The Last Thing He Wanted

The Last Thing He Wanted is a novel by Joan Didion. It was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1996. The story centers around Elena McMahon, a reporter for the Washington Post who quits her job covering the 1984 Presidential primaries to care for her father after her mother's death. In an unusual turn of events, she inherits his position as an arms dealer for the U.S. Government in Central America. In this sparsely written, quick paced narrative, Ele... more

The Last Thing He Wanted is a novel by Joan Didion. It was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1996. The story centers around Elena McMahon, a reporter for the Washington Post who quits her job covering the 1984 Presidential primaries to care for her father after her mother's death. In an unusual turn of events, she inherits his position as an arms dealer for the U.S. Government in Central America. In this sparsely written, quick paced narrative, Elena struggles to cope with the spies, American military personnel, and the consequences of her father's errors that are waiting for her on a small island off the coast of Costa Rica. Elena McMahon- a reporter for the Washington Post who walks off her job covering the 1984 presidential campaign and into international conspiracy. Treat Morrison- a high-level government official who, in the process of investigating a glitch in Elena's documentation, becomes romantically involved with her. Richard McMahon- Elena McMahon's father who "does deals,"... less