—LORD TAYLOR OF WARWICK, House of Lords
Martha Bolton is one fine writer. I don’t know much about writing — normal writing, that is — but I do know what I enjoy reading. Everything on the page is crisp and pulls you right through the story. It’s like wine. I know nothing about wine either except that when I take a sip, I know whether I like it or not. Martha’s writing, to me, is delicious.
—GENE PERRET, author and writer for Bob Hope
and The Carol Burnett Show
Martha Bolton has woven a stunning story — compelling and finely detailed. I couldn’t wait to pick it up each time! It was riveting! Next — Josiah, the movie! Martha is a real talent — I’m her biggest fan!
—JUDI FELDMAN, former personal
and production assistant to Bob Hope
Martha Bolton and I shared the longest laugh of either of our lives over lunch one day in California. It was one of those laughfests that kept going — lasting several hours at least, with other patrons even getting in on it, including Dick Van Dyke, who was dining a few tables away. Martha and I became fast friends and have been ever since. I love Martha’s writing style; I love Martha; and I love her new novel, Josiah for President. It’s a fresh take on politics and a real twist for Amish fiction. You’re going to love it! And her!
—LANI NETTER, Lani Netter Productions,
wife of Gil Netter, producer of The Blind Side
Martha Bolton is one of my favorite nonfiction authors and her first attempt at a novel may be her best work yet. I hate clichés, but I’m gonna use one here — this is a real page-turner. I mean that in an, “I can’t put this thing down” kind of way.
—BRAD DICKSON, former staff writer
for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
In the complex political world of positioning, negotiations, strategies, and world policies, the wisdom of a two-thousand-year-old book guides Josiah and rallies a public hungry for a simple truth. Martha Bolton has created an inspirational modern-day parable that is a reflective example of the things that really matter in our nation’s condition of political and economic distress.
—RICK ELDRIDGE, studio executive and film producer
Josiah for President by Martha Bolton is the definitive novel of the twenty-first century and seamlessly combines humor and humanity. A long-time writer for my cartoon feature The Lockhorns, as well as for comic legends, including Bob Hope, Martha Bolton has maximized her genius for comedy and her brilliant insights on American politics.
Josiah for President is both timely and timeless. It describes a perfect storm of events leading to the White House, motivated by real people we grow to love. I was unable to put the book down. For a totally uplifting read, Josiah for President is number one on any list. Thank you, Martha.
—BUNNY HOEST, president and CEO
of Wm. Hoest Enterprises, Inc.
Well done! Blending the Amish and D.C. cultures together is a truly unique idea with so many possibilities for tension and fun. Martha has created easy-to-visualize scenes while always showing respect for Amish culture and values. This could so easily be adapted to a movie.
—PAUL ALDRICH, comedian and songwriter
ZONDERVAN
Josiah for President
Copyright © 2012 by Martha Bolton
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Zondervan.
EPub Edition © AUGUST 2012 ISBN: 978-0-310-31873-6
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
* * *
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bolton, Martha, 1951 –
Josiah for president / Martha Bolton.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-310-31872-9 (softcover)
1. Presidents — Election — Fiction. 2. Amish — Fiction. 3. Political campaigns —
Fiction. 4. Political fiction. I. Title.
PS3552.O58779J67 2012
813’.54—dc23 2012027194
* * *
Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Cover design: Curt Diepenhorst
Cover photography: Mike Heath
About the Publisher
Founded in 1931, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Zondervan, a division of HarperCollinsPublishers, is the leading international Christian communications company, producing best-selling Bibles, books, new media products, a growing line of gift products and award-winning children’s products. The world’s largest Bible publisher, Zondervan (www.zondervan.com) holds exclusive publishing rights to the New International Version of the Bible and has distributed more than 150 million copies worldwide. It is also one of the top Christian publishers in the world, selling its award-winning books through Christian retailers, general market bookstores, mass merchandisers, specialty retailers, and the Internet. Zondervan has received a total of 68 Gold Medallion awards for its books, more than any other publisher.
Josiah for President Page 28