First published 2024
Sonny Lamb has made himself the town joke again. The struggling rancher just bought his own bull at auction to save it from slaughter. Then a fire erupts at his neighbor's farm. Sonny doesn't wait for firefighters. He charges into the burning barn and rescues a young girl and her horse, riding the animal to safety through the flames. The rescue makes headlines. Days later, a stranger named L.D. appears at Sonny's door with an unexpected proposition: run for the Texas House of Representatives as a Republican. Sonny has no political experience and considers himself apolitical. He decides to run anyway and wins. Now he must navigate campaign strategies, capitol negotiations, and party pressures while veteran politicians and skilled lobbyists test his principles. His environmental concerns clash with party expectations. His marriage strains under the demands of public life. Sonny struggles to maintain his moral compass in an increasingly chaotic political world.
Genres: american-fiction, political-science, contemporary, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, moral-dilemma
Setting: Texas, Texas House of Representatives
Period: Contemporary
336 pages · Paperback · Vintage