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The setting is eastern Illinois and Washington, D.C., during the McCarthy Era, that period in the 1950's when the beliefs and social lives of average citizens were subject to intense, microscopic scrutiny by governmental agencies.

David Thatcher is a fourteen-year-old whose father, a Washington, D.C.-based Army Colonel in charge of a supplies office, has been subpoenaed to appear before... More

The setting is eastern Illinois and Washington, D.C., during the McCarthy Era, that period in the 1950's when the beliefs and social lives of average citizens were subject to intense, microscopic scrutiny by governmental agencies.

David Thatcher is a fourteen-year-old whose father, a Washington, D.C.-based Army Colonel in charge of a supplies office, has been subpoenaed to appear before Joseph McCarthy's Senate committee. The story revolves around David's reactions to "McCarthyism" and his confused feelings about his father's case.

We follow David through the most important three months of his life as he grows up and begins to process information and think for himself. He begins to build an accurate values system as he separates reality from appearances; recognizes how facts can be distorted by twists or by omissions to lead to incorrect conclusions; understands the workings of guilt by association; becomes aware of the manipulative powers of the media through reporting emphasis and its ability to project innuendo as more; and sees how dramatic presentation techniques can misuse television in presenting "live" coverage of events to viewers. David learns that friendship, loyalty, love and truth are paramount.

Two subplots further explore the concept of love. Its romantic viewpoint is expressed through David's relationship with Joy. She is an intelligent, beautiful, open-minded, sensitive teenager. Family love with the purpose of manipulation is epitomized by his soft-spoken, seemingly genuine, grandfather.

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