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Woodstock
Set during the tumultuous Vietnam War and man’s first walk on the moon, Woodstock is a deeply atmospheric, coming-of-age story about resilience, betrayal, and the power of love.
1969: When eighteen-year-old Dawn Ellis and her friends trek across America to attend the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, they anticipate a weekend of peace, love, freedom, and music. It will be an exhilarating time for them before college.
But three days at Woodstock will change their lives forever.
2010: Fashion photographer, Sydney Meredith, receives an unexpected phone call from a Santa Monica hospital, requesting that she rush to the beside of an elderly, comatose woman she doesn’t know. The woman has listed Sydney as her next of kin.
But who is this woman? And how does she know Sydney? When the hospital persists, Sydney is overcome with curiosity and flies to Santa Monica.
As she delves deeper into the mystery of the woman, Sydney begins to unravel a forty-year-old web of lies, secrets, and heartbreaking sacrifices. And it all leads back to Woodstock.
1969: When eighteen-year-old Dawn Ellis and her friends trek across America to attend the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, they anticipate a weekend of peace, love, freedom, and music. It will be an exhilarating time for them before college.
But three days at Woodstock will change their lives forever.
2010: Fashion photographer, Sydney Meredith, receives an unexpected phone call from a Santa Monica hospital, requesting that she rush to the beside of an elderly, comatose woman she doesn’t know. The woman has listed Sydney as her next of kin.
But who is this woman? And how does she know Sydney? When the hospital persists, Sydney is overcome with curiosity and flies to Santa Monica.
As she delves deeper into the mystery of the woman, Sydney begins to unravel a forty-year-old web of lies, secrets, and heartbreaking sacrifices. And it all leads back to Woodstock.
- GenresHistorical
478 pages, ebook
Published June 18, 2025
13 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Montebello
19 books237 followersMICHELLE MONTEBELLO is a writer from Sydney, Australia where she lives with her family.
She is the internationally bestselling author of The Quarantine Station, The Lost Letters of Playfair Street and The Forever Place.
Her books have won numerous accolades. The Quarantine Station won the 2023 International Book Excellence Award while The Lost Letters of Playfair Street won the 2020 ARRA Award for Favourite Historical Romance. The Forever Place was a 2022 ARRA and RWA RuBY Award finalist.
Michelle has been shortlisted three times for ARRA Australian Author of the Year.
For all Michelle’s book news, subscribe to her newsletter at www.michellemontebello.com.au.
Reach out to Michelle on social media:
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2JA6EsB
Instagram: https://bit.ly/2HzdOeP
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LzG4Aj
She is the internationally bestselling author of The Quarantine Station, The Lost Letters of Playfair Street and The Forever Place.
Her books have won numerous accolades. The Quarantine Station won the 2023 International Book Excellence Award while The Lost Letters of Playfair Street won the 2020 ARRA Award for Favourite Historical Romance. The Forever Place was a 2022 ARRA and RWA RuBY Award finalist.
Michelle has been shortlisted three times for ARRA Australian Author of the Year.
For all Michelle’s book news, subscribe to her newsletter at www.michellemontebello.com.au.
Reach out to Michelle on social media:
Facebook: https://bit.ly/2JA6EsB
Instagram: https://bit.ly/2HzdOeP
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LzG4Aj
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 19, 2025
We have all seen the pictures of the large crowds at Woodstock, sopping wet and covered mud and those images showcase the fashion and music and spirit of the time and how many of the performers became legends and their songs classic anthems.
I have always wondered what happened to those young American’s who made their way to Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York and it's about sixty miles from the town of Woodstock. In Michelle Montebello’s new novel she explores this and how those three days changed the lives of the five main characters Dawn, Patty, Carol, Tommy and Keith. They had all finished high school, were eighteen and wanted to have fun and before they went off to college.
1969: Dawn Ellis manages to convince her strict parents to let her go with her friends to attend the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, they pack their camping gear and set off in a kombi van and slowly make their way to the festival, meeting some interesting people on the way for and looking for adventure and freedom, bonding and love, mixed with alcohol and drugs, and music and grooving.
The story has a dual timeline and is set in 1969 and later in 2010 and is easy to follow and it takes you on a journey.
2010: Sydney Meredith is a fashion photographer, she’s visiting her parents in Portland when she receives a phone call from a Santa Monica hospital, requesting her to make medical decisions for a critically ill woman who she doesn’t know and has listed Sydney as her next of kin.
When her mum and dad won’t tell her the truth, Sydney travels to Santa Monica and she attempts to piece together the past and at time when the man had just walked on the moon, Vietnam War was raging and so were hormones and the at people at Woodstock.
I was captivated and invested in the narrative by the end of the first chapter, I cared about the characters and what happened to them. A true coming of age story about being a teenager, young love, friendship, secrets, mistakes, disloyalty and lies and must read for those who enjoy well written and thoroughly researched and epic historical fiction and five stars from me.
I have always wondered what happened to those young American’s who made their way to Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York and it's about sixty miles from the town of Woodstock. In Michelle Montebello’s new novel she explores this and how those three days changed the lives of the five main characters Dawn, Patty, Carol, Tommy and Keith. They had all finished high school, were eighteen and wanted to have fun and before they went off to college.
