Seymour Levov comes of age in post-war America of triumph and prosperity. But everything he loves is lost when the country goes into a frenzy during the turbulent years of the 1960s. Not even the most isolated and well-meaning citizen can escape the sweeping wave of history. "American Pastoral" is the story of the rise and fall of a fortunate American - a strong man full of confidence, a master of social balance who is crushed by the forces of social upheaval.

Levov is not allowed to live happily ever after in his beloved stone farmhouse with his beautiful wife and his lively, precocious daughter, who is the light of his eyes. The light of his eyes until she turns sixteen and becomes a terrorist revolutionary determined to destroy her father's paradise.
With vivid realism, Roth revisits the conflicts and violent changes of the 1960s. This book speaks of love - and hate - for America. Of the desire to belong - and the refusal to belong - in America. It contrasts the desire for an idyllic American life - a respectable life, with peace, order, optimism, and creativity - with the inherent American madness.

The novel was adapted to the big screen in 2016 by actor Ewan McGregor, in the film "American Pastoral" starring himself, Jennifer Connelly, and Dakota Fanning.