By now it may be a bit redundant to review an older book by Lund. He has since written so voluminously and with such acclaim that earlier works may not engender much interest. But given the spurt of republication of Lund's works, they may be worth a second look. The volume I have is an original hardback printing from 1987.

The hero of The Freedom Factor is a young senatorial aide named Bryce Sherwood. The Senate is getting ready to consider, and likely approve, a bill that will essentially affect the constitutional role of checks and balances, but at least appears to open the process to more people, and keep any one branch from gaining too much power.

During a press conference, a young activist named Leslie Adams openly challenges Sherwood to seriously consider the implications of such a bill. Despite their differences, they develop a personal relationship that blooms into a strange bedfellows romance.

Following the press conference, one of the major movers behind the bill invites Sherwood to his office, and offers him a major role in its passage, to be followed by a Senate run and, possibly, a run for the White House.

Enter Nathaniel Gorham. Gorham was one of the original signers of the U.S. Constitution. The signers have gathered in the spirit world to form a committee to decide on what must be done to keep this bill from passing. Gorham appears to Sherwood in hope that his influence, along with that of his new love interest, would convince him to join the opposition. When nothing seems to be working, Gorham decides that desperate measures must be taken.

And now the roller coaster of this book begins. In the twinkling of an eye, Sherwood is transported, not to the past or the future, but to an "alternative universe" that strangely coexists with ours. He finds himself on a very different American continent, a place where the Constitution was never ratified. As a result, the nation is divided into several zones, only one of which allows the kinds of freedoms we enjoy here.

The bizarre twist to the story is that all of the people he knew in this universe exist, with the same names, in that other universe. Sherwood's confusion is often amusing, and always dangerous. He must somehow find his way through this strange world, a world where credit cards don't work and ordinary people don't call the police.

The Freedom Factor traces Bryce Sherwood's gradual awakening to the real danger in circumventing the Constitution. Despite some problems with continuity, the book is nicely done and an enjoyable read. Young people will particularly enjoy the vivid action scenes and the frequent, and sometimes unpredictable, plot twists.

And for those who treasure the Constitution, it is a lesson in the value of patriotism and the importance that even one, although young and idealistic, can make.

-- 
Jeff Needle
jeff.needle@general.com