Three Day Summer

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.