Play Book Tag discussion

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth - 4 stars - My Review

Alternative history in which Charles Lindbergh is elected President in 1940, defeating Franklin Roosevelt. Lindbergh travels to Iceland and signs a pact with Hitler, vowing to keep the United States out of World War II. Lindbergh’s administration enacts increasingly restrictive policies against Jewish-Americans, leading to civil unrest. The story centers on a Jewish family living in Newark, New Jersey, and is based on the author’s own family. Protagonist Philip is the younger son of Bess and Herman Roth. His older brother, Sandy, is enrolled in the “Just Folks” program, where he travels to Kentucky to live with a farming family and is introduced to “heartland values.” The plot portrays Philip’s rising confusion and fear over how his family and neighbors are treated due to changes in the country’s political environment.

Those who know WWII history will be aware that Lindbergh was one of the primary spokesmen for the America First Committee, an isolationist movement with anti-Semitic tendencies. In the Postscript, Roth includes the full text of Lindbergh’s (real) 1941 speech in DesMoines, entitled Who Are the War Agitators, which lends credence to the book’s premise. He also includes the history of what actually transpired, citing the key players he has used in his narrative, such as Henry Ford, Burton K. Wheeler, Franklin Roosevelt, Walter Winchell, Fiorello LaGuardia, and Joachim von Ribbentrop. A basic knowledge of WWII history is helpful.

The plot stays with the family narrative for the bulk of the novel, focusing on what happens to Philip and his relatives. Toward the end, Roth relies on summaries of newsreels to tell the larger story. I did not find this part as effective, but it was probably necessary, since the nine-year-old Philip would not have been exposed to worldwide events. This book serves as a warning against electing a leader who marginalizes a segment of society. Recommended to fans of speculative fiction.