Book Review: The Plot Against America describes a speculative past in which anti-Semite and famed pilot Charles Lindbergh was elected president in 1940. Written during the W years, the book is a thousand-fold more relevant today, with one major exception: Lindbergh, at least, was a genuine aviation hero. The Plot Against America is a thoroughly detailed and carefully written novel. Philip Roth brings the reader deep into the story, his historical research making it credible and realistic, and his old-school writing style is both absorbing and convincing. Descriptions are lengthy and minute, the mark of one of America's great writers. The story is told from the perspective of eight year-old Philip Roth, living in a quiet neighborhood in Newark. Reminiscent of Sinclair Lewis' lesser known It Can't Happen Here, and equally insidious. The reader can't help but be struck by the numerous parallels to the events of today. Scary. It's also notable for how quickly the Jewish population has been forgotten in discussions of the immigrant experience in America. Here Roth has a story to tell, and the writing focuses largely on plot, the travails of the Roth family. The Plot Against America is still relevant, and a striking example of how to write a quality novel. [4★]
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