LISA PATTON: KISSING THE SKY

Join us as we welcome Lisa Patton in conversation with Emily Freeburg Kay at The Hutchison School Wiener Theater on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28 at 1:00 PM to celebrate the release of Patton's new novel KISSING THE SKY.

THIS IS A TICKETED EVENT. 

EACH TICKET ADMITS ONE PERSON TO NOVEL'S EVENT WITH LISA PATTON ON 

2/28/2026 AT HUCHISON SCHOOL AND COMES WITH ONE COPY OF KISSING THE SKY. 

YOU MUST SHOW YOUR TICKET AT THE DOOR. YOUR CONFIRMATION EMAIL IS YOUR TICKET. 

PURCHASE YOUR TICKET BELOW. 

**PLEASE NOTE: This event is at Hutchison School NOT Novel bookstore. **

ABOUT THE BOOK:

From the bestselling author of Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter comes a soulful, nostalgic novel about a young woman coming of age in the '60s to the blare of the music that shaped a generation.

It's the summer of '69. While her peers revel in free love and rock and roll, Suzannah is home from college, sequestered inside her conservative Southern home. Her domineering father has condemned rock music and driven away her best friend. She's counting the days until fall.

But everything changes when her free-spirited best friend, Livy, resurfaces, urging Suzannah, a talented singer, to join her for three days of peace and music in upstate New York. Fed up with her father's rules and fearful for her brother's fate in Vietnam, Suzannah agrees to the road trip, sneaking off without her parents' knowledge.

Miles outside her comfort zone, the electrifying bedlam of Woodstock jolts her into a journey of self-transformation. But it's not all incense and peppermints. Suzannah's falling hard for Leon, a boy she meets at the festival, and the seductive bud of first love conceals a thorn of heartache. Lies uncover betrayal, and Livy's wild behavior leads to a startling revelation.

A nostalgic trip through the turbulent '60s, when the music becomes a powerful force for social change. This is the story of a lovable heroine who lets go of the girl she was, to embrace the woman she's becoming, and learns to lift her voice--for herself and perhaps for the world.

“A moving portrayal of a young woman’s battle to claim her life on her own terms, set against the stark backdrop of the Vietnam War, Kissing the Sky is a triumphant coming-of-age novel that, like a favorite song, will linger in readers’ minds long after the final page. Lisa Patton deftly paints a picture of Woodstock so immersive and so vivid, I found myself swaying to the music―and gasping at an emotional twist I never saw coming. A bold, beautiful testament to the power of community, the transformative nature of true love, and the absolute necessity of following your heart, Kissing the Sky is the must-read novel we all need right now. Five golden, glittering (or, better yet, tie-dyed!) stars!”

Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of Beach House Rules

"Lisa Patton has written a superb historical novel. Never, and I mean never, in a million years would I have guessed that she was not at Woodstock herself. I was on pins and needles the entire time, excited to find out what happened next. And the twist? You could have knocked me over with a feather! A remarkable achievement!"

Fannie Flagg, NYT Bestselling author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

“Kissing the Sky is a story of Woodstock and war, of agency and astonishment. And in it, Lisa Patton is at her absolute best: funny, perceptive, romantic, and soul-stirring. For three music-soaked days we follow Suzannah―a young woman on the cusp of freedom―through a muddy field in upstate New York as she discovers the joys of first love and the strength of her own voice. An iconic novel set in the heart of an iconic weekend!”

Ariel Lawhon, New York Times bestselling author of The Frozen River
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Patton, the best-selling author of five novels, is a Memphis native with over twenty-five years’ experience in the music and entertainment industry. She was the manager of the Orpheum Theatre, and promotion director for both FM 100 radio and WMC TV before moving to Nashville, where she worked with Doobie Brother, Michael McDonald, as his right-hand person. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Lisa is the proud mother of two sons, one daughter in law, and one brand new grandson, all of whom live in Nashville close to Lisa and her husband and their four-legged, furry son named Handsome.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER:

Emily Freeburg Kay is a lifelong Memphian. After graduating from the Hutchison School, she attended Stetson University and Rhodes College. Emily and her husband, Harvey, are active members of St. John’s Episcopal Church and are the proud parents of four children and five grandchildren.