1969: Dawn Ellis manages to convince her strict parents to let her go with her friends to attend the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, they pack their camping gear and set off in a kombi van and slowly make their way to the festival, meeting some interesting people on the way for and looking for adventure and freedom, bonding and love, mixed with alcohol and drugs, and music and grooving.
The story has a dual timeline and is set in 1969 and later in 2010 and is easy to follow and it takes you on a journey.
2010: Sydney Meredith is a fashion photographer, she’s visiting her parents in Portland when she receives a phone call from a Santa Monica hospital, requesting her to make medical decisions for a critically ill woman who she doesn’t know and has listed Sydney as her next of kin.
When her mum and dad won’t tell her the truth, Sydney travels to Santa Monica and she attempts to piece together the past and at time when the man had just walked on the moon, Vietnam War was raging and so were hormones and the at people at Woodstock.
I was captivated and invested in the narrative by the end of the first chapter, I cared about the characters and what happened to them. A true coming of age story about being a teenager, young love, friendship, secrets, mistakes, disloyalty and lies and must read for those who enjoy well written and thoroughly researched and epic historical fiction and five stars from me.
April 24, 2025
It was 1969 when Dawn Ellis, Tommy, Patty, Carol and Keith headed in Tommy's combi van to a weekend of music, peace, freedom and love, across America to Woodstock. Dawn's parents had been reluctant for her to go, but her older sister, Ruth, had managed to persuade them. She was so excited, as were all the young people. The crowds were phenomenal; the atmosphere electric; the music out of this world. But the Woodstock weekend changed the lives of those five young people forever...
2010 and fashion photographer Sydney Meredith was heading home to her parents between photo shoots when she received a call from a hospital, stating Sydney was next of kin to a woman called Destiny, who was in a coma. The woman on the phone was bemused when Sydney said she didn't know the woman, and wouldn't be coming. But questions to her parents and their reactions, sent Sydney on the next plane to Santa Monica. And then the secrets and lies, the heartache and confusion, started to come to the surface.
Woodstock is an extraordinary and outstanding historical novel by Aussie author Michelle Montebello which I totally loved! This author writes wonderful stories, with all I've read a hit! This one is up there with one of her best. The characters are so realistic, the time of Woodstock when peace was felt by the crowds, on the back of the horrific war in Vietnam - all came together to create an exceptional novel with plenty of twists along the way. Highly recommended.
With thanks to the author for my digital uncorrected proof ARC to read and review.
2010 and fashion photographer Sydney Meredith was heading home to her parents between photo shoots when she received a call from a hospital, stating Sydney was next of kin to a woman called Destiny, who was in a coma. The woman on the phone was bemused when Sydney said she didn't know the woman, and wouldn't be coming. But questions to her parents and their reactions, sent Sydney on the next plane to Santa Monica. And then the secrets and lies, the heartache and confusion, started to come to the surface.
Woodstock is an extraordinary and outstanding historical novel by Aussie author Michelle Montebello which I totally loved! This author writes wonderful stories, with all I've read a hit! This one is up there with one of her best. The characters are so realistic, the time of Woodstock when peace was felt by the crowds, on the back of the horrific war in Vietnam - all came together to create an exceptional novel with plenty of twists along the way. Highly recommended.
With thanks to the author for my digital uncorrected proof ARC to read and review.
June 10, 2025
Just WOW this book is another masterpiece from Michelle Montebello, her words and characters leave a place in my mind after reading one of her stories, stories that are emotionally beautiful, filled with characters who come to life within the pages and this is one that I just loved so much, come along for a trip back in time to none other than Woodstock the most memorable music festival ever, you will not be able to put this one down.
It is 1969 and Dawn Ellis is eighteen just finished school and waiting to go to college, with the help from her sister Ruth she convinces her strict parents to let her travel across America with four of her friends, Patty, Carol Keith and Tommy in Tommy’s Kombi van to attend Woodstock music and arts festival, this weekend is a sure to be a weekend of peace, love, freedom and music from some of the best bands and musicians. This weekend will also change their lives forever, some of them drafted for the Vietnam War but life will never be the same for these friends.
2010 Sydney Meredith who is a fashion photographer is visiting her parents when she gets a phone call from a hospital in Santa Monica to say that she is down as next of kin for a woman called Destiny who in in an induced coma and they would like her to come and be there for her, the only thing is that Meredith has never heard of this woman before and when she questions her parents she detects that they know something, and when the hospital rings again Meredith goes to Santa Monica and what she discovers with upend all that she has known.
The discoveries Meredith makes takes her back to Woodstock and the lies, secrets and sacrifices that those young people made all those years ago, the world was a very different place back then, I was totally captivated and enthralled from the start as the story came alive on the pages, the music rang in my ears as Dawn and her friends lived through all that was Woodstock and then Meredith’s search for answers had me cheering her on, this is such a brilliant story, truly.
