Two elderly ladies, Emily O'Neill and Sarah Williams, discover that Mars rocks are beneficial to their health. They communicate their discovery to the local press and quickly find themselves at the forefront of an old people's movement whose aim is to make Mars rocks accessible to all aging Americans.
Despite widespread scepticism, the movement gains the support of the city authorities who transform their science museum into a western Marsrock Mecca. Other museums across the country follow suit.
The numerous 'cures' documented daily confirm the validity of the old ladies' claim and encourage them to save other infirm people in nearby hospitals. Newly-reinvigorated senior citizens seek to return to active employment and to more dynamic leisure activities. Many find jobs with the now thriving Marsrock Industries Inc. Unphased by the hostility of numerous pressure groups and leading politicians, and frustrated by their refusal to recognise the manifest power for good represented by the Mars rocks, Emily and Sarah organize a spontaneous march on the nation's capital.
Unable to stem the aged invasion, the President accedes to the demands of the Marsrock Movement. NASA's priorities are redefined, key players in the Movement are appointed to high executive positions, and federal and state budgets are adjusted to reflect the increasingly dominant role played by senior citizens in the life of the nation. Em and Sarah return quietly home in full knowledge that elderly Americans will never again be treated as second-class citizens but as equals...if not better.
Comments on the book from our Readers....
"My body ached with laughter. Probably the funniest piece of fiction I have read in a decade." (Vanessa Hillary)
"The perfect antidote to a long, boring flight." (Chief Pilot Skip McLane)
"Jonathan York is a breath of fresh air on the American literary scene. We needed a good laugh, and Mr. York unfailingly delivers it." (Corrie Shriver)
"Not since Catch 22 has America encountered such lavish irony." (Saint Louis Bibliophile)
"An unforgettable panorama of middle America. I can hardly wait for the movie." (Elizabeth Strauss-Kahn)
"As a satirist, Jonathan York is right up there with Voltaire and Mark Twain in identifying our human frailties and where they can lead us." (Paris Symposium)
"Cheeseburger announces what lies in store for America - if we don't watch out " (Rabbi Aaron Fischer)
"Our deeper aspirations and our gullibility all laid bare." (Reverend Max Millichap)
"Emily will replace Emma as a popular dissertation topic for years to come." (SMLA)
"An outrageous book A violation against all America stands for." (Southern Synod for the Protection of Moral Values)
"Cheeseburgers ......should do wonders for interplanetary travel." (Western Tourist Conference)