McConkey

the long version

When John McConkey reflects back upon his life, there is only one logical point at which to start: the year 1951. At the age of six, John meets his great-uncle Jack{u2014}and is forever changed by the old man's socialist views. Jack appears at those critical developmental intersections that shape our lives and beliefs to challenge John on the nature of power, politics, and the "official" version of history. As John comes of age through the sixties and seventies, he slowly learns how those in charge affect the lives of ordinary people{u2014}and that sometimes looking deeper into an issue is all it takes to see what is going on. A fascinating glimpse into more than a century's worth of landmark political events, including the 1892 Homestead Strike, the Spanish-American War, the Ludlow Massacre, the Red Scare, the New Deal, the Cold War, JFK's assassination, 9/11, and the ins and outs of modern corruption, McConkey challenges readers to think beyond the status quo{u2014}and to question whose stories to believe. As John progresses from wide-eyed little boy to acerbic old man, his journey provides glimpses into our own modern world in this quirky and compelling novel.