I cried, I smiled and I felt every emotion throughout this story my heart broke at times and then it was put back together, I do highly recommend this one it really is a must read. Thank you Michelle Montebello for another awesome story that I loved. The research was fabulous.
My thanks to the author for my digital copy to read and review.
It is 1969 and Dawn Ellis is eighteen just finished school and waiting to go to college, with the help from her sister Ruth she convinces her strict parents to let her travel across America with four of her friends, Patty, Carol Keith and Tommy in Tommy’s Kombi van to attend Woodstock music and arts festival, this weekend is a sure to be a weekend of peace, love, freedom and music from some of the best bands and musicians. This weekend will also change their lives forever, some of them drafted for the Vietnam War but life will never be the same for these friends.
2010 Sydney Meredith who is a fashion photographer is visiting her parents when she gets a phone call from a hospital in Santa Monica to say that she is down as next of kin for a woman called Destiny who in in an induced coma and they would like her to come and be there for her, the only thing is that Meredith has never heard of this woman before and when she questions her parents she detects that they know something, and when the hospital rings again Meredith goes to Santa Monica and what she discovers with upend all that she has known.
The discoveries Meredith makes takes her back to Woodstock and the lies, secrets and sacrifices that those young people made all those years ago, the world was a very different place back then, I was totally captivated and enthralled from the start as the story came alive on the pages, the music rang in my ears as Dawn and her friends lived through all that was Woodstock and then Meredith’s search for answers had me cheering her on, this is such a brilliant story, truly.
I cried, I smiled and I felt every emotion throughout this story my heart broke at times and then it was put back together, I do highly recommend this one it really is a must read. Thank you Michelle Montebello for another awesome story that I loved. The research was fabulous.
My thanks to the author for my digital copy to read and review.
May 14, 2025
Love, love loved this book!
No spoilers here…
This is a love story in many ways and forms.
It is a bittersweet coming of age story that could very easily be based on fact given the thinking of the times.
It’s about friendship, love, peace, war, camaraderie, trust and betrayal.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would have been like to be at Woodstock back in 1969 then this book will (properly) transport you there.
If you are lucky enough to remember those times and the music that was born for exactly that time and place…and has prevailed…then you are indeed fortunate to have shared in the euphoria that was Woodstock fever and it’s lasting legacy to music…even from a distance.
The controversial and savage war in Vietnam had already been raging for more than seven years and protesters in America and numerous countries, including Canada and Australia, were desperately trying to call a stop to it and the inevitable conscription of young men…barely out of school.
Woodstock was a moment in time that stopped time, it caught the attention of the world at a time where the urgency of its message of Peace and Love was felt all over the world. Where thousands, and thousands of people came together, on a farm in Bethel, New York, to share and spread that message…to pray for Peace…to listen to the music of the bands and singers that gave their time for this cause. It was the stuff of major goosebumps! It was a privilege to witness…even from this distance.
And the music that was borne of that time is now written in the books of music history.
Michelle Montebello has managed, in this story, to encapsulate the sense of momentous significance that was Woodstock.
This is great historical story telling, blending facts with fiction to paint a convincing picture of an important social and musical era.
A beautiful and moving story that will hit the reader with all the feels! I was instantly transported.
Highly recommended reading.
5⭐️s
*Many thanks to the author Michelle Montebello for my ebook copy to read and review.
No spoilers here…
This is a love story in many ways and forms.
It is a bittersweet coming of age story that could very easily be based on fact given the thinking of the times.
It’s about friendship, love, peace, war, camaraderie, trust and betrayal.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would have been like to be at Woodstock back in 1969 then this book will (properly) transport you there.
If you are lucky enough to remember those times and the music that was born for exactly that time and place…and has prevailed…then you are indeed fortunate to have shared in the euphoria that was Woodstock fever and it’s lasting legacy to music…even from a distance.
The controversial and savage war in Vietnam had already been raging for more than seven years and protesters in America and numerous countries, including Canada and Australia, were desperately trying to call a stop to it and the inevitable conscription of young men…barely out of school.
Woodstock was a moment in time that stopped time, it caught the attention of the world at a time where the urgency of its message of Peace and Love was felt all over the world. Where thousands, and thousands of people came together, on a farm in Bethel, New York, to share and spread that message…to pray for Peace…to listen to the music of the bands and singers that gave their time for this cause. It was the stuff of major goosebumps! It was a privilege to witness…even from this distance.
And the music that was borne of that time is now written in the books of music history.
Michelle Montebello has managed, in this story, to encapsulate the sense of momentous significance that was Woodstock.
This is great historical story telling, blending facts with fiction to paint a convincing picture of an important social and musical era.
A beautiful and moving story that will hit the reader with all the feels! I was instantly transported.
Highly recommended reading.
5⭐️s
*Many thanks to the author Michelle Montebello for my ebook copy to read and review.
