THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA

by Philip Roth



"What if Charles A. Lindbergh, a noted isolationist and anti-semite, had defeated Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election?

When aviation hero Lindbergh wins on the Republican ticket, fear sweeps across America and into the homes of every Jewish family. In Newark, the Roths wonder what Lindbergh as president will mean to them. Before being elected, he had publicly lambasted the Jews for selfishly championing the war against Nazi Germany -- and now he's agreed to a 'nonaggression' policy with Hitler. Things take an even darker turn when all Jewish American communities are targeted for separation and relocation." (From the CD container)

The Plot Against America made me uneasy, because parts of it reminded me of things that were seen and heard during the last presidential election. If someone believes things like this could not happen in our more enlightened modern society, he or she may have to think again after reading this book.

As seems to be the case with most of Roth's work, the obvious concept is not the only one at work in the novel. The Plot Against America is often less about politics and more about overcoming personal fears, about the dynamics of family and community, about helping those who are in need no matter your own situation. If you've never read Philip Roth, this would be a good place to start.