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Summary: Little America
Review: `Little America' has three main story lines, each of which is engrossing and provides a lot of fodder for discussions. In other words, it's a great choice for a book club. First is the 'Who's your daddy?' line, set in the present, in which Terry Hooper, the adult son of a former CIA operative, tries to find out what kind of person his father was. Was he a good guy or a bad guy? At first glance this appears to be the main story in the book but I think it serves more as a catalyst to keep the story going. The second story line is the most fascinating and has the potential to generate a good deal of debate. Set in 1958, it revolves around the friendship that develops between the CIA operative and the young king of Kurash, the subject of his mission. Is it real or just part of his assignment? If it's real, which will win out, friendship or 'duty'? What impact will it have on the characters involved? The third story line in `Little America' became frighteningly relevant after what occurred when I was about halfway through it (Sept. 11). It looks at American foreign policy through the eyes of Allen and John Foster Dulles. It expresses almost as aptly as 'The Ugly American' how totally clueless we can be when it comes to seeing the world through the eyes of others. Bromell, in a novel based in the 1950s, provides insight into how we might best respond in the current crisis.
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