FICTION

Rachel to the Rescue

Mariner: Houghton Harcourt. Jul. 2021. 304p. ISBN 9780358653257. pap. $15.99. F
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Rachel Klein isn’t a Trump supporter, but she accepts an entry-level job in the White House, rationalizing that her work can transcend his administration. Then she finds herself upholding the Presidential Records Act by taping together bits of paper all day. The president seems unable to stop ripping up papers when he’s done with them, and the documents must be preserved. After a few drinks one evening, Rachel writes an email that’s critical of Trump and accidentally sends it to all her coworkers. When she can’t get past security at work the next morning, she realizes her error and in a daze walks across the street, where she’s hit by a car driven by a friend of the president. The accident makes the national news, and Rachel’s new infamy lands her a job assisting political muckraker Kirby Champion, leading to several comical and cringe-worthy moments.
VERDICT Taking place before the 2020 election and ending during the pandemic, this political satire, with a millennial protagonist and endearing supporting cast, is funny and entertaining, with a happily-ever-after.
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