In an alternate 1957, where dragons are real though not generally trusted, biracial (Black/white) Sarah Dewhurst's widowed white father has hired a Blue named Kazimir to clear his fields. Sarah knows little about dragons but is intrigued by thoughtful Kazimir. Malcolm belongs to a dragon-worshipping cult whose mysterious leader has charged him with assassinating Sarah because of a prophecy. FBI Agents Dernovich and Wolf are in pursuit of Malcolm. On the way to kill Sarah, Malcolm's singlemindedness falters when he meets and falls in love with a young man named Nelson. Kazimir saves Sarah and her best friend, Japanese American Jason, from a violent, racist deputy sheriff. Agent Dernovich is murdered. The Russians launch Sputnik. A portal opens. Everything falls apart. End Part 1. In Part 2, Sarah, Malcom, and much transformed Kazimir and Agent Wolf find themselves in a parallel universe-1957 of our world. Kazimir is human; Sarah's mother is alive and shocked to see a girl claiming to be her daughter, who died of cancer; Malcolm grapples with guilt and remorse-for the cold killing he's done, for abandoning Nelson; and the dragon goddess Mitea is set on destroying humanity-one city at a time. Sarah, Kazimir, Malcolm, the Agent Dernovich of this world, and others are set on stopping her. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, when the threat of violence and annihilation was a subtext of human existence, this richly imagined, unsettling story raises provocative questions about our humanity. (Age 14 and older)