The Kennedy moment by Peter Adamson

 

Name of Book: The Kennedy Moment

Author: Peter Adamson

ISBN: 9780995590052

Publisher: Myriad Editions

Type of book: Mystery, 1980s, thriller, travel, friendship, unrequited love, vaccines, privilege, third world nations, first world nations, threat, chicken pox, determinations 

Year it was published: 2018

Summary:

Dr Michael Lowell – a mild-mannered American, unshakeably decent and at the peak of his profession – is intrigued by Stephen Walsh's invitation to a reunion of Oxford college friends. At least he'll be able to catch up with cynical advertising genius Toby Jenks and frontline medic Hélène Hevré, comparing notes on mid-life frustrations and old ideals. He’ll also have to face Seema Mir, the serene young woman from Karachi who rejected him twenty years ago because he was 'just a little bit too dull’.

He expects a congenial weekend; instead they seed a conspiracy that could rock the foundations of the US government.

Moving between Oxford, New York, Washington, Geneva and Abidjan, this compelling political thriller is the story of five people possessed by an extraordinary idea. Theirs is an 'unthinkable’ plan to save the lives of millions. But the risk is to their own lives is incalculable.

Characters:

First is Stephen who invites his friends over for a reunion. In the room of friends and lovers, he is the odd man out. Then there is Michael who is in charge of UN and wants to do something about the preventable childhood diseases in third world nations. Toby Jenks is a brilliant advertising specialist who is going through a temporary rough patch. Seema Mir  is a woman of South Asian descent who is researching Thomas Jefferson's family tree and tale of Sally Hemmings and wants to write a story, while Helene Havre is a doctor who works in Africa and ends up telling Michael about the shortages she and others experience. 

Theme:

I would guess the main idea of the story is that anything is possible once you put your mind to it. 

Plot:

The story is in third person narrative from many character's points of view, and it definitely goes from the start of he reunion to the end of when certain aspects become revealed. While some of the background of the characters are discussed, I definitely feel that it wasn't enough, and that I wanted to know more about them.  

Author Information:
(From the book)

Peter Adamson is the author of two previous novels, Facing out to Sea (1997) and The Tuscan Master (2000), His short story "Sahel" was awarded the Royal Society of Literature VS Pritchett Memorial Prize in 2013.

For sixteen years Adamson was Senior Adviser to th Executive Director of UNICEF in New York, with responsibility for hte annual State of the World's Children report. In the 11970s he founded New Internationalist magazine.

Opinion:

I am definitely in the minority, but i didnt enjoy the story. It definitely was intriguing, especially the inspiration and learning about a hero of vaccines that i never knew about, so big props for that. But I think my main issue might have been the lack of development in characters as well as the denouement of the story. The characters, pretty much, especially the main ones, just focus a lot on unrequited love from one another. Unfortunately, I did get lost along the way a lot and was very disappointed with learning about the truth at the end of the story.  

This was given for a review

 
3 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)