American Pride, by Nick Paskoski

American Pride is a sharp, unflinching exploration of a nation on the brink and a man caught between ideals and reality. It begins at the end—Washington’s Capitol in flames, and John, our weary narrator, declaring, “We failed.” But even in failure, he clings to the belief that life will rebuild itself, as it always has.

Rewinding five months, John returns east to teach Civics and Government at a nonprofit, eager to make a difference. But the city he left behind is unraveling—protests, riots, economic turmoil, and a bitter election loom overhead. At a lavish party hosted by his old friend Paul, John is thrust back into a world of ambition, pretension, and ghosts from his past, including Elizabeth, the ex-girlfriend he never quite got over. As he navigates the glittering social circles of the capital, he is also drawn to Maria and Maddy—women with their own gravitational pull—and reconnects with Georgie, an old friend fleeing to Mexico.

As the country spirals, so does John, caught between meaningful work and reckless escape, between duty and disillusionment. He encounters voices of both hope and destruction, forcing him to confront his own role in a failing system. And in the end—when the flames rise once more—he must decide whether hope is still worth holding onto.

A bold and timely novel, American Pride examines the fine line between ambition and apathy, privilege and power, and the enduring struggle to believe in something greater than ourselves.