`I wish it were possible ... to invent a method of embalming drowned persons in such a way that they can be recalled to life at any period, however distant; for, having a very ardent desire to observe the state of America a hundred years hence, I should prefer to any ordinary death the being immersed in a cask of Madeira wine with a few friends, till the time, to be then recalled to life by the solar warmth of my dear country.' (Benjamin Franklin 1754)

The novel opens with Benjamin Franklin, in his Celestial Chamber in the Plantation of the Unrepentant, where he has been waiting for over two hundred years for his case for final processing to be heard. During this period of waiting, Franklin has had to pen an accounting of his life, including his wrongdoings. When finally his petition is approved, he appears before the Supreme Celestial Court of Petitions. Disconcertingly, Franklin's examiners are three of his former arch-adversaries: John Adams, Alexander Wedderburn, and Reverend William Smith. As the examination gets underway, it becomes clear that Franklin has left out a few important details and the virtues (Industry, Frugality, Resolution, Order, Cleanliness, Silence, Chastity, Sincerity, Temperance, Justice, Tranquillity, Moderation and Humility) were often overtaken by Expediency in relation to his family. The stories which demonstrate Franklin's failings have both tragic and comedic elements and accompanied with appropriate dramatic flourishes.

`Though the hour is late, yet still there is time.'

At the end of Franklin's examination, he is permitted to visit contemporary Boston, New York and Philadelphia to see what difference he can make. Meantime, in the present, there are other parallel stories which will intersect with Franklin's. These include a man doing his best to beat drug addiction and to help others; there is an incumbent President desperate to win the next election and an aide who will stop at nothing to help him achieve that; there are others who Franklin assists in taking steps towards being self-reliant.

And what difference can be made, when expediency is no longer the answer? Can Benjamin Franklin's stated virtues make a difference in the contemporary world?

This novel is not a light read: it can take a while to adjust to 18th century speech and literary style, especially during Franklin's examination by the Supreme Celestial Court of Petitions. It's a thought-provoking story which also provides a wealth of information about Benjamin Franklin's life, achievements and influence.

Note: I was offered and accepted a copy of this book for review purposes. I'm glad I did; I enjoyed `Poor Richard's Lament' and I intend to reread it.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith