In the mid-60s, Joe from the Bronx and Beth the orphan escape New York City for Canada, hoping to leave their past lives – and American politics – behind them. At a peace march on their way north, their fortunes intertwine with the fate of Dick, a Royal Military College Officer Cadet.

Armed with naïveté, optimism, and a little weed, the three homestead on Nova Scotia’s North Mountain. Unlike many of the fair-weather hippies of summer, they make it through the first winter with a little help from their hardier neighbors.

Steve, a man damaged by the Vietnam War, shatters their peaceful existence in one night of rape and violence. When he disappears, the Mountain folk hope that peace will return to their little world. Birth, marriage, death, divorce, and fresh relationships complicate their lives. But even as they gradually resolve the consequences of their own pasts, they become increasingly aware that Steve may return to destroy all they have achieved.

As Sylvia McCluskey, editor extraordinary put it, this novel:

“… takes readers through the life experiences of a number of young people within the hippie culture of 1960s Nova Scotia, all of whom, after harrowing experiences in their own histories, come together and make a life for themselves. The story is viewed through the eyes of multiple parties as they seek escape, solace, self-discovery, personal growth, and new beginnings as a means of finding their place in life and ultimately making peace with their pasts, all against a backdrop of rampant social change, survival and family issues, injustice and prejudice, the emotional impacts of war, and the burden of self-expectations.

We watch the impressions and insights of the main characters as they evolve, heal, and navigate the joys and challenges of their experiences, which in many ways reflect the reality of all our lives—love, death, fear, friendship, betrayal, despair—making the story very relatable, and I believe it will resonate strongly with the targeted readers. The twists and turns of the main characters’ respective personal journeys are often unexpected and surprising; they weave an intriguing tapestry that keeps the reader turning the pages. One cannot but root for them as they make their way through their often bewildering emotional and physical struggles to ultimately triumph.”

Sylvia has my unstinting recommendation. Find her website at: http://www.ladysilverediting.com.