American Sky: A Novel

An atmospheric and dramatic novel set in mid-century Montana by the acclaimed author of Six Days of the Condor.
*A PEOPLE Most Anticipated Read*
"Grady's style is loose, colorful, challenging and fun. I sometimes thought of Orwell’s novel 1984, sometimes of the Dylan song 'Desolation Row.'"—Patrick Anderson, The Washington Post
For the teenaged Luc, his days are preoccupied with the daily dramas of high school. President John F. Kennedy's assassination seems a world away. But the winds of history find their way to his small Montana town as marijuana clouds rise in the hallways and the notices of neighborhood young men "Killed in Action" in Vietnam keep arriving at an increasing rate.
Acclaimed novelist James Grady's American Sky brings to life the world of a young man who is caught in the nexus of vast social change. From blue-collar life in the heartland to Kent State and the Civil Rights movement, American Sky is a sweeping narrative that builds to a crime that threatens to tear Luc's world apart. Previously compared to Larry McMurtry, George Orwell, Harper Lee, and Bob Dylan, James Grady explores Bruce Springsteen's generation and has crafted an action-filled and timeless story destined to become a classic.
*A PEOPLE Most Anticipated Read*
"Grady's style is loose, colorful, challenging and fun. I sometimes thought of Orwell’s novel 1984, sometimes of the Dylan song 'Desolation Row.'"—Patrick Anderson, The Washington Post
For the teenaged Luc, his days are preoccupied with the daily dramas of high school. President John F. Kennedy's assassination seems a world away. But the winds of history find their way to his small Montana town as marijuana clouds rise in the hallways and the notices of neighborhood young men "Killed in Action" in Vietnam keep arriving at an increasing rate.
Acclaimed novelist James Grady's American Sky brings to life the world of a young man who is caught in the nexus of vast social change. From blue-collar life in the heartland to Kent State and the Civil Rights movement, American Sky is a sweeping narrative that builds to a crime that threatens to tear Luc's world apart. Previously compared to Larry McMurtry, George Orwell, Harper Lee, and Bob Dylan, James Grady explores Bruce Springsteen's generation and has crafted an action-filled and timeless story destined to become a classic.
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Community Reviews
This book caught me first when I realized it was set in the timeframe of my life. Then I realized the author was describing MY hometown. It turns out he grew up in the next town over. His description of what life was really like in the era thought of as “idyllic” made me say “He gets it!” I remember those things people knew, but never talked about other than in hushed tones and innuendo. He also is great at conveying the uncertainty and sometimes hilarious feelings of being an adolescent in those years.
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