What makes this novel amazing is how Heinlein uses Lorenzo’s basic ignorance in regard to politics and his instinctive prejudice against the non-human races to let him gradually impart his own feelings on the importance of universal civil rights. Heinlein builds tension not only through the impersonations, but through the behind the scenes personality clashes among Bonforte’s staff. But he sticks to the job because he’s a professional with an exceedingly high opinion of himself, and because as the story continues, he grows to despise the dirty tactics of the men working to destroy Bonforte. The problem? Lorenzo hates Martians and just about everything that Bonforte and his Expansionist Party stands for. This would be considered a great impropriety by the Martians and at the very least would drastically set back human-Martian relations. Bonforte has been kidnapped and as a result is about to miss his adoption into a Martian nest (the first human to be so honored). It’s the story of a down on his luck actor who gets roped into impersonating John Joseph Bonforte, the best known politician in the solar system. I first read this Heinlein novel in the ninth grade and it remains my absolute favorite of his many books.
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