Honor Code: A Novel

by Hugh H. Evans

It's spring, 1969. Gary and Priscilla, graduating high school seniors, consider the precepts of their classical education against the alluring "freedom" of the war-driven radical counter culture. Conversation leads to romance, indiscretion, and crises when Gary faces expulsion from boarding school for allegedly violating the Honor Code. Gary's apparent guilt plays into the hands of his corrupt uncle, who seeks to solidify his control over the family fortune by using Gary's ''moral turpitude'' to eliminate him from serving as a co-trustee. Gary, Priscilla, family, and friends are forced to make moral decisions in the reality of life, rather than in theory. Readers of any age will not soon forget this coming-of-age story that conjures up nostalgia as well as heavy implications for the modern generation and beyond.

312 pages, Paperback

Published January 31, 2017

About the author

Hugh H. Evans was educated in the Los Angeles public schools (with semesters in kindergarten and third grade in Natchez, Mississippi), the Webb School of California, Stanford University (with a “junior year abroad” at the University of Virginia), where he graduated in 1953. He then volunteered for the draft as the Korean War was winding down, and was assigned to the Army Occupation in Germany. When the war ended, he applied for and was granted an early discharge to enter UCLA Law School. After his first year, his grades were in the top ten percent of the class, and he was invited to join the Law Review. In his third year, he was one of the five members of the managing editorial board of the Law Review.

Reviews

[Lisa V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very entertaining read. It is a great look back at California and private-school life in the 1960s and at the thought-provoking issues of the times. The author raises important questions about morality and citizenship, while the compelling plot keeps the reader engaged. I especially liked the author's portrayal of strong female characters throughout the book -- especially Lucille and Priscilla.