Dave Mckay
2002
The book starts in the USA which is suddenly devastated by a nuclear strike launched from Russia. One of the main character families is described, they are the Straits. Rayford Strait is an airline pilot with the fictional Pan-Continental airways. At the beginning of the book he is flying a transatlantic flight to the UK and is away from his home when the strike hits. His wife Irene, Daughter Chloe and son Raymie are all at home in Illinois when the strike hits. After the strike, Irene is convinced to leave the family home by the local pastor but Chloe does not believe the words of the pastor and stays at the family home. Meanwhile in England, Rayford meets up with a group called Jesans, who tell him that the happenings in America have been predicted in the Bible. Rayford is convinced the Jesans have the answer to future happenings and tries to resign from his job to join them, but is not allowed to resign, and henceforth spends his days off travelling with the Jesans and distributing literature. Meanwhile, the United Nations under the auspices of chairman Xu Dangchao have sprung up as the next world power in the absence of the USA and begin a series of programs of aid that put them in a favourable position with the whole world. The UN broker a Middle East peace deal and plan to build a temple in Jerusalem which will encompass the three faiths of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Rayford, along with another man, Chaim Rosenberg, have begun recruiting members to the Jesans. These members include a former nun and an atheist. Many of these potential members are not convinced of all that the men are saying at first but an unintentional display of supernatural powers by Rayford Strait convinces them that he speaks the truth. The UN develops a plan that all citizens of the world must be implanted under the skin with a microchip called 'the mark' which, it is explained, will do away with the need for identity documents, and will make life all but impossible for those who do
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