The President's Daughter: A Thriller

Matthew Keating is the novel’s protagonist, a dynamic and round character whose journey forces the convergence of his past identities as a Navy SEAL and a former President of the United States. Initially depicted in a state of political exile after losing reelection due to a botched attempt to assassinate a terrorist leader, Keating is a man grappling with the burdens of his past leadership. His life in rural New Hampshire is a quiet retreat from the complexities of Washington, but this peace is shattered when the terrorist he tried to kill kidnaps his daughter, Melanie “Mel” Keating. This event serves as the catalyst for his return to form, as he steps out of retirement to resume the decisive leadership he displayed as president and the physical courage he displayed in his former career as a Navy SEAL. This journey exemplifies the theme of The Personal Consequences of Political Acts, as Keating discovers that for a leader, the personal and political are permanently and dangerously linked.

Keating’s character is defined by a powerful sense of responsibility and a deep-seated capability for direct action. When the official, bureaucratic mechanisms of the government he once led prove too slow and politically compromised to rescue his daughter, he reverts to his SEAL training.