geekyIf you're looking for some fun fiction this summer that will cater to
potus_geeks who combine a sense of humor with their love of history, let me strongly recommend Jason M. Heller's wonderful offering Taft 2012: A Novel. Published in January of 2012, I happened to read this on a plane ride back from Cincinnati where, among other things (some Cincinnati Reds baseball) I visited the William Howard Taft National Historic Site. The timing of my reading of this fantastic book rounded off my Taft experience. To use a metaphor that Taft might enjoy, it was the cherry on the whipped cream of my summer of Taft.
In this his first novel, author Jason Heller delivers a delightful political satire by combining a history lesson about the 27th President of the United States with cutting social commentary about the state of modern American politics. Heller's protagonist is William Howard Taft, the nation's most corpulent (300 pound) president, and the last to wear a mustache. But in this alternate version of history, Taft mysteriously disappears on the day of his successor Woodrow Wilson's inauguration, never to he heard from again, until a century later, when he mysteriously reappears at the White House.
Once his identity is verified, Taft becomes a beloved celebrity as his past reputation as an ineffective chief executive undergoes a 21st century makeover. Suddenly Taft is remembered for the best aspects of his presidency: idolized by conservatives and liberals alike, who cherry pick the aspects of his leadership that resemble their own political leanings, while Taft adjusts to the strangeness of life in the 21st century. As the title suggests, Taft is drafted to run for president in 2012 on the shoulders of a fictionalized version of the Tea Party. Aided by a great great granddaughter (who is also a member of Congress), her African-American husband, their daughter, and a chummy secret service agent, Taft's early 20th century principles are applied to 21st century politics in a presidential campaign that mixes humor and farce with poignant insight into the foibles and failings of the modern political climate.
In the midst of spinning this witty yarn, Heller incorporates the world of twitter, cable news, greedy lobbies and other aspects of current culture in a funny, imaginative and thought provoking merger of fantasy and satire that adds up to a very enjoyable novel.
Whether you're a political junkie looking for some light fiction or just someone intrigued by the unique premise of this book, this is a witty, fun and brilliant read. Heller proves himself to be a modern day Jonathan Swift, providing a novel that is simultaneously equal parts funny and intelligent.
In 2015 I asked the author if he had any plans to follow up Taft 2012 with a sequel for the 2016 election. His response can be found in the twitter exchange shown below.
If you're looking for something witty and fun to read this summer, look no further!