Three Day Summer

April 6, 2015
It’s 1969, and like the rest of Bethel, N.Y., 17-year-old Cora Fletcher, a volunteer candy striper at the Woodstock festival, is preparing for the hundreds of thousands of young people descending on the area for what promises to be one of the greatest music events of all time. Michael is an eager concertgoer who drops acid and ends up in the medical tent, where he meets Cora. In short chapters full of vivid historical detail, Tash (The Mapmaker and the Ghost) takes readers through each of the major acts at Woodstock (the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, among others), plus all of the drugs, mud, and shed inhibitions. As Cora and Michael meander (and sometimes stumble) through the chaos, they evoke the spirit of the festival in their awe for the music, adding their own dash of romance to the free love around them. The narrative loses its way a bit as Tash throws a wrench into Michael and Cora’s budding romance, but the author’s love for the era and this defining musical moment shines through. Ages 12–up. Agent: Victoria Marini, Gelfman Schneider.

Starred review from March 15, 2015
Two teens find the 1969 Woodstock music festival a life-changing event.Michael, 18, knows what he doesn't want-to go to college or be drafted to fight in Vietnam-it's what he wants that confuses him, and would-be doctor Cora, 17, ponders transgressing cultural expectations for girls. Overcoming their inauspicious meeting in the medical tent, the two are drawn together-along with plenty of baggage. Michael drags his feet on breaking up with his hypercritical girlfriend. Cora longs to get over paternalistic Ned, who's broken up with her. Michael's passionate about music but feels like a slacker. Country girl Cora, unlike her brothers, has a nightly curfew and feels torn between her conservative father-proud veteran of two wars-and her anti-war siblings, one fighting in Vietnam. Not all that goes down is benign, but this is no cautionary fable. Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll unapologetically prevail amid the muddy chaos, where strangers feed one another, concertgoers stand in line for hours to use the payphone, and iconic musicians play generational anthems. Against a turbulent backdrop of war, divisive social change, and awful weather, half a million people celebrated peace, love, and music together. Woodstock remains a resonant cultural marker, documenting the brief triumph of hope over experience, and Tash takes ample advantage of the moment. A positive portrait of a much-maligned era, this optimistic, exuberant tale is recommended for readers who've wondered why the '60s were so great. (Historical fiction. 12-18)

April 1, 2015

Gr 10 Up-Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. This unpolished, but extremely charming book is set in Bethel, NY, during the Woodstock festival in August, 1969. Seventeen-year-old local resident Cora volunteers to work at the medic tent at the festival, and one of her first patients of the day is a wild-eyed, scruffy looking (but somewhat attractive) guy who is having a bad acid trip. Alternating chapters in Cora and Michael's voices describe their nearly instant attraction and growing relationship amid the music, mud, and chaos on Yasgur's famous farm. Over the course of three magical days, Cora and Michael come to acknowledge their ultimate paths in life and take the first steps to achieve their goals. Tash shows tremendous promise as an author by weaving historical facts such as weather conditions and the reactions of locals in this sure-to-be-popular, mesmerizing novel. Music-savvy readers will find themselves singing along to mentions of Jimi Hendrix and other top acts. Drug use, sexual activity, and other adult themes are appropriate to the setting. VERDICT A real page-turner for fans of romance, music, and the swinging 1960s.-Susan Riley, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

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