Summer of the Black Chevy is a coming-of-age novel about a boy’s calamitous first teenage summer. It takes place in the author’s hometown of Deer Lodge, Montana, in 1965. The novel resonates with adults who picture themselves in the characters and long for childhood nostalgia.
The boy’s name is Paul Morrison. His teachers talk of faraway places he can only imagine. He dreams of kissing a girl for the first time and seeing his beloved Minnesota Twins win the World Series. Paul and his best friends love to fish and ride their bikes and tell stories about real or imagined conquests. On the night of his seventh-grade dance Paul’s first teenage summer changes course when he encounters a stranger who drives a black Chevy.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll read in the novel:
¶ “The car roared and bucked with heart-thumping power. The motor had a mind of its own, a beast of metal and explosive gases in eight cylinders. I screeched onto a paved street in third gear. The big steering wheel felt alive in my clenched hands, silhouetted against the yellow light on the dashboard. The speedometer needle climbed to twenty-five, then thirty. In third gear, the Chevy cut through the night like a charging army. I drove for three blocks consumed with the thrill before it occurred to me that I’d stolen the stranger’s car.”
Here’s what Lana of Arizona says of Summer of the Black Chevy:
¶ “I grew up with the original Hooligans in Deer Lodge, so I was as anxious for the release of Summer of the Black Chevy as I was for the Tri-County Fair every August when I could rendezvous with all my friends before school started. I expected a walk down memory lane filled with local folklore, adolescent pranks, and angst over new love, making the team and crossing the proverbial line, but the story was so much more. Paul Morrison learns the hard lessons of life about hardship, death, war and cover-ups and how those seemingly arbitrary events change your life. Congratulations, Kevin, on your first novel. It was a great read.’
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Now comes an excerpt from Summer of the Black Chevy as the fictional Paul Morrison tells of writing about his favorite novel, Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come:
¶ “Four days later I came home with a big “A!” marked on my English report. “Excellent job relating fiction to personal experience!” Mrs. Miller wrote beneath my grade. She made comments in the margins, too, congratulating me for little insights into conflicted relationships. In one place I had written, “Chad Buford grew up an orphan but experienced the same conflicts with his friends and fellow soldiers that he might have felt with his parents if they had lived. He felt resentment, betrayal and loneliness. Sometimes he felt love when he realized that people were trying to look out for him. So conflict can be both bad and good. I think Chad Buford found out the hard way. So did I …” Mrs. Miller knew all about the Tuckers. She probably didn’t know that I was in hot water at home unless she played bridge with mothers whose tongues flapped like window shades in strong wind. I considered bragging to my parents about my grade but thought better of it. My essay suddenly seemed personal and private. I folded it twice and locked it in a silver metal box where I kept my treasures, including a clipping from the Butte paper of President Kennedy’s assassination, my badges from Cub Scouts and a few baseball cards of my favorite Minnesota Twins. School ended for the summer two days later. Homework seems less important when the school closes. My parents got busy and never asked about the essay. I wouldn’t see it again for thirty years.”
And then readers tell of how they identified with the characters:
¶ “‘Summer of the Black Chevy’ is a wonderful book about a young man growing up in a small town. It is a must-read story filled with compassion, excitement and challenges. A must read for all!” Sandra of Oregon
¶ “A moving story of the love, loyalty, grief and connection felt between humans. ‘Summer of the Black Chevy’ is incredible. Putting it down simply was not an option, and I highly recommend it to all.” Haylie of Montana
¶ “I just finished reading ‘Summer of the Black Chevy.’ Believe me, you touched some hot spots for me. I could SO relate to the characters. I graduated high school in 1965. I lost a close friend to cancer just before we graduated. Every male in my class who couldn’t get a deferment went to Vietnam. One was killed there. All the others who went to Vietnam are now dead. I think we all had a different take on life, family, future and time because of the times. We lurched into life with a vengeance. … The bottom line is, Kevin, you nailed the times!” Nancy of Minnesota
And, it ‘took me back in time’ …
¶ “’Summer of the Black Chevy’ took me back in time on an adventure in a place so familiar, but through the eyes of a different generation. The detailed descriptions provided vivid imagery and I felt like I was right there in Deer Lodge in 1965 experiencing sights, sounds, and smells with the characters from the first page to the last. I was reminded how the days of childhood innocence should be treasured, but also how quickly things can change and people can grow in the face of tragedy. It gave me great joy reading about some of the old glories of my hometown, but wherever you call home, this story of love, adversity, friendship, and resilience is worth the read!” Haley of Montana
