Review: The Alphabet Challenge by Olga Gardner Galvin

December 8th, 2009 | Author: Kari Wolfe

This is the first book I have read by Olga Gardner Galvin and, I must say, it will not be the last.

Set in a future not too distant from our own, the United States in The Alphabet Challenge has almost become paralyzed from political correctness. Everyone considers themselves a victim of something. Everyone is entitled to reparations for their suffering and for equality, meaning if someone else has it, everyone else should have it also.

Earlier this year, my husband and his aunt were discussing legislating equality. She said, “Yes, you can.” Tom came back with, “Then I want Paris Hilton’s lifestyle.”

This is EXACTLY what this book is about. In it, the gridlocked, 4-party government and PeopleCare, the victim groups’ watchdog, are trying to and have mostly accomplished just that – the legislation of morality. I was amused by just how many different kinds of “survivor” organizations that Ms. Galvin could list in her book and, in different spots, I’d have to put the book down and giggle or groan at the organization mentioned.

At the beginning, Ms. Galvin has set her goal of explaining the nature of victimization and what it does for people. By the end, she has very much stated her case and shown the ridiculousness of trying to legislate morality and equality.

The main character is Howell Langston Toland, who has just gotten out of jail for “assault and not recycling glass bottles.” He’s looking for a get-rich-quick scheme so he can move out of his friend’s apartment and take his ex in-laws to Australia. So he concocts an idea: he would start an organization for people whose last names start with the last half of the alphabet (M – Z) because, since the world is set up for things to be in alphabetic order, these people are victims of discrimination.

His idea, while it sounds a bit strange to us, is wildly popular in this futuristic Manhattan and Toland begins to rake in the cash. But instead of taking off with his friends to Australia, he sticks around to see how much he can make. In doing this, he begins to see the “role” he is playing as the leader of this group and becomes frustrated with the entire situation.

It’s not long at all before PeopleCare and the government start trying to take over because Toland begins to tell his followers they are responsible for their own lives, not the government and definitely not PeopleCare.

I enjoyed this book. As I stated, Ms. Galvin does her part to explain both sides of this argument. While reading the book, in many ways, I was reminded of another Russian woman who came to America and saw the potential within it: Ayn Rand. However, thankfully, Ms. Galvin is a touch more succinct than Ms. Rand was – there are no 90 page speeches on Objectivism in this book.

I definitely look forward to more of what Ms. Galvin will produce.