Official Review: Blues for the Father

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Dael Reader
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Official Review: Blues for the Father

Post by Dael Reader »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Blues for the Father" by Marcel Wilson, Joseph Harrison and Barry Kohl.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Blues for the Father, by Marcel Wilson, Joseph Harrison, and Barry Kohl, is the story of Marion Blackhurst, a white music producer in the South who specializes in finding white publishers for blues tunes written by black musicians. His work-related travels cover up the fact that he has two families—a white wife with two sons in Meridian, Mississippi, and a black lover and son in Birmingham, Alabama. Marion navigates between the white and black communities with ease and does promotes equality for the black musicians he represents. But even as he speaks out against racial divisions, he fails to see the fractures that are tearing his families apart. While Marion dreams of a day when segregation will end, he has to deal with the reality of a white son who joins the Klan and a biracial son who wants to live as black, even though he could pass as white. In the end, neither family will remain intact. This story of two families is set against the political backdrop of the 1957 desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

I chose this book because of a personal interest in music. But I was glad to learn that the color barrier in the 1950s music industry was not the only story line. The book also explores the color lines in sports and education, while focusing on the personal struggles of those living in segregated communities. I think the authors do a great job expressing the social and political aspects of segregation, without preaching.

I was drawn into the story by the forceful characters. They have obvious flaws, but the strength and passion of their personalities cannot be ignored. In some ways, these personalities are so highly exaggerated that they appear one-dimensional. For instance, Marion’s white wife, Christine, is portrayed primarily as a bitter drunk, and his son, Lloyd, comes off as a purely hateful white supremacist. But there are a few hints in the narrative to let us know there is probably more going on beneath the surface of these characters—more than we or they can see.

In some books, this lack of dimension in the characters would annoy me. But in this story, the exaggerated personalities perfectly portray the deep emotional divisions between the characters. You can feel the deep-seated hatred between Christine and Marion every time they speak to one another. The strong love and pride Marion has for Aaron—his biracial son—highlights the general indifference he has for his white sons—Lloyd and Linden. And the great tenderness Marion has for Rosa—his black lover—stands in stark contrast to his callous treatment of Christine.

I have my own personal judgements to pass against the characters, but the narrative was surprisingly matter-of-fact on some of the most troubling social behaviors, such as infidelity and really bad parenting. Possibly for this reason, I found myself drawn to the most innocent characters in the story—Aaron and Linden. All of my sympathy went to these two boys who are struggling to figure out who they are and who they hope to become—against difficult odds.

There were two twists at the end of this story that took me completely off guard. And I wholeheartedly thank the authors for that. It’s hard these days to find a story on any topic that isn’t predictable, and even harder when the story has a well-known historical backdrop. I was a little disappointed by the loose threads left at the end. But discussing those here might give too much away. They would, however, be great topics for discussion.

Unfortunately, there are numerous errors in this book, primarily involving punctuation and grammar, with a few spelling problems added. I stumbled through awkward passages and got lost in run-on sentences. It felt a little like taking a hike through the woods. There are a few level clearings where you can look around and comfortably take in everything there is to see. But there are also a lot of rocks and tree roots along the trail. And the time you spend looking down to navigate through these obstacles can distract you from the surrounding view. This book needs a few rounds of professional editing to remove the distracting obstacles.

With all this said, I give the book a rank of 3 out of 4 stars. If the rules allowed, I would have gone with 2.5 stars, because of the disappointing editorial problems. But I believe the overall content of the story is strong enough to warrant a rounding up. It’s definitely a story worth telling and reading. I recommend this book to mature readers who are open to an unvarnished story about segregation in America during the 1950s. All readers should be forewarned that the story includes some descriptions of violence, including police brutality and rape.

******
Blues for the Father
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fredrick otieno
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Post by fredrick otieno »

Executing such a strong theme, racial segregation, without making one side look superior can really be confusing. I like the fact that the author has brought this up by using music and sports, something that appeals to all. It must be an interesting book, and i would love to read it. Thanks for the good review.
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Post by Debjani Ghosh »

It felt a little like taking a hike through the woods. There are a few level clearings where you can look around and comfortably take in everything there is to see. But there are also a lot of rocks and tree roots along the trail. And the time you spend looking down to navigate through these obstacles can distract you from the surrounding view. This book needs a few rounds of professional editing to remove distracting obstacles.
You have expressed the cons of this book nicely. I liked reading your review and it seems that I will enjoy reading this book. However, if the author takes enough trouble to weed out the errors and brings out another polished edition of this book, it will be really helpful.
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

I would love to read this definitely. Thanks for the enlightening review. I hope that another round of editing will be done on the book.
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Post by kandscreeley »

