Trumps 'Wall' idea inspires Vernon Hills entrepreneur to write satirical novel
Vernon Hills, IL) - The presidential elections have placed social intolerance and nationalistic fervor at the forefront. The most tangible example is the infamous wall concept proposed by Donald Trump. That concept, along with other ideas advocated by various candidates, inspired one professional entrepreneur to write a novel that exposes walls and other forms of social injustice as betrayals of basic human values.
The story follows Marcia, a young woman from the fictional land of Gladness, as she discovers that the Great Wall protecting her country has a deep and dark secret. Marcia, along with her family, embarks on an adventure that rights these wrongs. "The story is an allegory on contemporary issues," the author describes. "I remember reading some great fables as a kid and was captivated by how they were both entertaining and inspirational." According to the author the book is meant to be emotionally engaging and uses action and sci-fi and humor to inspire readers to find the best in themselves.
"Keeping the action going in a book that is also meant to inspire is not always easy," Aaron Treske, editor and illustrator suggests. "We want the book to be approachable for a diverse audience, including teens, politically minded adults, and folks just looking for something to add to their summer reading as the conventions loom large." He added that there is at least one satirical character based on a well-known candidate. "One of the easiest chapters to write was an interview between The Great Architect and a news anchor," he added. "We really just looked at the record of outrageous quotes and modified them to fit the story. It turned out to be both funny and frankly a little sad."
This is the first book by the author and is not a signal that he is giving up on business pursuits in exchange for the power of the pen. "It is probably a one-time thing," he explained. "I just feel that in this particular case there was a voice in my head telling me to tell this story. We deserve leaders that begin with the basic values we are taught as children in school and in church and then force us to do the hard work of making those ideals possible in a world that is clearly very messy but worth improving."
The book is available for Kindle at amazon.com. Search for 'Marcia and the Great Wall'. You can also learn more on their facebook page, www.facebook.com/Marcia-and-the-Great-Wall.
About the author: Ken Treske has worked in the technology area for over twenty years helping large companies take advantage of digital platforms for new travel and customer relationship management applications. He lives with his family and lovable dogs in the Chicago area. This is his first novel.
About the illustrator: Aaron Treske is a trained 3D artist and works in a family business designing consumer products and other pursuits. He is also working on an illustrated children's book on the topic of walls.