As Alida mixes bread dough in her small kitchen, she listens to the radio with incredulity. The Trump administration has just come to power in Washington, and America’s most fundamental values and traditions are in danger. Her dog Buddy–a policy wonk–is equally outraged. If Congress is unwilling to act, who will protect American democracy?

The answer lies in Alida’s mixing bowl, for she is making sourdough bread, and the yeast (collected from the air in her Philadelphia kitchen) turns out to be extraordinary. Meet John Dough, superhero, and learn how he comes to the aid of a troubled and divided nation.

The action unfolds in Philadelphia PA, Iowa, Washington D.C., and the Land of the Plant People, where the inhabitants are proud to live Free from the Bonds of Reason. Pennsylvania history both inspires and horrifies our hero John, who is educated by the well-read Alida, her politically savvy dog, and a sympathetic and scholarly pigeon at Thirtieth Street Station.

Thirty-six illustrations range from touching to darkly satirical. This is a funny book about important ideas. Readers will laugh aloud, cry, and adjust their ideas about American history.