I am a longtime fan of Harry Turtledove. It all started with How Few Remain, a story of what would happen if people from the present managed to import AK47's to the Confederate forces during the Civil War. Agent of Byzantium, A Different Flesh--both short start anthologies were next. And I continued to read his works, knowing they were firmly rooted in history.
This book, Joe Steele, is another of his looks at an alternate 20th century. What if FDR had never been president? If he and his wife had died in a mysterious fire on the eve of his nomination to run as the Democratic candidate? What if the fire may have been set by agents of his rival for that nomination, one Joe Steele, the child of Georgian immigrants?
In this version of reality, the parents of Joseph Stalin emigrated to the US before he was born, making him a US citizen. Although he was raised here, his basic character is the same. He is looking for power and willing to get it in whatever way he can. While it may seem strange that growing up in California, which would have provided for much different experiences growing up, did nothing to alter his character from the one in or reality, it makes for interesting reading.
The story is told through the eyes of two brothers, Mike and Charlie Sullivan, both starting out as reporters for New York newspapers. Over the course of Steele's long presidency, their lives take wildly differing paths.
There are many parallels between a Steele-run US and FDR's. There are also many differences that are all too plausible. It seems that Turtledove, as he has often done with his work, is commenting on our own world. Showing us the fragility of our constitutional democracy is frightening. It leads to thoughts of what is going on in today's world. And it has an absolutely terrifying ending.
I would definitely recommend this book to be read. It is compelling and was hard for me to put down. I read about half of it in one sitting. This is one that would absolutely be welcome in my classroom library, even despite the sometimes rough language in the book.
