Eighteen Acres

My cousin recommended this book to me.  If you are into politics and the inner workings of the White House, this novel may interest you.  It was okay but I found the characters to be one sided and not fully developed.  One of the characters has a history of a failed marriage in the past and the author doesn't describe what happened in that marriage until around page 220 and the book is 280 pages.  How can a reader understand a character's motivation if her history is unclear?  By the time she described the earlier marriage I had forgotten that she was married. Anyway, the story follows the first female president and the scandals that pop up and try to derail her campaign for re-election.  The story is told from the perspective of three women (the President, a journalist, and the chief of staff). It reads very quickly and, since the author is Republican, has shades of Sarah Palin portrayed towards the end.  The story doesn't really have any surprises. If you've ever followed a political campaign in the media, you can pretty much guess what happens.  Also, I wasn't particularly drawn to any of the characters, but I'd put it in the "decent travel book" category.  It's fine if you're on a plane, train or car trip and want to pass the time.