Overview

Ray Elias is a precocious but withdrawn sixteen-year-old growing up in an affluent suburb of New York in the early sixties. Numbed by theassassination of President Kennedy, Ray chances upona TV documentary about the most recent presidential electionand is drawn to the ebullient senator from Minnesota, Hubert Humphrey, who unsuccessfully challenged John Kennedy for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1960. With the senator as his newfound hero, Ray fashions a mission for himself: make Humphrey Lyndon Johnson's running mate in 1964. To the amazement of his friendsand cynical father, Humphrey learns of Ray's plan to lobby the delegates and, impressed with his sincerity and ambition, takes Ray under his wing. Ray enters college as the senator is elected vice president, but the relationship unravels when Humphrey becomes an ardent public supporter of the Vietnam War, despite his personal belief in the war's futility. As the tension between them grows andtheir bond deteriorates, Ray is devastated by his loss of faith in Humphrey. However, he finds consolation for his disappointment in Ruth, a spirited classmate from theother side of the tracks who teaches him understanding and empathy. As Ray matures to young adulthood he reconnects with Humphrey-who has by now achieved a political revival and is mulling a fresh run at the presidency-and the two reconcile after Humphrey finallyacknowledges his breach of Ray's trust, and Ray forgives his former mentor. Loosely based on the author's real-life relationship with Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Humphrey and Meportrays the often highly emotional journey that comes withembracing our heroes, while set against the backdrop of the tempestuous political eras of the 1960s and '70s.

Full Product Details

9781595801258

Table of Contents

Reviews

"“In this heartfelt account of a crucial period in American history, an idealism that can sometimes seem lost today comes alive again.”—Andrea Barrett, National Book Award-winning author of Ship Fever  “Humphrey and Me is a smart and thought-provoking story—made even better by knowing it's based on the author's own experiences.”—Steve Sheinkin, three-time National Book Award finalist “Democracies are strongest when they produce leaders who can inspire the young. Stuart Brody's engaging and entertaining novel Humphrey and Me explores this crucial and timely dynamic between a young man and an idealistic politician. It reminds us that Hubert Humphrey, despite his flaws, was a virtuous and important 20th century figure, one deserving of our admiration and respect.”—Thurston Clarke, author of the New York Times bestseller The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America ""Brody, who was inspired by his own relationship with Humphrey, packs the novel with significant historic details . . . . An important chapter in American history told with clarity and honesty.”—Kirkus Review “In this thoughtful and moving novel, Brody illuminates in fiction what he explored in his wonderful treatise The Law of Small Things—how we learn to be good. He demonstrates why choices matter in the formation of character, and in so doing, he helps us understand the basis of human freedom.”—Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College “By paralleling first person accounts of a young man’s political awakening with that of his indefatigable mentor, Stuart Brody has rendered a timely affirmation of how enduring societies depend upon an apprenticeship of values. Most importantly, he has resuscitated for our cynical age a uniquely American notion of leadership and service.”—Aaron Woolf, Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker “Politics may be a dirty business, but there are still people who get in the game for the right reasons: to do what’s right! In Humphrey and Me, Stuart Brody highlights one of the good guys—not because he was perfect, but because he genuinely believed in doing good. It’s a great reminder of the complexities needed to understand people on a deeper level, and while it can be complicated, it can also be rewarding. It’s a journey about finding consensus and alignment as opposed to agreement. Get started!”—Jeffrey Hayzlett, Host of C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett “The story could round out a school history unit on the mid-1960s political scene, giving insight to student activism.”—Historical Novel Society"

In this heartfelt account of a crucial period in American history, an idealism that can sometimes seem lost today comes alive again. -Andrea Barrett, National Book Award-winning author of Ship Fever

Author Information

Stuart H. Brody is the author of The Law of Small Things: Creating a Habit of Integrity in a Culture of Mistrust (Berrett-Koehler 2019), teaches ethics at the University of Arizona, and is Senior Scholar at the Institute for Ethics in Public Life at the State University of New York. He speaks nationally on issues of public integrity.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available