The narrator-protagonist of D.J. Taylor’s new novel, a mild-mannered Oxford graduate named Nick Du Pont, has resisted the lure of a proper career to become a publicist for a flower-pop group called the Helium Kids.
The story begins in 1964, with Nick and the band in the United States. It’s the year of the Civil Rights Act, and the Helium Kids’ entire tour is set in venues along the Mason–Dixon Line, prompting Nick to reflect on the ‘terrible, pulled-both-ways wonder of 1960s America’.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 3 months of digital access, absolutely free
Subscribe to The Spectator Australia today to get the next 3 months of unlimited website and app access for free.
- Full access to spectator.com.au and spectator.co.uk
- The Spectator Australia app, on Apple and Android
- Podcasts and newsletters, including Morning Double Shot
- Our archive, going back to 1828
Or
Unlock this article
You might disagree with half of it, but you’ll enjoy reading all of it. Try your first month for free, then just $2 a week for the remainder of your first year.
Comments
Get 3 months of digital access, absolutely free
Join the conversation with other Spectator Australia readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.
CLAIM OFFER 3 months freeAlready a subscriber? Log in