High Skies

High Skies recounts the collision of devastating weather, Cold War suspicion, tense race relations, and the unintended consequences of good intentions in a small West Texas town.

<p><em>High Skies</em> recounts the collision of devastating weather, Cold War suspicion, tense race relations, and the unintended consequences of good intentions in a small West Texas town in the 1950s, changing the futures of the families there and altering their perceptions of America. At the center of this perfect storm is Raymond &ldquo;Flyboy&rdquo; Seaker, a respected military veteran, now the vice principal of a school in which Troy, who tells the story, and his disabled friend Stevie will have their lives upended forever. Through a combination of his own well-meaning ambitions and the political maneuverings of others, Flyboy and the families he serves come to grasp the meaning of community and of individual fortitude. Written with a vivid economy recalling Denis Johnson&rsquo;s <em>Train Dreams</em> and painting as indelible a portrait of small town life as Larry McMurtry&rsquo;s <em>The Last Picture Show</em>, <em>High Skies </em>is a perfectly distilled American epic.</p>