THE INDEPENDENT

A protest-inspired candidate becomes something more in Goodwin’s debut political novel.

In 2040s America, politics have become more heated than ever. Jack Sanborn used to be an assistant district attorney in Manhattan, but now he leads a quiet life as a law professor in North Carolina. Too quiet, in fact—his wife, Sarah, recently nearly died giving birth to a stillborn child, and since then their house has felt like a tomb. Meanwhile, out in the world, a seven-month-long government shutdown has sparked a massive social movement called SoMAD (for “Somebody Make A Decision”) against the two-party system. After a lecture of Jack’s goes viral, the billionaire father of his favorite student, Max (who was recently killed at SoMAD protest), convinces Jack to run for president as an independent on a platform of breaking up the major parties using antitrust laws. Though independent candidates are usually doomed to failure in America’s two-party system, Jack’s message may have “achieved sufficient critical mass” to make him a viable candidate. However, at least one of his opponents, the Machiavellian Speaker of the House, isn’t going down without a fight. Even worse, Jack’s greatest defeat as a DA—the one that still haunts his dreams—is about to reenter his life with a vengeance. Goodwin’s story, while not terribly believable, is a fun thought exercise, one that exposes some of the legitimate points of tension and gridlock within the American constitutional system. The prose moves nicely, though it frequently reads as far too sincere, as here when the soon-to-be martyred favorite student is introduced: “Max was a mix of idealism and insatiable curiosity, with a personality that could give the worst cynic sudden faith in a better future.” Despite the thinness of many of the characters, the plot is propelled by intriguing ideas, and political junkies of all stripes will likely get swept up in Jack’s revolutionary journey.

A substantive if sometimes cliched political novel that addresses the shortcomings of our electoral system.