Today it's my turn to host the third book on the three book Blog Blitz, The Rats by Douglas Board. It's a thought-provoking satirical short story.
Buy The Rats: A White House Satire at douglasboard.com
Douglas Board is the author of the campus satire MBA (Lightning Books, 2015), which asked why so much of the business world is Managed By Arseholes. Time of Lies, his second novel, is a timely exploration of the collapse of democracy.
Born in Hong Kong, he has degrees from Cambridge and Harvard and worked for the UK Treasury and then as a headhunter. He has also had a distinguished career in public life, serving as treasurer of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and chairing the British Refugee Council.
As well as writing fiction, he is the author of two applied research books on leadership, which was the subject of his doctorate. He is currently a senior visiting fellow at the Cass Business School in London. He and his wife Tricia Sibbons live in London and Johannesburg.
Follow @BoardWryter on Twitter, on Amazon, Visit douglasboard.com
Buy The Rats
About the book
Ros March, disabled lesbian mum and former Royal Marine, has just moved to Turnberry on Scotland's west coast. Her cottage overlooks one of the world's most famous golf courses - Trump Turnberry - as well as the scenic bird sanctuary Ailsa Craig. But idylls deceive. In truth Ailsa was once overrun by rats, who were exterminated at the end of the twentieth century, and Ros's landlord turns out to be a delusional Islamophobic misogynist who calls himself 'Potus Two'. When Potus Two announces that both he and Ros will have the chance to meet the President on Turnberry's hallowed grounds, Ros hatches a plan. Even a slim chance to do something about one of the biggest rats in the world is not something she will pass by.
This was my favourite story by Board so far. Probably because it is relevant to the political climate we are living in at this very moment in time.
Ros is a war veteran, a woman who has served and come back injured both physically and psychologically. Someone who has had to reinvent her life and the way she is going to provide for herself and her loved ones going forward.
Her landlord, who has dubbed himself Potus2, reminds her of everything there is to dislike about the real Potus. His fascination with Trump is an obsession, which is probably a good representation of the way the majority of his voters think of him, despite his many negative attributes.
It's certainly a relevant story because we are living in very divisive times; the United Kingdom is split down the middle because of Brexit. The far right is on the rise and Nazi's march again in Europe, oh and in the US. Putin is putting Mother Russia back together with little opposition from the rest of the world.
He and his minions have spent a lot of time ensuring that the conditions and peace set in place after WW2 and in the decades after to create bridges between European countries, are being set alight. Simultaneously they helped one of the singly most dangerous men of our time get elected to the highest office in the United States.
From the outside looking in the world can see him turning the US back into the lawless West by placing himself above the law. He is a despot in the guise of a ruler of a great democracy.
Unfortunately, as if often the case, the US is driven very much by two political parties. One of whom is willing, and are willing to vote for the person destroying their democracy and place in the global power structure, as long as they aren't voting for a Democrat. The other party is so busy fighting internally for power and splitting off into splinter groups that they are unable to pick the right person to both represent the country, their party and convince the other voters not to vote for Trump.
This short story speaks to the division in the majority of people. To be completely fair I have to say both sides feel equally strong about Trump, regardless of whether it is for or against. The question in this story is whether it is right to go to extreme lengths to rid yourself of someone you believe to be the single most dangerous person to our country, your loved ones and yourself.
Obviously Board uses exaggeration to make his point, as is his forte, but this time the difference between exaggeration and reality is a really slim margin. He makes his point, yes he certainly does that, and the timing couldn't be better as the person in question is causing great waves and debate on his state visit in this country.
It's a thought-provoking satirical short story. Board presents the truth of this fictitious story wrapped in a layer of sharp-tongued wit and with an extremely provocative scenario.
Buy The Rats: A White House Satire at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.
Watch a Promotional Video of The Rats:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq07R072IhU
Read my review of Time of Lies by Douglas Board here
Buy Time of Lies
Read my review of MBA by Douglas Board here
Buy MBA
