The Smoke in Our Eyes by James Grady

Set in 1959, the year the music died, The Smoke in Our Eyes is a cinematic, clock-ticking saga set in a small Montana town. When a fatal car accident shatters ten-year-old Lucas’s world, he finds himself confronting crime and vengeance, humor and heroism, all against the backdrop of growing up.

Alongside the tightly written drama of Lucas and his family, Grady, author of the classic Condor series, evokes a heady mood and sense of place. From the Space Race and the first warnings of global climate change to the brutal racism of segregation and the hope of a new generation to move us forward, The Smoke in Our Eyes is a fresh rending of rural noir that captures both an intimate story and the volatility of mid-century America.