Culpability

A Novel

De: Bruce Holsinger

Narrado por: Stacy Carolan, January LaVoy

Oprah’s Book Club Pick * New Yorker Best Books of 2025 * 2026 Aspen Words Literary Prize Longlist * Kirkus Best Books of 2025 * Real Simple Best Books of 2025 * Washington Post Noteable Fiction 2025 * NPR's 2025 "Books We Love" * Minnesota Star Tribune 20 Best of 2025 *

“I was riveted until the very last shocking sentence!”—Oprah Winfrey

Set at a summer rental on the Chesapeake Bay, a riveting family drama about moral responsibility in the age of artificial intelligence.

When the Cassidy-Shaws’ autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, seventeen-year-old Charlie is in the driver’s seat, with his father, Noah, riding shotgun. In the back seat, tweens Alice and Izzy are on their phones, while their mother, Lorelei, a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret that implicates them in the accident.

During a weeklong recuperation on the Chesapeake Bay, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash. Noah tries to hold the family together as a seemingly routine police investigation jeopardizes Charlie’s future. Alice and Izzy turn strangely furtive. And Lorelei’s odd behavior tugs at Noah’s suspicions that there is a darker truth behind the incident—suspicions heightened by the sudden intrusion of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal. When Charlie falls for Monet’s teenaged daughter, the stakes are raised even higher in this propulsive family drama that is also a fascinating exploration of the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI.

Culpability explores a world newly shaped by chatbots, autonomous cars, drones, and other nonhuman forces in ways that are thrilling, challenging, and unimaginably provocative.

©2025 Bruce Holsinger (P)2025 Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks

Excellent read

Such an important topic begin to understand in this time when AI is so prevent in our daily lives.

Timely topic

Culpability covers the topic of AI and its impact on all of but especially one family. Good read.

Very compelling!

One of my favorite stories of the year! It’s a relatable and a cautionary tale. Thought-provoking, and great book club discussions!

Starts out a bit weak and every turn creates more depth if u stay with it!

I liked that both mom and dad were willing to sacrifice something for their kids and their family!

A cautionary tale.

I was so very impressed by the authors, quality, clarity and the detail of writing. It was a wonderful story. I learned something about AI and the responsibility, stewardship and the future considerations of its existence.
The other piece is the human story of this family. It was interesting to be a part of their lives and it was also shocking at the end to find out that the one daughter was complicit in what happened. I can only imagine that it wouldn’t bode well for her as she gets older.