Born Under a Bad Sign

On the 50th anniversary of Woodstock comes a gripping story of love and obsession, set in one of the most turbulent times in American history.

It is 1969, capstone of a tumultuous decade, and life in the rural town of Pennsboro, Pa. is about to explode. A dam that would flood the valley pits family against family. Protesters riot. Buildings burn. Amid the chaos, two lovers risk everything to fight for their dreams.

Elizabeth Reed feels conflicted. She loves the river the government wants to dam, and a musician who can’t settle on any one person or place. Hayden Quinn, the guitarist Rolling Stone calls the next Jimi Hendrix, feeds a single obsession—to play Woodstock, the biggest concert of his life. He presents Elizabeth with a terrible dilemma: stay to save her family farm, or relinquish her dreams to follow Quinn into the unknown?

With saboteurs targeting everyone she loves, Elizabeth faces the greatest risk of all—whether to trust herself.

Rich in unforgettable characters, brimming with social insight and historical detail, Born under a Bad Sign is a dramatic and nuanced portrait of love and loss in the Sixties—a coming-of-age story for a generation.

Jeff Widmer is the author of seven novels and three books of nonfiction, including Peak Season, with real estate agent CW McCoy, and Mr. Mayhem, featuring the defrocked journalist known as Brinker.