Fiction Review

The Road to the White House
by Tom Parnell
ISBN-10: 1598002708
Review by Heather Froeschl

Do you believe in miracles? Would you elect a President to the United States who was running purely on the goal to examine the miraculous healing power of a river in Iraq? What if there were powers of great wealth behind his election campaign...do you think he could win? Tom Parnell's book, "The Road to the White House" is a work of fiction about just that.

Captain David Bishop is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Very soon after this diagnosis, on one last mission run, his fighter plane crashes into the Euphrates River. He is paralyzed from the neck down and cannot get himself out of the river. Hours later he is rescued and brought to the hospital where it is confirmed by x-ray that his neck is broken. However, he is soon able to move his arms and legs, read his bible, and boggle the minds of the doctors around him. Testing also reveals that his cancer is gone. He is healed.

Word gets out and soon after, Bishop retires. Back at home a committee of very influential corporate executives who want him to run for president approaches him. Unable to get the miracle of his being healed out of his mind, he makes a vow to bring peace to the Middle East and allow scientists to discover the miracle cure in the Euphrates River. He accepts the idea of running for president, and the race begins. Will people believe his story? Will Americans elect a man who is running for office based on just one goal? Would America support someone who seems to be so wrapped up in the Bible and a miracle cure as to see no other issues that affect the citizens he is sworn to protect?

I am still not quite sure what the gist behind the plot is. It may be how the public is often duped by those who want power, or it may be that belief in miracles can bring on great rewards. There were some interesting subplots in the book that certainly added to the novel as a whole. The main plot though, was a bit slow. The text was often repetitive to the point of becoming a bit boring. The characterization was sometimes very good, and other times not so vibrant. It is an easy read, with dialogue appropriately placed and narrative flowing naturally. Some portions of the book were fast paced and action packed, adding a balance to the slower details of the campaign trail. "The Road to the White House" offers compelling possibilities.