Overview
One family's buried history could rewrite the story of American patriotism.
When therapist Val Lisowski returns to her childhood home in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 2011, she's expecting a quiet visit. But what begins as a simple stop to check on family and work unravels into a gripping discovery of long-buried secrets—political, personal, and deeply haunting.
As Val uncovers the truth about her father Herb's post-WWII entanglements with Joe McCarthy's inner circle, a multigenerational saga unfolds. From Cold War paranoia and blacklists to union-busting and Indigenous erasure, Rogues in a Nation braids together family loyalty, moral compromise, and the enduring consequences of silence. Told across decades—from the muskrat-trapping, beer-brewing shadows of 1950s Wisconsin to the protest-filled streets of Madison in 2011—this powerful novel dares to ask what patriotism really means, and whether truth can survive generations of denial.
Sweeping, suspenseful, and richly layered, Rogues in a Nation is a timely reckoning with the past—and a reminder that even the smallest voices can challenge the biggest lies.
Author Bio
Andrew Lifson holds a B.A. in English, specializing in American Literature, from Queens College (CUNY), and an M.S.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His academic path has international flavor: he spent time studying at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, and served as an English teacher in Kabul, Afghanistan, during his tenure with the Peace Corps—back when it was safe to do so.
As an undergraduate at Queens College, Andrew won a prestigious film criticism award for an essay analyzing the work of Alfred Hitchcock. Since then, he has built a rich career combining literary expertise and educational practice, shaped by his global experience and deep dedication to teaching.
