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.
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Blues for the Father
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