By J.T. Mercer
The Unmaking of America began not as a warning, but as a question that had been building for years:
What happens when a country stops believing in itself, but still pretends everything is fine?
This book is a fictional response to a political reality that no longer feels stable. The more I observed, the more I realized the systems we rely on aren’t as secure or permanent as we’ve been led to believe.
A Nation Eroding From Within
For most of my life, I believed American democracy was resilient. The Constitution, the courts, and the press were supposed to protect the public. But that belief no longer feels justified.
Today, the threats are internal. Laws are passed to restrict access rather than expand it. Institutions are gutted through memos, delays, and selective enforcement. Outrage is constant, but accountability rarely follows.
None of this happened overnight. The erosion came slowly, through decisions that appeared procedural or short-term. The Unmaking of America explores how those decisions, when stacked together, can reshape a nation without open revolt.
Divide and Conquer
Politics has shifted from governance to spectacle. Distraction is the goal. We’re encouraged to view neighbors as enemies and differences as dangers.
While people argue over slogans, power continues to consolidate in the background. Decisions are made without hearings. Rules are changed without public input. Once those changes are in place, they are difficult to reverse.
This isn’t just cultural drift. It is a governing strategy that turns division into political capital and treats compromise as weakness.
A Story That Could Happen Here
The Unmaking of America is a work of fiction, but it’s built on real-world patterns. The characters navigate fear, pressure, and misinformation. Some resist. Some adapt. Others think they are doing the right thing.
There are no easy victories. No moment when everything resets. The story isn’t about a sudden collapse. It’s about the slow normalization of anti-democratic behavior—and the cost of pretending it’s not happening.
This isn’t the future I want. It’s one I believe we can still recognize—and resist—if we’re willing to face it.
What You Can Expect from The Unmaking of America
This is the first novel in a series about political unraveling and personal reckoning. It follows people on both sides of a system under pressure—those trying to protect what remains, and those trying to replace it. The series asks what it means to keep fighting when the rules no longer apply.
If this story resonates with you, I invite you to join the North River Publications mailing list. You’ll receive early chapters, behind-the-scenes commentary, and access to content available nowhere else.
The Unmaking of America is not about a system that failed by accident. It’s about what happens when failure is by design—and what comes next.
