It's Classified

September 5, 2011
In her second novel, Wallace (Eighteen Acres) presents another story of politicsânational and personal. Opening with the impeachment trial of Republican President Charlotte Kramer, related to circumstances caused by Democratic Vice President Tara Meyer, Wallace (former White House Communications Director) infuses the proceedings with insider language. Despite its promising premise, the narrative becomes entangled with its terrorist plot, affairs, and a character's personal health condition. While Wallace's prose is smooth, the plot is not particularly gripping, nor are the Ambien- and caffeine-fueled characters developed enough to elicit reader sympathy, even as Tara slides from "the most admired woman in America" to an exhausted woman who will "offer her resignation in return for immunity for all related criminal and civil charges." With its realistic depiction of politics and messy human relationships, the novel will go down smoothly with no aftertaste, bitter or otherwise.

April 1, 2011

Political commentator Wallace, White House communications director under George W. Bush and campaign adviser to John McCain and Sarah Palin, follows up last year's Eighteen Acres. President Charlotte Kramer has been reelected with new vice president Tara Meyers, who's no end of trouble. When Eighteen Acres appeared, everyone whispered that the brash and maladroit Meyers was based on Palin, though the author denies it. Political second-guessers should enjoy; with a four-city tour.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2011
In the sequel to Eighteen Acres (2010), her first novel, Wallace provides an update on the presidential career and personal strife of U.S. president Charlotte Kramer. Elected to a second term after explosive international intrigue and the scandal of her husband's affair with a television reporter, Charlotte is joined by Tara Meyers as vice president. The two had run on the first-ever unity ticket of Republican and Democrat, with the history-making potential of putting two women in charge of the world's most powerful nation. But Charlotte's second-term plans are threatened by Tara's erratic behavior. As the staff scrambles to bolster Tara in the pressure cooker of Washington politics, her disintegration becomes more apparent, and Charlotte faces tough decisions. Will Tara be redeemed by her role in helping to quash a terrorist threat, or will Washington politics get the better of both women as enemies move to take advantage? The cast of characters from Eighteen Acres returns to keep the pot boiling in this fast-paced, behind-the-scenes political drama.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)