≡ Read Free Dewey Defeats Truman A Novel Thomas Mallon 9780312180867 Books

Dewey Defeats Truman A Novel Thomas Mallon 9780312180867 Books

Download As PDF : Dewey Defeats Truman A Novel Thomas Mallon 9780312180867 Books

Dewey Defeats Truman A Novel Thomas Mallon 9780312180867 Books

What makes this novel unique is not that it covers the 1948 presidential campaign, but that it's set in Dewey's home town, Owosso, Michigan, where he grew up before moving to New York. I even found Owosso on the map - west of Flint. The title more or less gives away the plot, i.e., Owosso is so certain that Dewey will win the presidency that it prepares for the massive tourist influx that will inevitably follow for the next four, or probably eight, years.

In addition to planning for presidential fame, Owosso has its own local candidate to think about, young lawyer Peter Cox, who has recently moved there to run for a state senate seat that seems sure to go Republican. Peter is more or less the quintessential right-wing, clueless Republican, and he thinks very highly of himself, although he later shows that he's more than a cardboard cliche. He is only one of the interesting, if quirky, characters in the novel, a number of them quite fully developed. Peter has a formidable opponent - not for political office, but for the hand of the major woman in the piece, Anne Macmurray. When Anne "chooses" Peter's rival about half way through the book, the reader may suspect that she will change her mind in the end. That will remain unrevealed in this review, other than for me to say that the ending was not quite as convincing as I would have liked.

In fact, "Dewey Defeats Truman" was headed for a 4-1/2- to 5-star rating early on, but I thought the ending was too abrupt, and the various hanging threads of the novel were disposed of in rather sudden fashion. But in spite of that minor letdown, I was impressed with the feel the author conveys for life in the 40s. For example, parents worry about their children catching polio if they go swimming in the summer. Beyond that specific example, there are many scenes throughout that accurately depict the 1940s as I remember them.

Novels about small towns often open up possibilities for major character development, and "Dewey Defeats Truman" certainly doesn't disappoint in that respect. I will definitely read other Mallon books, as this one has a very effective personal touch.


Tags : Dewey Defeats Truman: A Novel [Thomas Mallon] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <div>In 1948, the small town of Owosso, Michigan, is electrified by the presidential campaign of native favorite Thomas Dewey. Just as voters must decide between Dewey and Harry Truman,Thomas Mallon,Dewey Defeats Truman: A Novel,Picador,0312180861,2152184532,Historical - General,Love stories.,Owosso (Mich.);Fiction.,Presidents;Election;Fiction.,(Thomas Edmund),,1884-1972,1902-1971,Dewey, Thomas E,Dewey, Thomas E.,Election,FICTION Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction Historical,Fiction-Historical,GENERAL,General Adult,Presidents,Truman, Harry S,Truman, Harry S.,

Dewey Defeats Truman A Novel Thomas Mallon 9780312180867 Books Reviews

Thomas Mallon's novel, "Dewey Defeats Truman", is a marvelous look at a small town in the throes of change. Set in 1948 in Owosso, Michigan - the real hometown of Thomas Dewey - the townspeople are transitioning from the war years to the Cold War years. Politically, the small town is basically populated by Republicans - other than a few furtive Democrats - and the summer of 1948 seems to be the ending of the Democrats' hold on the White House. Dewey, nominated in the convention in Philadelphia is expected to sweep Harry S Truman out of office. Sure thing...put your money down on it.

But politics are not the only thing happening in Owosso. Love is blooming between all sorts of couples and the pain of the war years and the losses endured by some townspeople are coming to a head. One woman - a widow - cannot accept the loss of her oldest son, gunned down at Malmedy during the Battle of the Bulge by German forces, and she copes by attending funerals of soldiers' whose bodies have been returned to the US. Her remaining son, a teenager, is of little interest to her and he is stifling in the unquiet household. A young woman, Anne Macmurray, has settled in the town after graduating from near-by University of Michigan; she's hoping to write a novel and a small town seems to offer her the best setting. Anne is being courted by two men - one a Democrat and the other Republican - and she's having a hard time making up her mind which to accept. Other events that summer include a sharkster coming to town, hoping to set up Owosso as a tourist destination after Thomas Dewey's inevitable electoral win ("win", hell, it'll be a landslide!) in November. But those plans are upsetting town residents who don't want their peaceful town turned upside down in an attempt to grab onto the Dewey coattails. Some secrets will also be literally unearthed if the tourist project goes ahead...as well as other secrets of doomed relationships.

Thomas Mallon has written a novel that begs for a sequel. I'd love to find out what happened to the characters Mallon has so skillfully developed. But since this book was published in 1997, I suppose Mallon won't revisit Owosso, Michigan. Too bad...
The description of the town was so detailed and I identified strongly with the characters even though I had never heard of Owosso and the story took place 20 years before I was born.
Owosso was located only 1-1/2 hours from our home in Detroit, so we decided to check it out. We drove into town and I immediately fell in love with the whole area (which hasn't actually changed much). We moved her three years ago and I have no regrets.
This is my first experience with Mallon, and he doesn't disappoint. Owosso, Michigan is filled with everyday people living lives full of everyday intrigue, brought to a head under the pressure of a historical rush that is anything but everyday. The cocksure hype and buildup to the obvious and perfect conclusion gives way to the hard reality that life doesn't always make sense, and that the simplest choice isn't always the easiest to make. Mallon could have done more to develop the interaction between Anne, the protagonist, and Peter Cox, the "psuedo"-antagonist. Otherwise a masterful effort that makes it easy for the reader to lose him or herself in the accelerating world of 1948.
What makes this novel unique is not that it covers the 1948 presidential campaign, but that it's set in Dewey's home town, Owosso, Michigan, where he grew up before moving to New York. I even found Owosso on the map - west of Flint. The title more or less gives away the plot, i.e., Owosso is so certain that Dewey will win the presidency that it prepares for the massive tourist influx that will inevitably follow for the next four, or probably eight, years.

In addition to planning for presidential fame, Owosso has its own local candidate to think about, young lawyer Peter Cox, who has recently moved there to run for a state senate seat that seems sure to go Republican. Peter is more or less the quintessential right-wing, clueless Republican, and he thinks very highly of himself, although he later shows that he's more than a cardboard cliche. He is only one of the interesting, if quirky, characters in the novel, a number of them quite fully developed. Peter has a formidable opponent - not for political office, but for the hand of the major woman in the piece, Anne Macmurray. When Anne "chooses" Peter's rival about half way through the book, the reader may suspect that she will change her mind in the end. That will remain unrevealed in this review, other than for me to say that the ending was not quite as convincing as I would have liked.

In fact, "Dewey Defeats Truman" was headed for a 4-1/2- to 5-star rating early on, but I thought the ending was too abrupt, and the various hanging threads of the novel were disposed of in rather sudden fashion. But in spite of that minor letdown, I was impressed with the feel the author conveys for life in the 40s. For example, parents worry about their children catching polio if they go swimming in the summer. Beyond that specific example, there are many scenes throughout that accurately depict the 1940s as I remember them.

Novels about small towns often open up possibilities for major character development, and "Dewey Defeats Truman" certainly doesn't disappoint in that respect. I will definitely read other Mallon books, as this one has a very effective personal touch.