It's time for the letter E ... which brought me to Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan. Shortlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize, this is the story of a set of jazz musicians performing in the cafes of Berlin and then, once the nazi regime begins, they move to Paris to escape. But when Paris falls during the second world war, they are desperate to move on once again. Narrated by African American, Sid Griffiths, he reflects both on the past and the present and we see his feelings of guilt rise to the surface regarding one of the band members, Hieronymous Falk, who was arrested in a cafe in Paris and never heard from again. But now in their 80s, Sid's old friend and band member, Chip, persuades him to go back to Europe, where he reveals a mysterious letter, which leads them on a voyage of discovery. This is a tale of jealousy, jazz and betrayal - pretty much what many bands go through. The narrative style takes some getting used to, but feels authentic in its lyrical quality. You may not always feel sympathy for the main protagonist, but you are always interested in what he's going to do next. The friendship between Sid and Chip is often volatile and sways between love and hate and back to love again. We even get a cameo from Louis Armstrong which is a bonus as far as I'm concerned. Not your usual war story, but a great study on how relationships can falter or remain firm under the immense pressure.
My STAR rating: FOUR.
Length: 352 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from my husband.
Formats available: print, audio CD, ebook.
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