Joshua was shocked to hear his father's voice on the recording.

Junior! How's it hanging, young man? If you are listening to this, that means I am dead and you are alive, which is of course exactly how I planned it. Yes, I knew the explosion was going to happen, and I made sure you and Pete were out of town when it did . . . Junior, first let me say that I am sorry about what happened. Second, I am sorry everyone is blaming you. Unfortunately, things are gonna get worse before they get better. But you have Jennings blood running through your veins, boy, and I know you can handle whatever happens. You are my only son and I love you very much.

Thirty-year-old Joshua Jennings Jr. is the last living member of his family and the primary suspect in a terrorist bombing that killed the president, the vice president, and his own father. To make matters worse, Joshua discovers that his father planned the explosion and set up Joshua to take the blame. Overnight, the media transforms Joshua into a celebrity criminal. He rockets to first place in the Criminal Fantasy League standings. Feature films and bestsellers explore his motives for blowing up the president. A television personality proclaims Joshua's innocence so she can market "Let Him Be" T-shirts.

The Baptist News Channel announces that Joshua is the Antichrist, and that the end of the world is near. Junior is Joshua's journal. It chronicles his three years as a fugitive on the run from law enforcement and vigilantes while he tries to figure out how he fits into his father's plan. When Joshua mysteriously disappears, the journal is discovered and becomes a worldwide bestseller, described by scholars and literary critics as "a classic study of the human condition."