by John Boehner
First published 2003
John Matthews arrives in Washington as a freshman congressman with high hopes for education reform. He believes accountability measures can transform American schools. But Capitol Hill proves more complex than his campaign promises suggested. Committee hearings drag on without progress. Lobbyists crowd his office with competing agendas. Fellow representatives play games he barely understands. His signature bill faces amendments that gut its core provisions. Matthews must choose between compromise and principle as his political career hangs in the balance. The novel explores how idealism collides with institutional reality in the halls of power.
Genres: american-fiction, political-science, 21st-century, political-thriller
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, idealism-vs-pragmatism
Setting: Washington DC
Period: 21st Century
94 pages · Paperback · Diane Pub Co