One Second After by William Forstchen

What would you do if you suddenly found yourself without any modern technology? No computer, no cell phone, no electricity, no refrigeration, no planes, no cars, no microwaves. That's the premise of William Forstchen's compelling One Second After. The setting is a small town in the mountains of North Carolina. The hero is a history professor (and former military man) named John who suddenly finds himself and his family living a life alot like life in the 1700s after an electromagnetic pulse is triggered by an enemy nation. The most frightening aspect of this story is that this scenario could apparently really happen.

While the premise is frightening, the ingenuity of the townspeople and their willlingness to stick together is heartening. (I'm not sure those of us living in big cities would be so fortunate.)

I picked this book for my book group because I thought it would generate a lively discussion. Two of the women said their husbands got their hands on the book before they could even start reading it--and the husbands couldn't put it down. I'll have to keep you posted on the response of the book group.