Cowboy — Bob Holt

At the start of Bob Holt's debut novel, Cowboy, it seems easy to know right from wrong. But in the throes of the 1960's counterculture, as Jim Davis prepares to return to his rural Southwestern home after serving in the army, everything is about to change. 

Life in his home town had been simple -- chores, school, Wednesday night prayer meetings, Friday night football games, and Sunday morning church services -- with clear guidance from pastors, parents, teachers, and coaches. But when young veteran Jim chooses to attend a liberal New England university in 1969, he meets a Woodstock flowerchild, a free spirit who introduces him to the new world of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. 

Readers of all ages, particularly those who lived through that unique, exciting time, will appreciate watching Jim navigate that journey without losing his soul. At the same time, the nation also travels this era of change. How does Jim and the country keep from falling into the abyss?