On a Hill They Call Capital

by: Matt Carson

Published by: Free State Press

Reviewed by Julie Failla Earhart

By his own admission, author Matt Carson understands that his novella, On a Hill They Call Capital, is not the best-written book. It lacks a lot in backstory, improbable plot without full disclosure, character development, and everything that goes into making a book your next great read. Then why on earth would a reviewer give this little work 5 stars?

On a Hill They Call Capital deserves 5 stars because it proves, at least on paper, that the American people still have options. It’s a little harder now, given the number of Americans is eleventy-zillion times larger than when the Founding Fathers railed against taxation without representation.

The story opens with Carson’s protagonist, Cat (a nickname derived because he always wears a Caterpillar hat), is enraged that the Patriot Act passed. He’s had enough. The government had crossed the line. So he enlists the help of his cronies, six other good ol’ boys from Virginia, to put his master plan into action. Thus the Grandsons of Liberty is formed.

After a raid on the IRS building in Washington, D. C., the Grandsons set out to kidnap several Congressional members while they are in various parts of the country and bring them back to the safe house in Virginia. Of course, all goes without a hitch. Once there, the men and women held hostage are given an assignment. It’s never really clear what that assignment in, but it makes them realize exactly what is happening in government: overspending and taxation without full representation or knowledge from the American people. Once they’ve completed their assignment and come around to the Grandsons’ way of thinking, they are allowed to go back to Washington to implement the changes to drastically needed in Washington.

The implementation of Cat’s plan is hyperbole at best, especially when his biggest challenge is to get the guys to agree to a “no beer before 6 p.m. rule.” But still, it’s kinda nice to know that maybe it could still be done. And personally, I was encouraged that someone besides me was furious that the American people allowed this to happen; I don’t care how scared we were after and since 9/11.

Armchair Interviews says: Lots to think about in this book of fiction.