PROTECT AND DEFEND is the legal thriller of the millennium, in
my humble estimation. It's got everything you could ask for in a
blockbuster...politics, interesting characters, an intensely rich
plot, and a timeless moral issue --- abortion rights. Wow! Patricia
Kalember is the reader/performer, whose prior credits include two
other R. N. Patterson novel readings.When
the chief justice of the US Supreme Court dies suddenly at the
inauguration ceremony installing Kerry Kilcannon as the new
president, the book starts its political theme. The newly elected
Kilcannon, in his first duty as President, must prove his right to
the office by appointing a new Chief Justice. When he suggests a
woman, who would become the first female chief justice, all hell
breaks loose.The
political maneuverings are monumental here, with attempts to bring
down our new president by finding fault with his appointee. (We all
remember the horrific Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas debacle and the
Robert Bork hearings.) These attempts to discredit Caroline Masters
become so ripe with deceit and power plays, that only a person with
incredible intestinal fortitude would pass scrutiny.Alongside this theme is a central plot woven throughout the
book --- the constitutional right of a woman (or in this instance a
15-year-old girl) to a late term abortion if risk to the fetus and
birth mother's reproductive system is present. Patterson is
incredibly precise here, with very well presented arguments on both
sides. We watch as Mary Ann Tierney takes her case to the courts to
be granted the right to abort her extremely deformed child, while
her parents take leading roles for the prosecution. The Christian
Commitment plays a major role here as well.Whether you are a pro-lifer or pro-choice, you have to love
this book. The documentation is superb, the reading excellent, and
the plot full of wonderful characters. Enjoy.