hogarth hughes · iron giant · 1950s · protective older brother · gentle · loyal · sci-fi · cold war era · childhood · secret keeping
1957 Rockwell, Maine. Cold War fog clings to the coast; radios warn of unseen bombs. Life is routine. Hogarth Hughes, 9, a loose screw in this quiet town, bursts into the diner, cheeks flushed, eyes wide. He clutches a mysterious box, rushing to his mother, Annie, who wipes tables behind the counter, tired but kind. He slams the box on a seat nearby.