Sundown America – Is This How It Ends?

These days I’m working on a political thriller, about half-complete. Set in the present, Sundown America – Is This How It Ends? showcases our nation’s struggle against those intent on undermining it from within. The novel opens to a spectacular classroom demonstration by a high school history teacher in a small Western Massachusetts town. Marc Bergeron’s lesson centers on the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, one of the worst race riots in American history. Though widely praised, his truth-telling infuriates those who don’t like young minds learning about the dark side of our history, who think Americans aren’t able to deal with the truth – or can’t be trusted with it.

Sorting through the fallout from Bergeron’s lesson, the editor of the local weekly asks for his perspective on the current state of the nation. In an op-ed piece, Bergeron details the serious, perhaps permanent harm the Trump Presidency has done to our already wounded country, while pointing to aspects of our government which do need improvement. The article goes viral and sparks opposition to Bergeron’s efforts to correct the sugar-coated teaching of slavery and Native American abuse. Many applaud, but to others he represents a threat. Bergeron finds himself in the spotlight, on a bigger stage than he’d ever imagined.

In early 2021, thousands descended on Washington to vent their frustration and, some large number of them, prevent the nation from closing ranks and moving on. On January 6 a large crowd incited by Trump [“Stop the Steal!] stormed the Capitol and forced its way in, trashing parts of the hallowed building and temporarily halting Congress’ certification of the Electoral College vote. Seven people died including four police officers, with many government workers and protesters injured and traumatized. Hundreds were arrested and the rest of the mob dispersed as the certification was completed. Among those in the Capitol, though not immediately identified or arrested – an old classmate of Marc Bergeron’s, Cody Allen.

On January 20, the date set by law, Joe Biden was sworn in as the forty-sixth President of the United States. In his Florida bunker, Donald Trump continued to sulk and plot.

Inevitably, in his classroom Marc Bergeron confronts Trump’s election lies and the heinous events of January 6. He shows video of the Capitol occupation and its aftermath, provoking heated discussion. As more details emerge about the high-level planning of the attack, it becomes clear these people really meant to overthrow our government. Many of them say they still do, with January 6 just the opening shot. Prosecutors doggedly pursue those responsible, but Trump and his lawyers continue to bob and weave within the criminal justice system. Many fear our government won’t have the staying power or the nerve to hold accountable those who broke the law and tried to subvert our nation. Failure to follow through would be a recipe for calamity.

Here is how Marc Bergeron challenges his students: The great experiment that is the United States – are we seeing it destroyed before our very eyes? Will ordinary people who love this country, even in different ways, allow it to fracture into warring camps? Can a consensus form of government survive when powerful, well-funded and armed elites refuse to play by the rules, foment discontent, disdain the law, ignore the common good?

Immersed in this critical period in our history, Sundown America – Is This How It Ends? tells a dramatic tale, with real people and characters we come to know, love and hate. The reader is swept along with them, entangled in tragedy, triumph and everything in between.