Jukebooks: Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy

Divided We Fall by Trent ReedySeventeen-year-old Danny Wright had a plan for his future. It included fixing up a mechanics shop and making a decent life for himself and his high school sweetheart, JoBell. To get a little money to fund his dream, Danny signs up for the Idaho National Guard. That’s when his future gets seriously whacked.

The president of the United States has signed a bill that will require all U.S. citizens to carry a government ID card. The governor of Idaho disagrees with this law, calling it an invasion of privacy. Little does Danny suspect that when this disagreement heats to the point of violence, he will be the one to fire the first shot.

A major theme of the book is the definition of patriotism, as the people of Idaho are forced to choose between loyalty to their president or loyalty to their governor. As an antidote for this violent divisiveness, here’s Lee Greenwood’s classic, God Bless the USA. 

-Diane Colson, currently reading Vengeance by Megan Miranda