A God in Ruins

A God in Ruins is a 1999 novel by Leon Uris. Set between the 1940s and 2008, the book follows the life of Quinn Patrick O'Connell, the fictional Democratic candidate for the 2008 presidency, his family, and the life of his opponent, Thornton Tomtree. The book climaxes with the election campaign and its results.

Characters

Quinn Patrck O'Connell

Quinn Patrick O'Connell was detached from his parents at the age of one and adopted by the Irish O'Connell family at the age of three. He has lived in a ranch in Colorado and studied in the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He went on to become a Colorado state senator, and later Governor of Colorado, gun control being his main platform. During this time he has had two relationships, with Greer Little and Rita Maldonado. Both women lead him through his election campaign and set him up for the 2008 presidency. Throughout his life, Quinn wishes to find his birth parents, but is unable to do so as even his adopted parents have no information whatsoever. He is found by his brother, a Jewish policeman, and confronts the nation before the 2008 elections, setting off Kristallnacht-like riots throughout the country. Having served on an elite unit called RAM in the Marine Corps, eventually with the rank of Marine Gunner, O'Connell is known for his honesty and high moral principles - a trait which goes a long way to help him in his election campaign.

Thornton Tomtree

Thornton "T3" Tomtree is a technological genius who invents an apparently unhackable computer named "The Bulldog". While good with technology, he is portrayed as an insincere politician, who is mainly in it for power and influence. His political career is led by a childhood friend, Darnell Jefferson, in the novel the first African-American billionaire.