October 23, 2025
**4.5 stars**
This is one of my most favourite authors ever so I acknowledge there is the potential for me to be bias. However I really don't think I am being bias when I say that I honestly think that yet again she has published an amazing well-written story. Featuring a dual timeline, we swap between 1969 and 2010. In 1969 Dawn and her friends are headed to Woodstock and then in 2010 Sydney receives a random phone call from a hospital in which she discovers she is the next of kin for an elderly comatose woman she doesn't know. The storytelling for both is interesting and engaging. I found the Woodstock chapters particularly captivating and I thought it to be a realistic imagining of this historical event from the eyes of young attendees. Sydney's chapters are a slow unravelling of the baffling mystery as to why an unknown woman to her would possibly list her as next of kin. The two timelines come together and all of the jigsaw pieces end up fitting together beautifully.
Overall: definitely one of my top reads of 2025 and highly recommend.
This is one of my most favourite authors ever so I acknowledge there is the potential for me to be bias. However I really don't think I am being bias when I say that I honestly think that yet again she has published an amazing well-written story. Featuring a dual timeline, we swap between 1969 and 2010. In 1969 Dawn and her friends are headed to Woodstock and then in 2010 Sydney receives a random phone call from a hospital in which she discovers she is the next of kin for an elderly comatose woman she doesn't know. The storytelling for both is interesting and engaging. I found the Woodstock chapters particularly captivating and I thought it to be a realistic imagining of this historical event from the eyes of young attendees. Sydney's chapters are a slow unravelling of the baffling mystery as to why an unknown woman to her would possibly list her as next of kin. The two timelines come together and all of the jigsaw pieces end up fitting together beautifully.
Overall: definitely one of my top reads of 2025 and highly recommend.
June 19, 2025
Big thanks to Michelle for gifting us a copy to read and review.
WOW, just wow and wow again!
Superstar author Michelle Montebello has elated her readers with an extraordinary historical fiction treasure that will capture your heart, explode your reading senses and bring all the feels.
Woodstock is the next book that will be on everyone’s lips.
August 1969, a time of peace, music, love, rebellion, unity and freedom.
Also a time of social issues, civil rights movement and the Vietnam war.
Eighteen year old Dawn and her friends drive across the US to attend Woodstock.
A three day festival where people can escape, enjoy music, have fun and spread the word of harmony but this will change their lives forever.
2010 and photographer Sydney receives a phone call from a mysterious woman, stating she is her next of kin.
Sydney has never heard of her but as she investigates secrets, lies and betrayal are returning from the past.
Eighteen months in the making, Michelle has put her heart and soul and blood sweat and tears into this fantastic read and the plot, the atmosphere, the setting and the cast all shine from her words.
Waving her character magic wand, they illuminate the pages and you’ll feel all their emotions, while you will shed some tears, smile, laugh and peek into their lives.
Get ready to be mesmerised by the opening chapters and hooked on all 450 pages after that.
One of my favourite books of the year.
Woodstock is groovy, hip, cool and iconic.
Bravo, our amazing and very talented friend, bravo!
WOW, just wow and wow again!
Superstar author Michelle Montebello has elated her readers with an extraordinary historical fiction treasure that will capture your heart, explode your reading senses and bring all the feels.
Woodstock is the next book that will be on everyone’s lips.
August 1969, a time of peace, music, love, rebellion, unity and freedom.
Also a time of social issues, civil rights movement and the Vietnam war.
Eighteen year old Dawn and her friends drive across the US to attend Woodstock.
A three day festival where people can escape, enjoy music, have fun and spread the word of harmony but this will change their lives forever.
2010 and photographer Sydney receives a phone call from a mysterious woman, stating she is her next of kin.
Sydney has never heard of her but as she investigates secrets, lies and betrayal are returning from the past.
Eighteen months in the making, Michelle has put her heart and soul and blood sweat and tears into this fantastic read and the plot, the atmosphere, the setting and the cast all shine from her words.
Waving her character magic wand, they illuminate the pages and you’ll feel all their emotions, while you will shed some tears, smile, laugh and peek into their lives.
Get ready to be mesmerised by the opening chapters and hooked on all 450 pages after that.
One of my favourite books of the year.
Woodstock is groovy, hip, cool and iconic.
Bravo, our amazing and very talented friend, bravo!
April 27, 2025
This is a beautifully crafted story that draws you in from the very first line. I could hear the playlist as I read. Michelle Montebello takes research to a whole other level for a very authentic, engaging, and at times raw narrative. The focus is not just on Woodstock but also on the impact of Vietnam, overlaid with the lack of options for women regarding contraception, independence, and parenting choices. Bravo!
April 29, 2025
It was 1969 when Woodstock took place. Best friends, Dawn, Tommy, Patty, Carol and Keith took off across America in a Kombi van for a weekend of music, freedom, love and peace. Their lives were to change forever.
Times were different then. The Vietnam War brought about conscientious objectors in droves calling for peace, freedom and love - not War!
Add to that, women faced prejudice and lack of choices in particular in relation to independence and contraception. There was movement for change.
Moving to 2010 Sydney Meredith receives a telephone call from a hospital informing her she was listed as next-of-kin to a person she had never heard of. Confused, Sydney needed to find out who this person was and how she knew her. Through her search for answers Sydney finds heartache, lies and secrets.
