At first, it was difficult for me to grasp just how much care, research, and attention to detail went into the creation of Run: Book One. The art and storytelling are exceptional—I’ve wanted to read a story in which committee deliberations were not pedantic minutiae but thrilling drama, and here the world has that story. There’s enough explanation for readers born a generation later to understand the economic and geopolitical context, and it’s offered in a way that never hurts the pace.

But no undue liberties were taken with historical fact, which becomes clear in the 30+ pages of end matter in which the authors explain the lengths to which they went. In choosing the clothing people were shown wearing, they considered not only what year and season it was, but also the person’s age and economic condition. Same goes for the vehicles: not only the model year, but also how old of a car these folks were probably driving and how dinged-up it would look by then. They interviewed participants, and consulted archivists and historians, and even checked on the history of Post-It notes. And then they followed it up by impeccable citations for every source they used.

Now, I’m a librarian and a geek, so I’m inclined to love something all the more when it’s well-researched. But the story itself is compelling and complex, and it all really happened. My only complaint—and I expect it will be resolved by the creation of Run: Book Two and Three—is that this volume only leads up to just before the political career of Rep. John Lewis, ending with his decision to run. With the passing of Rep. Lewis, the surviving authors have lost their most important collaborator. But I feel certain, based on the scholarly care put into Book One, that those volumes will follow, and will not disappoint.