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Josiah for President

Review

Josiah for President

Congressman Mark Stedman is done with Washington, DC, and it seems that our nation’s capital is done with him, too. Heading home to Wisconsin after party leaders strongly encourage him to drop out of the presidential race, Mark gets lost in Amish country --- Lancaster, PA --- where he and his government car wind up in a ditch. Along comes Josiah Stoltzfus in a horse-drawn buggy. He rescues the misplaced congressman, the first step in an unusual journey that will forge a friendship sure to turn Washington inside out. Mark sees something in Josiah --- depth, wisdom, unshakable faith --- that just might be what this broken country needs. But is America ready to vote Josiah for President?

"The simple Amish man will become your hero, his Bible-based truths warming your heart and feeding your soul, making you ache for such a presidential candidate."

Mark is tired. He’s had enough of the stress and games, of politicians who covet the limelight but have forgotten their promises, of people who want to keep climbing higher, no matter the cost. Senior Congressman Harley Phillips is such a man, and one of the primary reasons Mark gave up on his presidential dream. But Josiah…now there’s another story. He reminds Mark of Abe Lincoln --- a back-to-basics kind of man who believes in truth, loyalty, respecting the earth, and wise money management; a man who boldly lives his faith, but does it with a twinkle in his eye and laughter in his heart. To Mark’s weary eyes, Josiah is the man to breathe life into a deflated nation.

Josiah is happy with his farm life. He loves his wife and children, has been blessed with countless friends, and appreciates a hard day’s work. Together, he and Elizabeth have navigated the paths of marriage, parenthood and even tragedy when their daughter was killed in a car vs. buggy accident. But they’ve never faced anything like Mark Stedman. When Mark persists in asking Josiah to run for president, the Amish farmer finds himself contemplating the possibility. It goes against his faith and could even get him shunned, but he can’t shake the feeling that God might be behind this strange turn of events. Josiah agrees to run, but only if Mark will be his running mate.

As Josiah hits the campaign trail with Mark, he discovers an America he never knew and understands why Mark refers to it as “broken.” On the flip side, America is discovering Josiah, a man who believes people and governments should live within their means, be good stewards of the earth, and take care of each other. Much to his opponent’s dismay, Josiah is striking a chord in the American people, and they are loving the sound of it. Debates, speeches and endless meet-and-greets exhaust all the candidates, but in the end, the voters elect…. no, I won’t spoil it. You’ll have to read the book and find out who fills the chair in the Oval Office, and at what price.

Author Martha Bolton is an Emmy- and Dove-nominated writer, with more than 80 books of inspiration and humor under her belt. Her compelling plot and flesh-and-blood characters bestow plausibility upon an unlikely situation when she gives us Josiah as a presidential candidate. The simple Amish man will become your hero, his Bible-based truths warming your heart and feeding your soul, making you ache for such a presidential candidate. Beautifully written with a unique premise, this poignant story is a must read.

Reviewed by Susan Miura on October 18, 2012

Josiah for President
by Martha Bolton

  • Publication Date: October 9, 2012
  • Genres: Christian, Christian Fiction, Fiction
  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Zondervan
  • ISBN-10: 0310318726
  • ISBN-13: 9780310318729