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The Ernesto "Che" Guevara School for Wayward Girls: A Novel of Politics
Ripe and ruthless Beltway satire by a former Presidential speechwriter.
Peter Holmes Dickinson (of the Main Line Dickinsons), a former top speechwriter for President Tyler "Ty the Guy" Ferguson, is a charming snob, a part-time coke-head, full-time womanizer, and in big trouble.
His Washington speechwriting firm is tanking, he owes money to Dean, a hillbilly drug dealer, and also to Jeb Hammerford, a northern Virginia construction executive.
And, oh yes, Pete has been shtooping Marlie Rae Perkins, a veritable Valkyrie of a policewoman from rural Virginia, given to periodic fits of overpossessiveness.
And then, across a crowded room (actually the foyer in The Kennedy Center), Pete sees Che Che Hart, his former lover.
Che Che is beautiful, a Georgetown professor, a kickboxing student, and the daughter of Donna Hart Lyons. Donna is a former soap opera queen, dedicated left-wing activist ( Time Magazine called her "The Godmother of the American Left"), and, since the death-by-orgasm of her billionaire octogenarian husband, rich beyond the dreams of avarice.
Donna's latest scheme is to reform prostitutes through heavy doses of leftist dogma at The Ernesto "Che" Guevara School for Wayward Girls, located on her Montana ranch.
Marrying Che Che would be one way of paying off Pete's debts, but first he has to make her forget what a rat he is. While he is thinking of creative ways to lie to Che Che, he gets a call from Harry Gottlieb, President Ferguson's long-suffering chief-of-staff. Would Pete like to resume doing speeches for Ty the Guy, on the side, but without Ty knowing it is Pete doing the writing?
So begins this screamingly funny, page-turning, equal-opportunity-offending political satire.
Peter Holmes Dickinson (of the Main Line Dickinsons), a former top speechwriter for President Tyler "Ty the Guy" Ferguson, is a charming snob, a part-time coke-head, full-time womanizer, and in big trouble.
His Washington speechwriting firm is tanking, he owes money to Dean, a hillbilly drug dealer, and also to Jeb Hammerford, a northern Virginia construction executive.
And, oh yes, Pete has been shtooping Marlie Rae Perkins, a veritable Valkyrie of a policewoman from rural Virginia, given to periodic fits of overpossessiveness.
And then, across a crowded room (actually the foyer in The Kennedy Center), Pete sees Che Che Hart, his former lover.
Che Che is beautiful, a Georgetown professor, a kickboxing student, and the daughter of Donna Hart Lyons. Donna is a former soap opera queen, dedicated left-wing activist ( Time Magazine called her "The Godmother of the American Left"), and, since the death-by-orgasm of her billionaire octogenarian husband, rich beyond the dreams of avarice.
Donna's latest scheme is to reform prostitutes through heavy doses of leftist dogma at The Ernesto "Che" Guevara School for Wayward Girls, located on her Montana ranch.
Marrying Che Che would be one way of paying off Pete's debts, but first he has to make her forget what a rat he is. While he is thinking of creative ways to lie to Che Che, he gets a call from Harry Gottlieb, President Ferguson's long-suffering chief-of-staff. Would Pete like to resume doing speeches for Ty the Guy, on the side, but without Ty knowing it is Pete doing the writing?
So begins this screamingly funny, page-turning, equal-opportunity-offending political satire.
- GenresFiction
304 pages, Hardcover
First published December 27, 2005
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 20, 2007
Call me naive, but despite the title I wasn't expecting this to be a political novel. I was expecting some kind of yah-yah sisterhood light reading about women in the South who fancy themselves to be revolutionaries, get together to get up to a little mischief, but learn a wholesome lesson at the end.
This novel is definitely about politics. More specifically, it's a critique of politics-as-entertainment, the way left-wing actors and right-wing radio hosts both think they know what's best for the country, and how completely disconnected from it they really are. It's a critique of political correctness, of how nobody really means what they say, of the ineptness and paranoia so many political figures share. And it's funny. It's very, very funny, and very very true. A down-on-his-luck speechwriter anchors all the plots, and of course there's a twist at the end, but the twists are good, and I laughed out loud along the way. I'd like to quote:
Mother Mary Bunky and Fighting Father Frankie stood talking on the sidewalk outside the Harrison Grande Hotel (the newest hotel in Washington), drinking coffee (made from beans harvested by non-exploited workers at a cooperative run by El Commandante in Colombia) from biodegradable cups manufactured by transvestite married couples at a Progressive Alliance Cooperative in Massachusetts. ....Across the street, demonstrators from the Union of Work-Challenged Employees, out of step and out of sorts, whining about the weather, complaining about having to walk a picket line, grumbling and arguing with one another, approached the hotel. From the entrance of the hotel, the Babster emerged, leading and exhorting the Che girls on their morning run.
This novel is definitely about politics. More specifically, it's a critique of politics-as-entertainment, the way left-wing actors and right-wing radio hosts both think they know what's best for the country, and how completely disconnected from it they really are. It's a critique of political correctness, of how nobody really means what they say, of the ineptness and paranoia so many political figures share. And it's funny. It's very, very funny, and very very true. A down-on-his-luck speechwriter anchors all the plots, and of course there's a twist at the end, but the twists are good, and I laughed out loud along the way. I'd like to quote:
Mother Mary Bunky and Fighting Father Frankie stood talking on the sidewalk outside the Harrison Grande Hotel (the newest hotel in Washington), drinking coffee (made from beans harvested by non-exploited workers at a cooperative run by El Commandante in Colombia) from biodegradable cups manufactured by transvestite married couples at a Progressive Alliance Cooperative in Massachusetts. ....Across the street, demonstrators from the Union of Work-Challenged Employees, out of step and out of sorts, whining about the weather, complaining about having to walk a picket line, grumbling and arguing with one another, approached the hotel. From the entrance of the hotel, the Babster emerged, leading and exhorting the Che girls on their morning run.
June 23, 2008
Good reading for liberals who don't want to be bleeding hearts. I couldn't tell the author's motive; which side is he rooting for?
December 3, 2009
Just kind of picked this haphazardly and might want to read another Gavin book down the road.
August 17, 2011
What funny book! it effectively pricks the self righteous balloons of a segment of the population who values I happen to share. " O wad some Power the gift the giftie gee us.
April 13, 2016
Worst book ever.
March 27, 2014
Horrible...kind of racist, and way to political.
January 18, 2009
Kinda fun.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews