Book review of The Founding Five by Maud Muller

[elleng]

Book review of Maud Muller's The Founding Five by ellen george

Books like Orwell's 1984 were written to give us a frightening reality of what might happen in the future if things go unchecked. John Twelve Hawks wrote in the first books of his series a world that is a frightening reality of what might happen in the future if things go unchecked.
Now Maud Muller has written a frighteningly real world that is so amazingly true to life, you surely hope somewhere there aren't a Founding Five planning and plotting and controlling...
When Barry Goldwater lost the 1968 election, a group of five wealthy ultraconservatives banded together with the purpose of 'forming a more perfect union' in their own image. The plan was when one of the Five died, another, equally 'worthy' would take his place...They would be the power behind the guise of democracy, of the 'land of the free'.
Travel with me now to 2035. The Founding Five is literally the most powerful covert entity on earth - they, through subtly guiding the right people in the right positions of power, have torn away most of the vestiges of modern civilization. It is frightening.
The United States is now a Christian-based country, where non-Christians do not have a voice. When you are born, you are assigned a cyberspace identity and a permanent email address. You are monitored. If you are in ill health, or have some disability, or obese, you receive next to nothing in terms of healthcare. These people go to public hospitals where there is a possibility you won't come out of them - the staff knows there is a big price for organs - for the rich and powerful - and somehow, a broken nose may be a life-threatening event...
Joshua Freeman (who is half -Jewish but his parents changed their name and do not acknowledge that part of themselves in order to be part of the system) stumbles on the conspiracy and slowly he starts to piece the pieces together. He becomes 'one of them' to glean more information. He meets an innocent young woman, Elizabeth Whalen, who has come to a Christian Confederation Conference - and they are attracted to each other. But another has also seen Elizabeth, the Reverend John Gables, High Minister of the Christian Confederation, and he wants her...
So blends this amazing story of the few powerful controlling a nation that prided itself as being 'free'.
Ms. Muller has written a book that makes you think, fume, and feel surely this kind of corruption couldn't possibly happen in our country...or could it? An 'oh my gosh' ending puts this book over the top.
A great read, especially for those into political science - and interesting in this particular time of presidential primaries...will make you think...
ellen george