Alan Dell

Set in the small town of Mapleton, New Jersey, this novel is the story of Erick Hansford, the closest thing the town has to an actual hero.

He was an All-American in high school football, the first one the town ever produced. He didn't do so well in college football. Going to Vietnam, Erick escaped from a Viet Cong POW camp.

Back home, Mapleton is a town very much divided in two. The South Side is where the working class people live. The Hill is where the rich people live. There may as well be show more a wall between them. Erick is starting to put his life back together. He is living in a one-room flat while working at a local gas station. There was a bout with alcoholism.

Erick's old high school coach, O'Hara, is now the town Democratic Party Chairman. He encourages Erick to run for a seat on the local town council. Erick is interested in giving back to Mapleton; O'Hara has other ideas. Erick quickly learns that politics is all about winning and staying in power. Then comes keeping your financial contributors happy, and handing out jobs (including no-show jobs) to supporters. "Helping the average person" is far down on the list.

Erick is elected Mayor, in a landslide, and finds that he does not like being a figurehead, with O'Hara having the real power. Erick starts to push back, hard; any respect he had for O'Hara is gone. The next goal is County Democratic Party Chairman, one of the most powerful political jobs in the state. That is why O'Hara wants the job very much. Erick considers running against him. Does someone else get the job? Does Erick remain as Mayor? Can Erick keep his morals intact?

This novel shows that local politics can be just as cut-throat as national politics. For any political "junkie," reading this book is a very good idea. On the negative side, this book loses one rating star because it really needs a trip, or another trip, to a proofreader. show less