The Undertow

Sharlet is such a beautiful writer that you almost forget he's telling a horror story. He interviews numerous people of all races across our country who believe that Trump is God, Ashli Babbitt (who was killed in the January 6 capitol riot) is a martyr, and only through armed insurrection will the country be set right. They're already busy preaching their unique take on the Gospels, amassing multitudes of firearms, and training militias.

The only reassurance that Sharlet can provide are bookend chapters about activists Harry Belafonte, and folksong legends The Weavers, who kept on singing even though their causes were virtually hopeless. He admits to having started his odyssey with heart problems, and one wonders if the process of researching and writing this book may have further eroded his health. It certainly raised my blood pressure.