The Night Travellers

by Elizabeth Spencer

Set in the 1960's, The Night Travelers, portrays America under the shadow of the Vietnam War and the counterculture that developed in opposition to the war. The characters reflect a time when often violent pressures affected the American community and family life. Kate Harbison is a socially ambitious scientist whose life revolves around her work, which includes testing chemical weapons on animals for the military. Kate's daughter, Mary, who cares little for social distinction, falls in love with Jeff, an antiwar activist. Mary and Jeff's life involves traveling at night on the run to escape the draft by crossing the border into Canada. Ultimately, the story reveals that only death can destroy the ties that bind.

Genres: Novels

366 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Elizabeth Spencer was an American writer. Spencer's first novel, Fire in the Morning, was published in 1948. She has written a total of nine novels, seven collections of short stories, a memoir (Landscapes of the Heart, 1998), and a play (For Lease or Sale, 1989). Her novella The Light in the Piazza (1960) was adapted for the screen in 1962 and transformed into a Broadway musical of the same name in 2005. She is a five-time recipient of the O. Henry Award for short fiction.

Reviews

[Tina Cunningham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life on the run. Mary Kerr, a talented young dancer, meets an intriguing stranger when she is sixteen. She meets him again as a college student, and never considers another man. Jeff Blaise is a political activist during the Vietnam War era, and Mary Kerr becomes the only constant in his life as he travels around fomenting anti-war resistance. Their story is told through the eyes of other people their lives affected as well as their own. I never got a good sense of who Mary and Jeff were, or why they were so devoted to each other. However, it took me back to the bad old 60's and all its issues and conflicts.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story very much. Interesting, believable characters. Heavy character driven story. I was thinking this story would end in some type of tragedy, but it doesn't really. As in reality, I suppose, life just goes on. I ultimately cared about the journey of Mary Kerr and Kathy. I would read more Elizabeth Spencer.

[Peg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novel by Elizabeth Spencer, 180 degrees away from her famous "The Light in the Piazza." Story of young lovers set in North Carolina during time of Vietnam War. Rocky love story, ends with their hiding in Canada, twists and turns.