I loved the dual timelines and was completely enthralled at how the story unfolded with many twists and turns.
This book was extremely well researched and written taking me to Woodstock in all its glory, music, drugs, love and peace and so much more.
I really could not put this book down. I didn’t want it to end and felt at a loss when I’d finished it and truely missed my new friends.
If you love historical fiction, written by an amazing author, giving you all the feels a book could possibly give you, Woodstock by Michelle Montebello is a must read.
Thank you for the digital ARC Michelle. I feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity to read it. Five well-deserved stars!
Times were different then. The Vietnam War brought about conscientious objectors in droves calling for peace, freedom and love - not War!
Add to that, women faced prejudice and lack of choices in particular in relation to independence and contraception. There was movement for change.
Moving to 2010 Sydney Meredith receives a telephone call from a hospital informing her she was listed as next-of-kin to a person she had never heard of. Confused, Sydney needed to find out who this person was and how she knew her. Through her search for answers Sydney finds heartache, lies and secrets.
I loved the dual timelines and was completely enthralled at how the story unfolded with many twists and turns.
This book was extremely well researched and written taking me to Woodstock in all its glory, music, drugs, love and peace and so much more.
I really could not put this book down. I didn’t want it to end and felt at a loss when I’d finished it and truely missed my new friends.
If you love historical fiction, written by an amazing author, giving you all the feels a book could possibly give you, Woodstock by Michelle Montebello is a must read.
Thank you for the digital ARC Michelle. I feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity to read it. Five well-deserved stars!
July 6, 2025
Absolutely Loved everything about this book!
I did not want to put it down gripped me from Page 1!
Beautifully told story of Love and Loss and everything that goes with it!
This would be one of my Favourite Reads of 2025!
I did not want to put it down gripped me from Page 1!
Beautifully told story of Love and Loss and everything that goes with it!
This would be one of my Favourite Reads of 2025!
April 28, 2025
What a perfectly crafted, beautifully researched book from Michelle Montebello.
I absolutely loved the dual timelines, but it was the journey back to 1969 and Woodstock that completely captured my heart. Even though it was before I was born, I’ve always been fascinated by that era — the music, the culture, the energy — and this book made me feel like I was right there, soaking it all in.
The story of Dawn and her friends — Tommy, Patty, Carol, and Keith — is both heartbreaking and uplifting in all the best ways. I loved the twists and turns, and just when I thought I knew where it was going, it surprised me again and again.
I felt such a deep connection with Dawn.
Her love/hate relationship with her mum, the constant tug of guilt and loyalty — it all felt so raw and real. I loved how complex she was: a free spirit, a deep thinker, a girl with a strong moral compass she refused to abandon.
When the story moved into 2010, it was beautiful to see how the relationships had shifted — some stronger, some stretched thin — but all shaped by the magic and the heartbreak of Woodstock.
It brought such a full-circle feeling to the story.
And Sydney… I had so much compassion for her. She stole a piece of my heart too.
I absolutely adored this book and could barely put it down, even when I desperately needed sleep.
It was heart-wrenching, heartwarming, joyful and devastating — sometimes all in the same chapter — and it left me thinking long after I turned the final page.
I honestly can’t recommend it highly enough.
If I could give it 10 out of 5 stars, I would.
Thank you to the Author for the gifted digital ARC
I absolutely loved the dual timelines, but it was the journey back to 1969 and Woodstock that completely captured my heart. Even though it was before I was born, I’ve always been fascinated by that era — the music, the culture, the energy — and this book made me feel like I was right there, soaking it all in.
The story of Dawn and her friends — Tommy, Patty, Carol, and Keith — is both heartbreaking and uplifting in all the best ways. I loved the twists and turns, and just when I thought I knew where it was going, it surprised me again and again.
I felt such a deep connection with Dawn.
Her love/hate relationship with her mum, the constant tug of guilt and loyalty — it all felt so raw and real. I loved how complex she was: a free spirit, a deep thinker, a girl with a strong moral compass she refused to abandon.
When the story moved into 2010, it was beautiful to see how the relationships had shifted — some stronger, some stretched thin — but all shaped by the magic and the heartbreak of Woodstock.
It brought such a full-circle feeling to the story.
And Sydney… I had so much compassion for her. She stole a piece of my heart too.
I absolutely adored this book and could barely put it down, even when I desperately needed sleep.
It was heart-wrenching, heartwarming, joyful and devastating — sometimes all in the same chapter — and it left me thinking long after I turned the final page.
I honestly can’t recommend it highly enough.
If I could give it 10 out of 5 stars, I would.
Thank you to the Author for the gifted digital ARC
April 28, 2025
Wow Michelle Montebello! You have done it again!
Woodstock is an epic, dual timeslip mystery set against the colorful backdrop of the sixties and Woodstock 69', as well as 2010.
I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this book is! I'm still trying to process it.
This author has a talent for researching historical fiction and bringing to life pivotal events of the past, weaving them into a pleasurable tale. Michelle transported me to Woodstock. I was singing to the music, dancing in the rain, feeling the love and the peace. I was caught up in the anti-war protests and the struggles of women. I felt it all.