¶ “A big shout out to Kevin S. Giles Author for writing the great book that has its setting in Deer Lodge, Montana. I must admit that the reason I read it was because my roots are there, but I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone, anywhere. Any book that keeps me up all night AND makes me cry is a good one! Great job, Kevin! Summer of the Black Chevy, read it!” Loretta of Washington
‘I couldn’t put it down’ …
¶ “I have finished reading your book and have to say that it was a very enjoyable read! I like a book that both makes one chuckle and tear up in places. Good job!” Tom of North Carolina
¶ “Once I started reading Summer of the Black Chevy I couldn’t put it down. Ask my wife! I was useless until I finished it. The story is compelling and the characters are very believable. As a Deer Lodge native, my little town came back in vivid detail and brought back so many memories. I loved the twists and turns Mr. Giles put into the story and the real life emotions and reactions. I can’t wait for the movie!” Fred of Colorado
And, ‘far exceeded my expectations’ …
¶ “I anxiously awaited my copy of Summer of the Black Chevy because I knew the novel was set in my hometown. That said, the book far exceeded my expectations. For any person coming of age in the 60’s and living in a small town, you will be flooded with memories and intrigued by the character development. The book is well written, descriptive, and colorful. It truly took me back to my youth and evoked memories that had long been dormant. As one of the hooligans that the book is dedicated to, I congratulate Kevin on a great book and fun read.” Todd of Montana
¶ “I have finished Summer of the Black Chevy. You write about the town I remember. The names have changed, but I know them. I laughed, cried and just enjoyed reading this remarkable book.” Katheryn of Montana
Kevin S. Giles set his novel in his hometown of Deer Lodge, Montana, where he knew a few cowboys who looked like this. Sort of. Photo by Becky Giles.
And a reflection of simpler times:
¶ “People like to remember their youth as a simpler time. Kevin Giles’ Summer of the Black Chevy reminds us that when you truly dig into your memories, youth is time of confusion, conflict, angst, excitement and most preciously, life’s firsts. Youth is particularly interesting if you were a kid that broke a cardinal rule in western Montana towns… Don’t mess with Butte kids! Giles’ story about a thirteen year old boy living in Deer Lodge, Montana, in 1965 is full of relatable first experiences that are just as adrenaline-charged as they are haunting. 1965 is no simpler time than now, and Summer of the Black Chevy will return you to a time in your life that was full of wide-eyed exhilaration, even if you didn’t mess with Butte kids.” Jim of Montana
¶ “I grew up in Helena, Mont., as a teenager in the 50s and many things teens faced in the 60s in Deer Lodge were similar to those in my teen years so this book brought back memories. The little descriptive phrases that Kevin brought out, like “ironed on patches on jeans,” made the book so realistic to me. The anticipation and Kevin’s description leading up to some of the major parts of the story made it a ‘hard-to-put-down’ book. The book was very well written and brought so many characters, each with their own story, into the big story.” Judy of Montana
And ‘characters were real people’ …
¶ “Kevin, just finished reading Summer of the Black Chevy. Wow, great story; nice elements of antics of teenage boys, layered with the poignancy of tragic loss and unusual friendship. The characters were real people facing real life experiences. I will certainly recommend this book. I think it would be a good book club read.” Linda of Arizona
¶ “Summer of the Black Chevy took me back to my own teenage years in Australia. Kevin really captures the hopes, dreams and fears of a boy growing up in a small town in the sixties (and not just in the USA). I smiled as I related to my own memories of being elbowed aside en route across the dance hall heading for the prettiest girl there. I was also transported back to some sobering recollections of wild car rides. Kevin paints a wonderful picture of small town Montana with a heart-felt story of a young boy’s journey to become a man. Summer of the Black Chevy is thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.” Gregory of Queensland, Australia
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Western Montana native Kevin S. Giles wrote the popular prison nonfiction work Jerry’s Riot, the coming-of-age novel Summer of the Black Chevy, and a biography of Montana congresswoman Jeannette Rankin, One Woman Against War, which is an expanded version of his earlier work, “Flight of the Dove.” His new novel, Headline: FIRE! is the third in the Red Maguire series. Masks, Mayhem and Murder is the second. The first is “Mystery of the Purple Roses.” More information is available at https://kevinsgiles.com.