Abstract:
In her fifties, with two teenagers still living at home and a husband facing retirement, Roberta Mason agrees to join her best friend to test whether dedicated amateurs can possibly succeed in politics. As candidates they confront such problems as financing, balancing family responsibilities with the inexorable demands of the campaign, and whether personal integrity can be maintained without sacrificing political expediency. Roberta finds unexpected strengths within herself, and develops a healthy respect for any candidate who enters the political arena, but questions some practices inherent in the American political process.