This quote by Longfellow is used by Charlotte Kramer (the 45th and first female US president) in a speech she gives after an unspeakable series of terrorist attacks on 5 American cities rocks the nation during her second term in office. It can be seen as not only a reflection on the loss of a child experienced by a parent, but also as the way the country deals with those who sacrifice their lives for the good of their country or fellow man.
Although I believe I have read books where a secondary character happened to be a female president, I have not ever seen one where the main character is a current US President and when the novel is centered on the daily life of one. This political drama features a unique and revealing view of a "day in the life" of 3 very powerful women -- Madame President Charlotte Kramer in her second term of office, Melanie Kingston, the current Secretary of Defense (SECDEF but former chief of staff during Kramer's first term), and Dale Smith, the press secretary. The narrative voice is shared by each of these as the women react on the day of the terror attacks. The reader gets an inside look at what happens in the personal and professional lives of these top people in US government, the protocols, the heartbreak and the difficulty of leadership.
This fast paced novel, written by a former White House insider, was absorbing and interesting and I enjoyed it. I see that it is labeled as the third in a series and I confess that I want to go back and read the previous books as well as keep my eye out for a possible #4.
#1 Eighteen Acres
#2 It's Classified
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