“Jubliee Day” written by Michael Sky
Reviewed by Rebecca Cook
Special to the Islands’ Weekly
Let’s say that you are living in tumultuous times — and it seems we are.
If you saw a news story with the headline “Six prominent Americans dead, more to come,” what would you think, would you believe it?
You might, if you read Michael Sky’s novel “Jubilee Day.” Sky, former resident of Orcas Island, recently completed a compelling and, rather convincing, novel that depicts a harrowing murder theme.
Imagine an email sent at 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning, to all major media and hundreds of online blogs which says, “A Message for the Dominators. Six will die, every day, until you start sharing wealth and power. Signed: Jubilee.”
You flip through the networks that morning and sure enough, six prominent Americans died during the night, all in their sleep, of apparent natural causes. Wow.
What’s going on? Who is Jubilee and what in the world is the murder motive? No one knows — except Jubilee. The victims, all top citizens in government policy were conservatives. All were powerful men.
But, the most puzzling part of the murders is that all of the crime scenes are pristine, no signs of intruders or implications of foul play. No clues, no forensic evidence, nothing.
Within three days and after eighteen deaths of rich and powerful men, a new message arrives — via Facebook this time. “The Jubilee Manifesto” is a list of demands that includes a progressive tax on millionaires, caps on executive compensation, cutting military spending in half, and a one-time forgiveness of all debts. Another wow.
What is the President of the United States doing about this crime?
Why has he been spared?
Is he in on it?
Only Jubilee knows.
The country’s investigators are certainly curious and on the job 24/7 searching nationwide for the perpetrator(s). But mostly, they haven’t a clue about the murders.
Sky’s astute use of the word jubilee in the title and as a code word throughout the text is, perhaps, a clue for the reader. The need for restoration, emancipation, if you will, grows heavy in the novel’s democracy and often, the political and economic condition parallels our current society.
Though murder is a severe course of action in any situation, Sky’s intent is one of redemption from the evils of greed that satiates the higher echelon of his fictitious nation. A practice we may not condone, but one that surely begins to “balance the books” in his novel.
The plot thickens when the first victims are replaced and then, the replacements become victims too.
Everyone at the top is scared — but not middle America. They are watching, waiting, and hoping for financial clemency.
Cleverly, Sky aligns his story with events of today and figuratively puts the reader in a mind bending dilemma, or “what if” kind of mode.
He weaves in psychological theories with spiritual practices and suggests possibilities most of us have read about. But, would we actually do it?
Commit deliberate multiple murders, for the betterment of our democratic society?
One finds it necessary to ask the question of one’s self.
Murder is never an easy answer but we are offered a number of view points on the subject by Jubilee who has justified the murders albeit with reluctance.
In Sky’s novel, we discover — not an easy answer — but one that adequately satisfies the plot in “Jubilee Day,” and perhaps, a part of our own mind set.
— Michael Sky, recently deceased, was a long time resident of Orcas Island. He was also the author of “Thinking Peace,” “Breathing Lessons,” and “Dancing with Fire.” A fair and honest man, he was greatly admired by his neighbors, friends, family and co-workers. He leaves his wife, Penny, and daughter, Lily. Rest in peace, Michael.
