BKMT READING GUIDES
A Nation of Mystics/ Book Two: The Tribe
by Pamela Johnson
Paperback : 404 pages
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In Book Two of A Nation of Mystics, author Pamela Johnson resumes her skillful exploration of the late-1960s and the counterculture through the eyes of a communal family, following the strengthening relationships of the tribe as they search for enlightenment through mind-expanding ...
Introduction
In Book Two of A Nation of Mystics, author Pamela Johnson resumes her skillful exploration of the late-1960s and the counterculture through the eyes of a communal family, following the strengthening relationships of the tribe as they search for enlightenment through mind-expanding hallucinogens and work for political change.
Christian Brooks, now twenty-one years old, expands his underground activities by moving into Europe to acquire chemicals for his high-yielding LSD lab in Los Angeles. Kathleen Murray struggles to develop her own business in a male-dominated world, searching for a balance between spiritual enlightenment and money, while trying to find a way to resolve binding love and independence. Forced to leave the Bay Area, Myles Corbet becomes an undercover agent working for Interpol in Germany and Amsterdam. Using all the botanical talent of his young life, Jerry learns to produce the beautiful and vision-manifesting mushrooms of the Mazatec shamans of Oaxaca. Supervisor Dolph Bremer, more frustrated and therefore more ruthless, turns his police investigations on Lance Bormann, attorney, as he contemplates a way to pay Bormann back for his successes in the courtroom.
The different threads of the family’s conflicts, acquired knowledge, and personal resolutions finally intersect in the building of a community park on university land in Berkeley. As the youth movement pits itself against the establishment, the conflicts ultimately explode in tear gas and gunfire over the idealism of People’s Park.
Although set in the 1960s, Book Two: The Tribe addresses questions that continue to be relevant today—what constitutes true crime, police reaction to civil disobedience, the nature of religious freedom, and needless violence when legal access to sacramental hallucinogens, money, and spirituality collide.
Discussion Questions
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“A sprawling, epic novel of classic dimensions that vividly recreates the psychedelic sixties—the hopes, the fears, the naïveté, the knowing that was at the heart of those turbulent times.” —Joel Selvin, culture and music columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, and author of The Haight: Love, Rock, and Revolution “In her exciting novel, Pamela Johnson has crafted a work of literature that conveys big-picture ideas through the most intimate of characters. A Nation of Mystics sings with the sense of wonder and awe that inspired a generation to change the world—one atom and synapse at a time.” —Nicholas Schou, author, Orange Sunshine: The Brotherhood of Eternal Love and Its Quest to Spread Peace, Love, and Acid to the World “The deeply insightful and knowledgeable presentations of spiritual practices in both Eastern and Western traditions and the grueling rigors of cleansing and renewal to attain the blessings of sacred plants, are dramatically documented. These quests are captivating. I would rank Pamela Johnson among the best of modern storytellers. She has the rare ability to combine valuable history lessons with highly entertaining portraits.” —Jim Ketchem, MD, author of Chemical Warfare Secretes Almost Forgotten: A Personal Story of Medical Testing of Army Volunteers “I was particularly moved by the story because Pamela captured the feel of the Brotherhood of Eternal Love. The book explores many of the facets of the scene, including LSD manufacturing and hash smuggling, from 1965–1970, both the sweet and the bitter, in a way that is very hard to accomplish in nonfiction.” —Tim Scully, underground chemist, Orange Sunshine, and subject of the upcoming film, The Sunshine Makers “In her trilogy A Nation of Mystics, Pamela Johnson, with a remarkable eye for historical detail, masterfully charts the beginning, middle and end of this era." —Peter Maguire, author of Thai Stick: Surfers, Scammers and the Untold History of the Marijuana Trade “I never thought to see our original hope presented in this way because of continued political backlash. A Nation of Mystics renewed my faith in our dream of raising consciousness.” ? —Jean Millay, filmmaker, co-creator of The Psychedelic Experience, and author of Multidimensional Mind: Remote Viewing in HyperspaceBook Club Recommendations
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