It's too bad about the errors because the book sounds fascinating. It discusses the setbacks people faced when they were the "wrong" color in the South in the 1950s. I think many of us still don't understand those challenges and that time period. Thanks.
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Post by writer808 »

its great that you mentioned the reason for why you chose the book.
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Post by Alicia09 »

I always love reading historical fiction, especially when the characters are well developed and I can get real insight into their lives. I am most intrigued by the fact that Christine and Marion spoke to each other in this story. Given the backdrop of extreme racial segregation and prejudice in those times, it certainly makes for suspenseful dialogue between two very different women sharing the same man. I can also understand why you would feel most drawn to the little boys in the story, because they were truly innocent bystanders caught in the middle of a very tense situation. I do not mind the depictions of extreme violence, since I live in Chicago. In fact, this makes the story more historically accurate because extreme violence was very common at the time, especially in the Southern states. This book sounds very rich when it comes to detailed descriptions of characters lives and motivations. Hopefully I'll have some time soon to check this out. Thanks!
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Post by Dael Reader »

fredrick otieno wrote: 28 Oct 2018, 01:46 Executing such a strong theme, racial segregation, without making one side look superior can really be confusing. I like the fact that the author has brought this up by using music and sports, something that appeals to all. It must be an interesting book, and i would love to read it. Thanks for the good review.
Thanks for your comment. I think it is definitely a worthwhile read.
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Dael Reader
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Post by Dael Reader »

Debjani Ghosh wrote: 28 Oct 2018, 04:14
It felt a little like taking a hike through the woods. There are a few level clearings where you can look around and comfortably take in everything there is to see. But there are also a lot of rocks and tree roots along the trail. And the time you spend looking down to navigate through these obstacles can distract you from the surrounding view. This book needs a few rounds of professional editing to remove distracting obstacles.
You have expressed the cons of this book nicely. I liked reading your review and it seems that I will enjoy reading this book. However, if the author takes enough trouble to weed out the errors and brings out another polished edition of this book, it will be really helpful.
Dael Reader wrote:I completely agree. I think this book could be a great seller with some editing. Thanks for your comment.
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Dael Reader
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Post by Dael Reader »

Kibetious wrote: 29 Oct 2018, 00:48 I would love to read this definitely. Thanks for the enlightening review. I hope that another round of editing will be done on the book.
Dael Reader wrote:Thanks for stopping by to read and comment on the review. And I hope you enjoy the book, if you get a chance to read it.
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Dael Reader
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Post by Dael Reader »

kandscreeley wrote: 29 Oct 2018, 09:50 It's too bad about the errors because the book sounds fascinating. It discusses the setbacks people faced when they were the "wrong" color in the South in the 1950s. I think many of us still don't understand those challenges and that time period. Thanks.
Dael Reader wrote:I think you're right. Too many people don't realize the devastating effects that segregation had on many levels of society. And I believe many of the same prejudices and destructive attitudes are still in place today. Which is why books such as this one are so needed. Thanks for your comment.
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Dael Reader
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Post by Dael Reader »

Alicia09 wrote: 29 Oct 2018, 11:21 I always love reading historical fiction, especially when the characters are well developed and I can get real insight into their lives. I am most intrigued by the fact that Christine and Marion spoke to each other in this story. Given the backdrop of extreme racial segregation and prejudice in those times, it certainly makes for suspenseful dialogue between two very different women sharing the same man. I can also understand why you would feel most drawn to the little boys in the story, because they were truly innocent bystanders caught in the middle of a very tense situation. I do not mind the depictions of extreme violence, since I live in Chicago. In fact, this makes the story more historically accurate because extreme violence was very common at the time, especially in the Southern states. This book sounds very rich when it comes to detailed descriptions of characters lives and motivations. Hopefully I'll have some time soon to check this out. Thanks!
Dael Reader wrote:Actually, Marion is the man. Christine was the white wife and Rosa the black lover. And though Rosa knew about Christine (which I thought was intriguing), but Christine did not know about Rosa and the two women never met. I probably should have added a quick description of this in my review for clarity. Thanks for your comment though. And I hope you do get a chance to read the book.
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Post by gen_g »

I think we all need more books like this in this day and age; I am glad to hear that you enjoyed this as well. It would be great once the book has gone through another round of editing. Thanks for the review!
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Post by Connie Otwani »

Books like these help us appreciate how far we have come as a society in terms of prejudice and tolerance, and how there is always some innocent people caught right in the middle of any divide. Great review!
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Post by melissy370 »

It does seem like a lot of books nowadays are predictable. This one not being that way makes me want to at least try it. The racial themes would make for interesting conversations. Thanks for your review.
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