Altamont: A Novel

$14.99
by Joseph Holder IV

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SYNOPSIS: Set against the vibrant but volatile counterculture of 1969 Northern California, ALTAMONT follows MARCUS (17), a talented young Black musician, and LILY (17), a free-spirited white suburban girl rebelling against her authoritarian father, a police officer steeped in prejudice. Their worlds collide in a record store, sparking a flirtation rooted in their shared love of music-Motown soul versus the raw energy of The Rolling Stones. As Marcus introduces Lily to his community and the struggles of being Black in America, Lily exposes Marcus to her stifling home life, dominated by her father's control and racial hostility. Their romance deepens in secret, leading to tender moments of intimacy and connection that highlight their desire to escape societal constraints. Joined by friends JAMES and SARA, they set out for the Altamont Free Concert, lured by the promise of music and countercultural liberation. But the dream rapidly unravels as the Hells Angels, hired as "security," unleash escalating violence amidst a chaotic, drug-fueled crowd. In a harrowing climax underscored by the Stones' performance, Marcus is racially targeted and fatally stabbed by a Hells Angel in front of Lily. The film closes with Lily grieving alone as Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" plays, juxtaposed with James joining the Black Panthers and Lily leaving her home behind-marking not only the end of their love story but the symbolic death of the 1960s idealism. ALTAMONT is a powerful, music-driven romantic tragedy blending historical fact and fiction to explore young love, race, rebellion, and the shattering of innocence at a defining moment in American history.

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