homegrown fruits and vegetables, Char finds it harder to turn a blind eye to the privileges afforded to Jake's family, especially as so many others live in squalor and poverty.
An innovative, poignant social commentary, Kimberly Hill's debut novel The Faction is an insightful and thought-provoking read.