And there's a mystery woven through the book that will leave you guessing until the end. It's so beautiful that I cried.
An absolute masterpiece. Thank you for gifting me a copy to read and review. I'm very honored!
Woodstock is an epic, dual timeslip mystery set against the colorful backdrop of the sixties and Woodstock 69', as well as 2010.
I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this book is! I'm still trying to process it.
This author has a talent for researching historical fiction and bringing to life pivotal events of the past, weaving them into a pleasurable tale. Michelle transported me to Woodstock. I was singing to the music, dancing in the rain, feeling the love and the peace. I was caught up in the anti-war protests and the struggles of women. I felt it all.
And there's a mystery woven through the book that will leave you guessing until the end. It's so beautiful that I cried.
An absolute masterpiece. Thank you for gifting me a copy to read and review. I'm very honored!
June 18, 2025
The world still remembers Woodstock
I think Charles Dickens’s had the late ’60’s in mind when he began “A Tale of Two Cities” with ‘It was the best of times; it was the worst of times’.
Best: Civil Rights Act, U.S. Moon landings, UNIX invented, the Fair Housing Act, the Boeing 747 jumbo jet…the list goes on.
Worst: Assassinations of Bobby Kennedy & MLK, Jr., the Vietnam “conflict”, Watergate, bombings & massacres, protests & riots…the list goes on.
And we cannot forget the music greats who performed at Woodstock: Creedence, Joplin, Santana, The Grateful Dead…the list goes on.
The world is also split on whether Woodstock was a hit or an utter fiasco. Regardless of one’s opinion, Woodstock still reigns as the quintessential symbol of the 60’s.
Speaking of music (this book IS entitled “Woodstock”, after all):
*Jefferson Airplane’s still-recognizable “White Rabbit” with its Lewis Carroll psychedelic vibe is almost universally considered to encapsulate the 60’s. Perfectly. The author weaves Wonderland into her mind-opening coming-of-age tale combined with historical events of this iconic festival.
*‘I’d wanted to see where the rabbit hole truly led’ describes Dawn’s first experience with LSD, the conscience-altering “trip” so linked with this time period as well as for some of the happenings at Woodstock.
*While reading this, I spent a lot of time learning about the timeframe of my infancy (MLK, Jr.’s last day was my first). While surfing online, I found a quotation about Jimi Hendrix’s remix of “Star-Spangled Banner”: “When the voices of those that were dying couldn't make themselves heard, Jimi Hendrix found a way of making their voices louder”. Vietnam was more than a mere 180̊ turnaround for soldiers, veterans, and future military service in the U.S.
’Nuff said on that.
The author obviously did tons of research to capture to the degree to which our culture and environment direct the decisions we make. May we never forget Woodstock.
I think Charles Dickens’s had the late ’60’s in mind when he began “A Tale of Two Cities” with ‘It was the best of times; it was the worst of times’.
Best: Civil Rights Act, U.S. Moon landings, UNIX invented, the Fair Housing Act, the Boeing 747 jumbo jet…the list goes on.
Worst: Assassinations of Bobby Kennedy & MLK, Jr., the Vietnam “conflict”, Watergate, bombings & massacres, protests & riots…the list goes on.
And we cannot forget the music greats who performed at Woodstock: Creedence, Joplin, Santana, The Grateful Dead…the list goes on.
The world is also split on whether Woodstock was a hit or an utter fiasco. Regardless of one’s opinion, Woodstock still reigns as the quintessential symbol of the 60’s.
Speaking of music (this book IS entitled “Woodstock”, after all):
*Jefferson Airplane’s still-recognizable “White Rabbit” with its Lewis Carroll psychedelic vibe is almost universally considered to encapsulate the 60’s. Perfectly. The author weaves Wonderland into her mind-opening coming-of-age tale combined with historical events of this iconic festival.
*‘I’d wanted to see where the rabbit hole truly led’ describes Dawn’s first experience with LSD, the conscience-altering “trip” so linked with this time period as well as for some of the happenings at Woodstock.
*While reading this, I spent a lot of time learning about the timeframe of my infancy (MLK, Jr.’s last day was my first). While surfing online, I found a quotation about Jimi Hendrix’s remix of “Star-Spangled Banner”: “When the voices of those that were dying couldn't make themselves heard, Jimi Hendrix found a way of making their voices louder”. Vietnam was more than a mere 180̊ turnaround for soldiers, veterans, and future military service in the U.S.
’Nuff said on that.
The author obviously did tons of research to capture to the degree to which our culture and environment direct the decisions we make. May we never forget Woodstock.
July 10, 2025
What an absolutely incredible story — I just loved every moment of it!
I especially enjoyed the dual timelines, with the 1969 storyline really stealing my heart. Following Dawn, Tommy, and their friends as they made their way to the Woodstock music festival was both captivating and deeply moving. That era came alive on the page, and it was fascinating to see how one iconic event shaped the course of their lives. The narrative was the perfect blend of uplifting and heartbreaking — full of emotion, depth, and unexpected turns. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the story surprised me all over again.
