Thursday, March 22, 2012

Bliss - Lauren Myracle

1969 is a time of contrast in society.  Hippies live in communes or groups away from, or in the middle of, society. Segregation is ending, Vietnam is on the nightly news right along side the Manson Family trial. 

Bliss, yes that is her name, is sent from her family in Canada, where they live to avoid the draft, to make a new life with her grandmother in Atlanta.  Bliss goes from living in a tent to a home where you dress for supper, even if it is only the two of you.  She also goes from learning by a campfire to an exclusive Atlanta school.  There are a couple of token scholarship students, including one carefully chosen young black man but otherwise all the students are pretty much from the same mold.

There is one little twist, Bliss hears a voice that compels her to find the key to open a locked door in an unused portion of the school buildings.  That opens up a series of events that lead to the conclusion.

Interspaced with the narration by Bliss are diary entries from another source, Andy Griffith Show quotes and transcripts from the Manson Family trial.  The feel of the time is right and brings back many memories for people that lived during this time.

I found it interesting that I remembered the Manson trials, I should have been to young.  It is possible that someone was just talking about it later but I do not believe that is the way it occured.

Great book and I recommend it.

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