The President’s Butler

Leamer’s latest novel takes a satirical look at the election process in the United States. The tale is narrated by Billy Baxter, the butler of one of the presidential candidates, Vincent V. Victor, a self-absorbed businessman, corporate raider, author of self-help business books, and star of TV shows. When he was young, Billy struggled to escape poverty, first as a footman at the Valhalla estate, and later as the butler and confidant to Mrs. Helm, Valhalla’s 72-year-old owner. Upon the sale of the estate to Vincent, Billy is hired as the businessman’s personal butler. The initial story around the Valhalla estate is engaging, particularly in its depiction of the aristocratic lifestyle and Mr. Baxter’s relation to it. Unfortunately, as the caricaturization of the businessman turned politician becomes more predictable and obvious, the story loses some of its momentum. As the butler aptly observes in the latter part of the book: “As I reread these pages, I see that early on I am a character in this drama. But once I go to work for Mr. Victor, I begin to fade.” (BookLife)