The High Price of Denial is a political dystopian novel that plunges readers into the heart of a Western democracy on the brink. More than fiction, it is a sharp, literary reflection of a fractured France—paralyzed by decades of moral hesitation, denial, and fear. As the rise of radical Islamism collides with the ideals of liberal democracy, the novel paints a haunting portrait of a nation where the cost of refusing to act becomes too high to ignore.
In this novel on political awakening, France faces internal collapse. Neighborhoods become ideological enclaves. Public discourse is hollowed out by fear. Institutions hesitate as the line between tolerance and surrender blurs. Amid this chaos, elected officials, civil servants, journalists, and citizens must make impossible choices. Do they uphold principles while the nation crumbles—or adapt at the risk of betrayal?
At the story’s core, two leaders emerge: a President and his former idealist-turned-Prime Minister, struggling to hold the country together. Torn between truth and expedience, between civil rights and civil war, they embody the tension of modern governance under siege. Their actions—or inactions—could reshape the fate of millions.
But The High Price of Denial is not just about France. The crisis reverberates across Europe. As borders blur and ideologies clash, the novel highlights a broader Western identity crisis, where every nation must confront what it is willing to defend—and at what cost.
Combining political tension, ethical complexity, and literary depth, this political dystopian novel forces us to ask urgent questions: Can democracies survive without moral clarity? What happens when silence becomes complicity? And who still dares to say “no” when it matters most?
Richard Mahanna delivers not a thesis, but a warning. Through an intense and poetic narrative, he invites readers to reflect on a world where words are weapons, and where courage begins with clarity.