Desire: The Stewards

Tennyson Flint , Master of Arts 2020, MLitt 2021

In an alternate history where JFK and LBJ were both assassinated in 1963 and the United States was thrown into riots in the streets, market crashes and lack of governance, five families took control, consolidating power through their economic and political connections. These families, who call themselves the Stewards, keep a chokehold on all government offices, economic and educational policy and distribution of freedom. Anne Marie Becker, 21, and oldest daughter of the Steward Becker family, is insecure despite her parents’ expectations and grappling with an eating disorder. Haunted by the disappearance of her sister, who went missing five years ago after refusing the proposal of Julian Whitlock - the man Anne Marie’s family now wants her to marry - Anne Marie rebels against her parents and Julian by throwing herself into a secret and passionate affair with their enemy Steward Matthew Durand. I. If discovered, she could suffer the same fate as her sister. Matthew Durand, 30, is a member of the less prolific Durand family and a rising star for his dedication to freedom and democracy, something the Beckers and Whitlocks resist. With the state of the country on the line, Matthew avoids distractions, but a chance run in with Anne Marie Becker reawakens his desire for her. But the risk of discovery is not their only peril as they begin to find clues suggesting that the breakdown of the five has already begun, and from that a darkness beneath the surface threatens not only their love but their very lives.

ISBN: B0DRH2XL7S