A Good American Family

A Michigan family's experience with the Red Scare makes a fascinating lens to examine the larger history.

Maraniss' intriguing history of the Red Scare is even more fascinating because of his personal connection--his father actually was a member of the Communist Party in his youth. The effect of the investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee on his family is interspersed with background on other major figures and events leading up to this time. The history is made even more personal as the book is narrated by the author.