Rachel to the rescue

Lipman (Good Riddance) takes a satirical, strange, and erratic ramble through the Trump presidency. In Washington, D.C., 20-something Rachel Klein, daughter of doting, paint store--owning parents, lands a job in records management at the White House, which consists mainly of taping back together memos ripped up by Trump, the "shredder-in-chief." An email Rachel sends complaining about the president gets her fired. Then she's hit by a car, and while recovering in the hospital, she learns from a BuzzFeed article that the driver was Veronica Hyde-White, Trump's optometrist. Rachel then takes a job doing research for "muckraker" author Kirby Champion, who is writing a book about Trump, and learns about a bizarre love quadrangle involving Veronica; Veronica's husband, Simon; Simon's real estate agent lover; and the president. The light, playful tone makes for an odd juxtaposition with the political satire ("It was bad enough getting knocked unconscious by a speeding car, but why did it have to be driven by a woman who was having sex with the president of the United States?"). Readers may get a kick out of the wild romp, but those for whom the Trump term felt darker than fodder for frothy fiction may want to look elsewhere. (July)

Rachel Klein isn't a Trump supporter, but she accepts an entry-level job in the White House, rationalizing that her work can transcend his administration. Then she finds herself upholding the Presidential Records Act by taping together bits of paper all day. The president seems unable to stop ripping up papers when he's done with them, and the documents must be preserved. After a few drinks one evening, Rachel writes an email that's critical of Trump and accidentally sends it to all her coworkers. When she can't get past security at work the next morning, she realizes her error and in a daze walks across the street, where she's hit by a car driven by a friend of the president. The accident makes the national news, and Rachel's new infamy lands her a job assisting political muckraker Kirby Champion, leading to several comical and cringe-worthy moments. VERDICT Taking place before the 2020 election and ending during the pandemic, this political satire, with a millennial protagonist and endearing supporting cast, is funny and entertaining, with a happily-ever-after.--Melissa DeWild, Comstock Park, MI