A Thousand Steps

In T. Jefferson Parker's A Thousand Steps, set against the backdrop of 1968 Laguna Beach during the vibrant Age of Aquarius, sixteen-year-old Matt Antony navigates a tumultuous life filled with challenges. With a stoner mother, an absent father, and a brother fighting in Vietnam, Matt's world is turned upside down when his sister Jazz goes missing amidst a wave of disappearances. As he grapples with his own coming-of-age journey, Matt feels compelled to uncover the truth behind her disappearance, risking everything in a town where tensions run high between the locals and the authorities. This gripping thriller blends elements of a poignant youth narrative with the undercurrents of a turbulent era.