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Summary
Summary
HE'S BACK.
AND HE'S THE BIGGEST THING IN POLITICS.
There's just one problem. He is William Howard Taft . . . and he was already president a hundred years ago. So what on earth is he doing alive and well and considering a running mate in 2012?
A most extraordinary satire, Jason Heller's debut novel follows the strange new life of a presidential Rip Van Winkle- a man who never even wanted the White House in the first place, yet finds himself hurtling toward it once more-this time, through the media-fueled madness of 21st-century America.
Author Notes
Jason Heller is an American culture journalist whose work appears in The A.V. Club , Village Voice Media , Alternative Press , Tor.com, Weird Tales . Taft 2012 is his first novel. He lives in Denver, Colorado.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Heller, a contributor to The A.V. Club, makes a stellar debut with his satirical alternate history. The premise is audacious: President William Howard Taft disappears on the day his successor, Woodrow Wilson, is to be inaugurated in 1913, and he inexplicably shows up on the White House lawn almost a century later. After scientists and scholars confirm his identity, he begins the daunting process of understanding a radically different America, which, for all its technological advances, desperately needs direction. This surprisingly poig-nant novel will find an eager audience in the months leading up to the 2012 presidential election, but it deserves a longer shelf life. Heller's numerous historical insights and observations regarding Taft as president, husband, American, and human being will have more than a few readers wishing Taft really could be a third-party candidate in 2012, to be a rational voice in the "din of all this twenty-first century madness." (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
Imagine modern America, with our sluggish economy, turbulent political landscape, and inclination toward grassroots social movements. Now imagine one small change in our history-in 1912, William Howard Taft has just lost his reelection bid, but instead of moving forward with his life and becoming a Supreme Court Justice, he disappears on his way from the Oval Office to the swearing in of Woodrow Wilson. Ninety-nine years later, he reappears on the White House lawn, covered in mud, hungry, and completely unaged. What would that one change mean for an America in the middle of an election cycle? Debut novelist Heller sets up his satire so well that one might doubt one's grasp of presidential history! VERDICT In this strong and thoughtful political exploration, Heller considers two intriguing questions: what it would mean to a man to be thrust forward in time and out of his comfort zone, and what catalyst is needed to unify a disgruntled nation toward grassroots politics. This timely book will attract political junkies and readers who enjoy comic novels.-Jennifer Beach, Cumberland Cty. P.L., VA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.