One Nation, Under God [Hardcover]

Keir Graff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 17, 2008

For God and country or simply for God? - The United States is holding an election, and control of the country may be determined by a single seat in the Buckle of the Bible Belt: Tulsa, Oklahoma . . . In Tulsa, recovering methamphetamine addict Seth Stevens is trying to hold his fragile life together. But his decision to campaign for the church-supported candidate forces him to answer an age-old question: what do you do when following your faith means breaking the law?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A simplistic plot line and unsophisticated characterization undermine the message of this contemporary political thriller from Graff (My Fellow Americans). After performing with Crucifer, a satanic band, recovering drug addict Seth Stevens has found a more spiritual outlet for his musical gifts with the Christian band, Salvation, in Tulsa, Okla. When a lone Mormon missionary goes missing after crossing Terry Kinsman, a member of Salvation and a youth pastor in the Free Church of God's Slaves, Stevens begins to question his new life. He's gradually drawn into the church's covert political wing by Kinsman, who's determined to defeat a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate by any means necessary. While Stevens manages to overcome the lure of his former friends from Crucifer, disentangling himself from the radicals involved in his church proves more of a challenge. A routine romantic subplot doesn't help this unconvincing fictional effort to paint the extreme religious right as a major threat.
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From Booklist

(Editor’s note: It is Booklist policy that a book written or edited by a staff editor receive a brief descriptive announcement rather than a full review.) In his paranoid thriller My Fellow Americans (2007), Graff wrote about a Lebanese-American Chicagoan whose life becomes terrifying after he’s detained as a suspected terrorist. In One Nation, under God, Graff again sets world politics on a local stage. It’s election time, and control of the country may come down to a hotly contested Senate seat in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where recovering meth addict and born-again Christian Seth Stevens is attempting to swap one lifestyle for another. But his decision to campaign for the church-supported candidate has unexpected consequences, and he soon finds himself forced to answer an age-old question: What do you do when following your faith means breaking the law? As good intentions lead to dirty tricks—and a frightening revelation of one group’s plan to take over the country—Seth learns that the Heartland isn’t so far from the halls of power. --Bill Ott

Product Details

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Publishers (July 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0727866230
• ISBN-13: 978-0727866233
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,780,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Keir Graff believes the world is more easily understood through fiction. He sets international politics on a local stage, where characters who look a lot like us are forced to confront the most challenging issues of the day - often while racing a ticking clock. The author of three books under his own name (and one as Michael McCulloch), he has written widely, on topics ranging from books and publishing to billiards and cocktails. To learn more, please visit
www.keirgraff.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple. Powerful. Sly., August 18, 2008

By 

S.W. (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Nation, Under God (Hardcover)

A simple, sly, and ultimately devastating story about two young people from Oklahoma with different interpretations of Christianity, caught up in something much bigger than themselves. An understated political thriller from their fairly innocent viewpoints with an impact that doesn't hit until the last page is turned. Why sly? Despite realistic, sympathetic, and sometimes even sweet portraits of Seth and Terry, in the end, they are members of the mega-institution, The Free Church of God's Slaves. :)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A chillingly believable thriller, January 27, 2009

By 

Neal C. Reynolds (Indianapolis, Indiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Nation, Under God (Paperback)

This is more believable if one has seen the documentary, JESUS CAMP.This is a disturbing look at fanatical religion and the danger it can represent when combineddd with political extremisn.This is a thriller which slowly develops into a conspiracy thriller. There are flaws which are difficult to discuss without spoiling plot development. Some developments just don't quite make sense, but nevertheless, it's a nail-biter.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Graff Delivers Again, November 2, 2008

By 

Jennifer Lamb-hetherington "Josh Hetherington" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Nation, Under God (Hardcover)

Much like his first novel, Cold Lessons, (AKA Michael McCulloch) Graff presents us with an addict caught up in forces that outmatch his limited resources. Unlike the jaded drunken teacher in Cold Lessons, Seth Stevens is in recovery and has managed to pull his life together despite massive odds. One of his main sources of support- the Church of God's Slaves- ends up screwing him worse then meth ever did. This is a fascinating, fast paced trip through apocalyptic, born-again rockin' politics. Graff scores again with a fun and engrossing ride.