Nancy’s choices were complex and, I believe, driven by what she thought was best for everyone involved (no spoilers here!). Still, it’s hard not to wonder if a little more foresight might have spared some pain.
The 2010 timeline added another compelling layer, centered around Sydney, a photographer who receives a call informing her she’s the next of kin to a woman she’s never heard of. As Sydney digs deeper, long-buried secrets, lies, and betrayals begin to surface — and the story unfolds with breathtaking emotional power.
I absolutely can’t recommend this book enough. It’s gripping, heartfelt, and unforgettable. I didn’t want it to end!
I especially enjoyed the dual timelines, with the 1969 storyline really stealing my heart. Following Dawn, Tommy, and their friends as they made their way to the Woodstock music festival was both captivating and deeply moving. That era came alive on the page, and it was fascinating to see how one iconic event shaped the course of their lives. The narrative was the perfect blend of uplifting and heartbreaking — full of emotion, depth, and unexpected turns. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the story surprised me all over again.
Nancy’s choices were complex and, I believe, driven by what she thought was best for everyone involved (no spoilers here!). Still, it’s hard not to wonder if a little more foresight might have spared some pain.
The 2010 timeline added another compelling layer, centered around Sydney, a photographer who receives a call informing her she’s the next of kin to a woman she’s never heard of. As Sydney digs deeper, long-buried secrets, lies, and betrayals begin to surface — and the story unfolds with breathtaking emotional power.
I absolutely can’t recommend this book enough. It’s gripping, heartfelt, and unforgettable. I didn’t want it to end!
April 28, 2025
The book by Michelle is really AWESOME! There was a moment that i put it down! This book is one of my favorite books! So when it comes to a book store by you get it!!!
September 10, 2025
Fantastic read
Loved reading about the stories of the festival in first hand. Great spacing between the decades. Really good read. I suppose a little predictable but that fiction isn’t it.
My first five star book
Loved reading about the stories of the festival in first hand. Great spacing between the decades. Really good read. I suppose a little predictable but that fiction isn’t it.
My first five star book
June 20, 2025
Michelle is one of those authors who has managed to NAIL romance and historical fiction. Her latest book, out this week, is one of my books of the year so far. She manages to bring the Woodstock years to such vivid life, I fell down a big rabbit hole once I finished this book, consuming all the docos I could get my hands on.
1969 - it was the year that man first walked on the moon and the Vietnam war raged and 18-year-old Dawn Ellis fell in love over a heady few days at the Woodstock music festival. Dawn and her friends make the cross-country trek to Woodstock to join the throngs of young people for a weekend of peace, love and freedom. But the repercussions of the carefree weekend live on into the next generation.
A modern-day timeline is woven into the 1969 narrative in which fashion photographer Sydney Meredith strives to discover the secrets of her mother’s past.
Michelle delivers such great plotting, bringing her two timelines perfectly together, just as she did with her two previous historical fiction novels, The Quarantine Station and The Lost Letters of Playfair Street. But it’s her characters that live on, they’re so beautifully layered and believable.
I absolutely love that Michelle CHOOSES to self publish. So if you want to get your hands on this book - and I highly recommend you do! - head to her website, michellemontebello.com.au
1969 - it was the year that man first walked on the moon and the Vietnam war raged and 18-year-old Dawn Ellis fell in love over a heady few days at the Woodstock music festival. Dawn and her friends make the cross-country trek to Woodstock to join the throngs of young people for a weekend of peace, love and freedom. But the repercussions of the carefree weekend live on into the next generation.
A modern-day timeline is woven into the 1969 narrative in which fashion photographer Sydney Meredith strives to discover the secrets of her mother’s past.
Michelle delivers such great plotting, bringing her two timelines perfectly together, just as she did with her two previous historical fiction novels, The Quarantine Station and The Lost Letters of Playfair Street. But it’s her characters that live on, they’re so beautifully layered and believable.
I absolutely love that Michelle CHOOSES to self publish. So if you want to get your hands on this book - and I highly recommend you do! - head to her website, michellemontebello.com.au
June 27, 2025
You signed my book "Peace, Love and Harmony," and this is exactly how I felt after finishing this book, apart from the tears that I shed near the end, betrayal being the biggest heartbreak.
You will be living in the past of free love, music, and peace following people who witnessed Woodstock in 1969. Eighteen years old Dawn and friends travel across America in a Kombie to attend Woodstock Music and Arts Festival. This weekend challenged and changed their lives.
Years later, in 2010, young Sydney received an unexpected phone call that would rock her world. She starts to make enquiries and asks questions, which finally leads to answers about her childhood.
I truly felt like I was at Woodstock amongst thousands, listening to the music, walking through the mud, and rain. I highly recommend reading this novel 😍✌️🌿
You will be living in the past of free love, music, and peace following people who witnessed Woodstock in 1969. Eighteen years old Dawn and friends travel across America in a Kombie to attend Woodstock Music and Arts Festival. This weekend challenged and changed their lives.
Years later, in 2010, young Sydney received an unexpected phone call that would rock her world. She starts to make enquiries and asks questions, which finally leads to answers about her childhood.
