The Barnes & Noble PREMIUM SOFTCOVER is now back in stock ONLINE.
Yearbook Special Edition Layout
Pure American Nostalgia features a vivid, immersive design that transports readers straight into the heart of 1964, bringing history to life with striking full-color visuals. Every image—capturing real people and places—was meticulously gathered over weeks of research at local historical societies and archives, ensuring an authentic and evocative storytelling experience.
A Summer of Change. A Night to Remember. A Choice That Will Change Everything.
When a writer stumbles upon his old stack of 45s, a wave of nostalgia and homesickness sweeps him back to the first night of summer 1964—the night that set his life’s course. Determined to prove themselves as real hoods, he and his two best friends embark on a wild ride across Kansas City to witness the legendary Duke of Erle in a high-stakes drag race, where reputations are made and broken.
But as the night unfolds, tensions ignite with jocks, thugs, and local rivals. Each chaotic, hilarious encounter escalates, leading to a final confrontation with a wannabe mobster—forcing the trio into a test of loyalty and an even greater realization. Beneath the adrenaline and wisecracks lurks the terrifying question every kid must face: Who do I want to become?
Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing era, this pulse-pounding, uproarious coming-of-age odyssey cruises through reckless summer nights, unbreakable friendships, and the music that shaped a generation.
Author
TJ Dailey is an author and baseball coach. He lives in Parkville, MO with his wife Christine and their two children.
