Mobility

Lydia Kiesling's "Mobility" chronicles the life of Bunny Glenn, an American teenager navigating the complex geopolitical landscape of 1998 Azerbaijan, where her Foreign Service family is stationed amidst the global scramble for Caspian oil. With the Cold War receding and the American security state expanding, Bunny observes the burgeoning oil industry and the rumblings of future conflicts through a bemused, yet astute, lens. As Bunny transitions from adolescence to middle age, her ambition and desire for comfort lead her into a career within the oil industry itself, taking her from Baku to Athens and Houston. Eventually, she returns to the very scene of her youth, where past figures resurface against a backdrop of escalating political and climate crises. Kiesling masterfully interweaves Bunny's personal journey of self-discovery and complicity with larger themes of class, power, and global politics, offering a propulsive and thought-provoking exploration of American inertia and the intricate interplay between individual choices and global contexts.