Fear of communism is rampant in America, but at the moment, Peggy is more concerned with her ongoing complications from polio, her parent’s struggling marriage, and oh yeah: witnessing the murder of a mysterious man the feds are calling a Russian spy. The spy was carrying a glowing red rod, and before he died, he hid the item in one of Peggy’s crutches. Not only does Peggy find herself hiding a mysterious Russian artifact, but that artifact enables her to fly! Suddenly, her health woes are gone, and she can literally fly away from her veteran father’s PTSD and the weird FBI agents following her around. But then she starts seeing the dead spy – not so dead – following her around town. And her best friend’s family is accused of being Communist sympathizers. Peggy is wrapped up in something much bigger than she can comprehend. So much for being a carefree, flying kid!
I picked this graphic novel for my tween book club at the library, figuring it was both a fun artifact and very topical. Then I did nothing to prepare for their questions, which led me struggling to explain what communism was, why the people in the book thought it was bad, and why it might not be so bad. I did very badly! The kids mostly liked the book, and I loved it. The author combines themes of McCarthyism and discrimination, the 50s UFO craze, post-war anxieties, and the everyday concerns of being a tween in a neat little book. It’s more concerned with an action-packed plot than a treatise on government propaganda, but it’s still a good conversation starter on founded and unfounded government focused fears. And the sci-fi plot is a lot of fun! Artwork has a vintage vibe, very TinTin in style.