by Rosalyn Story
Overall: Historical fiction at its best woven together with a modern-day story. If you like novels with separate characters and plots that interlock over time, you should definitely pick up this book! In one strand we meet Celia DeMille, who in 1919 is watching both her career and the New Orleans Opera House, where she longed to sing, go down in flames. Celia’s career has been stymied by the fact that she is Black, and her fury and frustration are palpable. In the other strand we met Eden Malveaux, a Katrina refugee in her 30s trying to make a home for herself and her teenage brother in New York. Eden’s also a gifted singer, but life has thrown up obstacles at every turn. When a box with Celia’s belongings makes its way to Eden, her life begins to change.
Likes: Story writes beautifully. The two main characters are quite different, with different voices and temperaments, and the contrast works well. The supporting characters are memorable, especially Aunt Baby! Story captures the difficulties of being Black, struggling at the edges of poverty, trying to live up to the expectations of family, and living under the weight of the past without the story becoming maudlin or depressing.
Dislikes: The only dislike I had was that there are a few brief interludes where a third narrator comes into play. I don’t want to be a spoiler, so I won’t give more details, but it was a bit jarring.
FYI: there is a scene of attempted sexual assault.
Liz Helfrich 