ONE VOTE

A struggling farmer turns into a national figure when he dramatically chooses to become a faithless elector in this novel.

Chance Fitzbourne inherited a Virginia farm when he was only 35 years old, land that had been in his family for generations and that he proudly cherished. Now 67, he’s exhausted from the demands it imposes and the financial precariousness of the industry. He feels swallowed up by the avarice and corruption of the world, a melancholic depletion poignantly depicted by Willis: “There’s too much unknown with farming. Like with most things, the big guys have taken over. They have lobbies, money, and government support. The big guys rule the world.” But in the midst of Chance’s powerlessness, he’s given an opportunity to make a difference. A longtime supporter of the Democratic Party, he’s appointed as an elector for his district, a role that typically only requires the perfunctory rubber-stamping of the winner. But then Democratic President-elect John Vickers suddenly collapses and dies, and the Electoral College process is thrown into confusion and disarray. Chance suddenly becomes a singularly important man after Democratic National Committee Chairman Edwin Damson chooses Sen. Brock Henry instead of throwing his support to Vice President-elect Jane Meyer Grete. Chance strenuously objects to Henry’s brand of radical socialism and considers the lawmaker a “bigoted ass,” refusing to cast his vote for him. Damson, an unscrupulous man, is maniacally intent on changing Chance’s mind, even if that means resorting to intimidation. The author vividly captures the chaos into which the nation descends, including the possibility that the other faithless electors who follow suit were bribed and the White House is somehow involved in a related murder.

Willis builds a suspenseful political drama around a tantalizing premise that proves ingenious because it is both eminently plausible and one on which the Constitution is silent. As a consequence, he delicately exposes the fragility of the democratic process and the rule of law. Furthermore, he avoids sullying the literary execution of this idea with politically partisan ax-grinding—there is plenty of dark corruption on both sides of the ideological aisle. At the heart of the story, though, is Chance’s embittered frustration, expressed in terms provided by the political moment but with deeper roots. Speaking to the Democratic county chairperson, he unleashes his disgruntlement: “I’ve backed the Party for forty-some-odd years, Gwen Ellen. Really voted for some sad candidates. Fortunately, the Republicans haven’t been any better. Politicians get rammed down our throats, qualified or not. I can’t swallow Brock Henry, simple as that.” The author’s irreproachable realism starts to waver toward the end of the story, and some blandly sentimental scenes meant to make readers feel good sneak in incongruently. Nevertheless, this momentary loss of literary nerve doesn’t come close to undermining a thoroughly captivating novel that is as politically astute as it is emotionally affecting.

A thrilling work about a political crisis; original and gripping.