Kissing the Sky

A Novel

By: Lisa Patton

Narrated by: Hallie Ricardo, Lisa Patton

From the bestselling author of Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter comes a soulful, nostalgic novel about a young woman coming of age in the ‘60s to the blare of the music that shaped a generation.

It’s the summer of ’69. While her peers revel in free love and rock and roll, Suzannah is home from college, sequestered inside her conservative Southern home. Her domineering father has condemned rock music and driven away her best friend. She’s counting the days until fall.

But everything changes when her free-spirited best friend, Livy, resurfaces, urging Suzannah, a talented singer, to join her for three days of peace and music in upstate New York. Fed up with her father’s rules and fearful for her brother’s fate in Vietnam, Suzannah agrees to the road trip, sneaking off without her parents’ knowledge.

Miles outside her comfort zone, the electrifying bedlam of Woodstock jolts her into a journey of self-transformation. But it’s not all incense and peppermints. Suzannah’s falling hard for Leon, a boy she meets at the festival, and the seductive bud of first love conceals a thorn of heartache. Lies uncover betrayal, and Livy’s wild behavior leads to a startling revelation.

A nostalgic trip through the turbulent ’60s, this is the story of a lovable heroine who lets go of the girl she was to embrace the woman she’s becoming while she learns to lift her voice—for herself and perhaps for the world.

©2026 by Lisa Patton. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Patton’s bildungsroman illuminates Woodstock through the eyes of a sheltered 20-year-old woman who must grapple with lingering guilt, blossoming love, and her friend’s strange behavior…a journey to love, forgiveness, and self-discovery…a nostalgic look at the 1960s.”—Booklist

“Thematically the reminder is that humans need one another, that love for the people around us should unite, not divide. Patton’s outspoken reminiscence will be gobbled up by anyone interested in (or who participated in) the counter-culture movement…Magical!”—Historical Novel Society, Editors’ Choice

“Kissing the Sky is a story of Woodstock and war, of agency and astonishment. And in it, Lisa Patton is at her absolute best: funny, perceptive, romantic, and soul-stirring. For three music-soaked days we follow Suzannah—a young woman on the cusp of freedom—through a muddy field in upstate New York as she discovers the joys of first love and the strength of her own voice. An iconic novel set in the heart of an iconic weekend!”—Ariel Lawhon, New York Times bestselling author of The Frozen River

Coming of Age Story at Woodstock

I really loved this book. I listened on Audible and it was very enjoyable. I thought I had a pretty good knowledge of Woodstock but this book really made me feel like I was there. I enjoyed the coming of age story of Susannah set to the backdrop of Woodstock and Vietnam. I really worried the author might not stick the landing in the end but she was able to bring it all together perfectly and I just loved the story. I have also read Rush by Lisa Patton and really liked it but I think I enjoyed this book more which I was not expecting. I also enjoyed that the main character was from Memphis, TN. I love southern literature, so it was fun to take a young, sheltered young woman from the south and put her at Woodstock. I felt like I was seeing it all for the first time, as if my 20 year old naive self was seeing it all too. It was a fun read and learned a lot in the process.

beautifully written and so accurate

This is my era! (I was 18) I didn't go to Woodstock but have several friends that did. I was so jealous, lol. I loved everything about this book. So much fun to listen to. So much nostalgia about the music. CSN is still my favorite. In fact I have tickets to see Graham Nash next month! The ending was wonderful! If this was your time in the sun, read or listen to this book. You won't be disappointed!!

Fun, accurate story, that made for a great listen.

I was excited to grab this book from first reads and then ticked to see the audio is no available.

Bring born in 1975 clearly I could get to Woodstock and it’s always been this nostalgic melancholy that I missed it, I know if I was 25 years older I’d have been there, and this strange part of me that senses this familiarity with it…as if I did get to participate in Woodstock.

So, finding a story so throughly researched was so fun. This was such a cool twist on historical fiction. Payton was able to tell real stories of what happened and address this senseless war that shaped my folks and so many of friends parents lives as they were entering adulthood during this time. I hope my mom reads this story.

It was lots of fun to read and my listen to. The narrates cheat job. Another cool thing with this story was that the hippie soul I am loved all this music, so in my mind I had a soundtrack playing along

Woodstock wannabe!

I enjoyed the whole story, but the best part of the story is the 4 days at Woodstock. I wanted to be there to see it all and experience almost everything Susie did. The song at the end of this audio book is great and I can’t wait to review all my teenage music!!!

I feel like I've been to Woodstock!

This is probably the best audiobook I've ever listened to! I feel like I've actually been to Woodstock! All the historical details brought it to life in such a way that immerses you in the Woodstock culture. What a great story.