by P. G. Abeles
To all my friends, Democrats and Republicans, who asked me NOT to list your names, but whose true life stories made this book sound more authentic. Thank you for trusting me.
For when Google failed me: Gayle Detamore at the Oglethorpe Public Library, Oglethorpe, Georgia and Jay Rogers of D.J.’s Ideal General Store, Ideal, Georgia for helping me to get the details right. For Alan Jasperson of Great Northern Antiques in Minneapolis, Minnesota for his time, patience and sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of early radios. Thank you.
To Oak Leaf Press, for making this happen. To Russell James at James Literary Services (who believes in creative writing and standard punctuation), for his careful editing and refusing to let me capitalize everything. To the best in the business, Tony Greco of Greco & Associates for a gorgeous cover. To Christopher Katz at Pequod Book Design for his brilliant interior design.
To all my buddies at JSND Coalition, especially: Will Bower, Diane Mantouvalos, Elizabeth Joyce, Jon Winkleman, Jon West and (the late, great) Robin Carlson. I’m grateful to you all.
To my early readers & editors; some of you loved it, some (I suspect) hated it, but all of you helped to make it better: Aimee Dunn, Jean Schepers, Linda Mahoney, Martha Gallagher, and Jill Brantley. Words cannot express my appreciation for your friendship and support.
To my constant inspirations: Marilu Sochor, Doris Bim, Janet Margusity, Nairoby Otero, Krista Duffy, Marcia Dyson, Anita MonCrief, Carolyn Cook, Patricia Lengerman, Edith Miller, Lisa King, Polly Stamatopoulos, Marielle Hermann, Betty Jean Kling, Lee Dixon, Rose Storaska, Mary Atwater, Giny Vilk, Maria Hill, Rosemary Berlin, Sara Johns, Robin Rowlinson, Cecelia & Patrick Hickey, Linda Hayes, J.D. Overton, James Hannagan, Karen Murphy, Kamala Edwards, Vinod Ghildiyal, and Alberto and Linda Garcia. You’re the best. Thank you for letting me tag along for the ride.
To my little campaigners, Winthrop and Everett, thank you for your patience, and to my rock-star Goldendoodle, de Tocqueville, who sits at my feet every morning as I write, thank you for your companionship. To my in-laws Hetty and Charles Abeles, for kindnesses over the years too many to enumerate. To my parents, whom I miss every day, for everything. And always, to my beleaguered husband, Nathaniel Abeles, who thoughtfully and carefully read all ten edits of this novel, and whose enthusiasm and support for this project never faltered; vous tenez mon Coeur.
About the Author
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~P.G. Abeles is a graduate of Smith College and the host of the popular internet radio program, “Sins of Omission” (currently on hiatus). In the 2008 election, she co-founded a group of 14,000 Hillary Clinton supporters called Real Democrats. She is currently at work on a new thriller about Wall Street, “The Madness of Crowds,” scheduled to be released in November 2012. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two sons, and a seriously naughty Goldendoodle.
Book Club Discussion Questions
1.The author purposely tells the story of the two political candidates, Okono and McCracken through the prism of their critics, supporters and handlers—as opposed to allowing them to speak in their own voices. Does this make the 'disconnect' in the election process more real? The idea that voters really don’t know the candidate as a person—but only a distorted image reflected either through other people or their own expectations?
2.At the end of the book, Lacey makes the point that no one person sees the entire picture—that each person only sees their pieces of the puzzle. Does the author reinforce that point by presenting the story from a number of different viewpoints, with only the reader having access to the ‘whole story’?
3.At the end of the book, Connor clearly believes Miriam Carter (not Okono) is the real hero. Is it important that Miriam is a woman?
4.Throughout the book, the author introduces history about African American’s struggle for civil rights as a way to explain the media and liberal elite’s reaction to (and protectiveness of) Okono. How does Miriam Carter’s life experience shape her in a way that is different than that of the privileged Okono?
5.In the book, Lacey criticizes the news media for “parsing” the information it presents to the public about political candidates, depending on their own bias. Is this a fair criticism?
6.So much of the story revolves around tracing money (Connor looking at Okono’s early campaigns, the questionable contributions to Okono flagged by the FEC, even Archie Newton’s seemingly fantastical statement that Okono received funding from the Saudis). Do you think the public cares? How important is it that candidates provide the public with information on where their donations come from? Does it matter if foreign nationals contribute to U.S. elections?