I truly felt like I was at Woodstock amongst thousands, listening to the music, walking through the mud, and rain. I highly recommend reading this novel 😍✌️🌿
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2025
Love everything Michelle writes!
August 17, 2025
I rarely write reviews but this book …. touched my heart ♥️. I love it. Great respect for Michelle Montebello ❣️
May 17, 2025
The 60’s was a time of change, of pushing boundaries, protests and exploration. 1969 was a momentous year for many reasons. Man first walked on the moon, President Nixon came to office during a time of political unrest and then was Woodstock Festival. When 18 years old Dawn and friends climbed into a kombi and drove across the country to attend the festival on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York, they joined hundreds of thousands people all destined for the same place. After four days of mud, music, sex and drugs they had no idea their lives would be changed forever. No secrets stay hidden forever though, and in 2020 photographer Sydney Meredith receives a call that she has been named next of kin to someone she doesn’t know.Finally, what happened at Woodstock, the secrets and lies that have been told are exposed. This is an immersive book, meticulously researched and masterfully written. I was invested in this book from the first page until the last. Michelle has crafted another masterpiece, one that is up there with my favourite books. Five stars from me.
August 1, 2025
I thoroughly love a book where after I have finished it the characters are still in my thoughts. This is one of those books. I found it hard to put down, if I could have curled up in a comfy chair and shut the world out for a day or so I would have. I loved the characters and really felt for Dawn and Tommy with their newfound love and Tommy being drafted. I didn't know much about Woodstock before reading this book, I now know a bit more and will probably look at some of the websites available to get more information. I enjoyed the sense of mystery and intrigue in the book and like Sydney in her place and would have wanted to find the answers to the questions arising from being an unknown persons Next of Kin.
This is the first by Michelle Montebello I have read and will definitely be looking out for others she has written and her future books. A highly recommendable book.
This is the first by Michelle Montebello I have read and will definitely be looking out for others she has written and her future books. A highly recommendable book.
May 11, 2025
Firstly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Michelle Montebello, for granting me the opportunity to be a member of her ARC team. It is an honour to be among the first to read her new book, Woodstock. The novel draws inspiration from the iconic Woodstock festival, digging into the journey of young adults in search of peace, love, and music. Specifically, it centres on five best friends as they embark on their adventure, experiencing the festival’s liberating atmosphere, and how their lives are transformed afterwards. Michelle has a beautifully written novel that vividly brings the festival’s vibrancy and colour to life. A truly heartwarming yet heartbreaking story with a moving conclusion. 5 stars.
June 5, 2025
I waited for what seemed like forever (I am sure it wasn’t that long) to be able to read this story. And as usual with Michelle’s books I wasn’t disappointed. I always love how her books incorporate true life events with fiction. It tells a story of a young girl from a strict family who treks with her friends to join others like herself who believe in freedom love and peace to a music festival featuring her favourite artist Jimi Hendrix. It is set in the time of the Vietnam war where lots of young people were protesting the war. It flits between 1969 when the festival was on and 2010 where a young fashion photographer learns her parents deep dark secret form that time that they never thought would come out. I highly recommend reading Woodstock it won’t disappoint.
May 9, 2025
From the first page, this story held my undivided attention. Beautifully written and thoroughly researched, I felt as though I was at Woodstock in 1969 with Dawn, Tommy, Patty, Carol and Keith. Every tiny detail, from the performers to the mud and lack of food highlighted the emotions, atmosphere and characters drew me further into the story.
Jump to 2010 when we meet Sydney and hear her story - a gripping and heart wrenching tangled web of history.
I loved this book and can’t recommend it highly enough.
Jump to 2010 when we meet Sydney and hear her story - a gripping and heart wrenching tangled web of history.
I loved this book and can’t recommend it highly enough.
June 29, 2025
Ahh Michelle, it is no surprise that you've written another 5 star book.
Everything about this had me hooked, the way you wove the story was breathtaking. The Woodstock history was awe inspiring, imaging being there! OMGGGG.
The gut wrenching emotions behind this interwoven story of love, life, loss and reunion had me sobbing, cheering, swooning and enraptured.
Thank you for bringing this story to the world.
Everything about this had me hooked, the way you wove the story was breathtaking. The Woodstock history was awe inspiring, imaging being there! OMGGGG.
The gut wrenching emotions behind this interwoven story of love, life, loss and reunion had me sobbing, cheering, swooning and enraptured.
Thank you for bringing this story to the world.
October 22, 2025
Wow what a book.
This has me hooked from the beginning. I really liked the time flips. Trying to work out who this mystery woman was was frustrating but once the puzzle pieces were slotted together it all made sense abs made my heart ache.
I loved it
This has me hooked from the beginning. I really liked the time flips. Trying to work out who this mystery woman was was frustrating but once the puzzle pieces were slotted together it all made sense abs made my heart ache.
I loved it
August 22, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
I enjoyed the characters, but as the story progressed, it was a bit predictable.
I enjoyed the characters, but as the story progressed, it was a bit predictable.
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