Half-Blood Bluesby Esi Edugyan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This story of a group of musicians travelling in Europe during WWII was beautifully written. The places and events and emotions came alive on the page in the hands of this master wordsmith. Earlier this year I read Edugyan's Washington Black and was very impressed by how well she created the sound of a 19th century novel. This novel also had a very distinct sound to it which placed it clearly in its time. This is definitely a writer to watch.
“Chip recons that he is charming as hell, and who am I to poke holes in his theory. That means that sometimes lies leave his mouth dressed like truth. He just can’t help it.”
“The cabbie's eyes sort of glazed over. Canada kills any conversation quick, I learned long ago. It's a little trick of mine.”
“Baltimore always seems like the kind of city you either leaving or just returning to. Ain't no kinda place to hang your hat. Even as a kid I dreamed of getting out.”This is my 13th book completed for the Canadian Book Challenge. It was also on my #10booksofsummer list.
It sounds like Esi Edugyan is an author I should try. This one appeals because of the World War II setting.
ReplyDeleteI had this one on my list a long time back because it was on my 'books to read because they are Giller Prize winners' list, but hasn't risen to the top of my reading list since then. Your 4 star review might help it with a bump :) Congrats that this in 13!
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