From rock n’ roll, to blues, to punk, to love ballads and angry, angsty rebellions, music tells a story. But sometimes, that story is cut short, interrupted, or shrouded in secrecy. What happens when the truth is finally revealed? Is the power of music enough to recover, reunite and heal from the hardships these musicians have experienced? These five novels star singers, musicians and band members who are trying to resolve the issues of their past and reckon with difficult and complex emotions.
The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers by Sarah Tomlinson
In this upcoming debut, perfect for fans of Daisy Jones & the Six, one ghostwriter uncovers the past of an iconic rock band, whose lives were gripped by murder, betrayal, suspicion and a legacy that will go down in history.
Anke Berben had romances with all three members of the Midnight Ramblers. With an inside knowledge of the inner workings of the band, their appeal, mystique and drama, she knows about their dark past — the death of the band’s founder, who was Anke’s husband. Now, Anke is ready to tell the truth with the help of Mari Hawthron, a ghostwriter desperate to uncover the secrets of this death. Immersed in the world of these musicians, Mari finds herself getting lost in their stories, compelled by the magic of the music and legacy they created. Can she stay unbiased and grounded in the present long enough to discover the truth of what happened all those years ago, in 1969?
Fireflies and Zeroes by Liz Larson
Max, the leader and songwriter of a three-person pop-punk band goes missing on the eve of their reunion tour in Charlottesville, Virginia. Just six months earlier, the explosive racial violence of August 12, 2017 rocked the city and dominated the news. Two band members reckon with the dark past of their home, a once-Confederate city, while their reunion tour turns deadly. After a scuffle in the dark, one person is dead.
No one knows where their bandmate Max is, and ominous signs suggest he isn’t safe. Soon, it is a race against time to rescue a beloved band member in this punk portrait of music and a Southern town. Fireflies and Zeroes suggests a hope of resolving our past as it explores the lasting impact of a bloody and divisive war that ended over a century and a half ago.
(Read the review on BookTrib)
Mayluna by Kelley McNeil
The 90’s English alt-rock band, Mayluna, led by the legendary Carter Wills put out music that rocked the world with angsty, emotional songs of love and heartbreak. Who were all of these songs about? And what compelled Carter to write music about her for a generation of fans?
Evie Waters’ children find a magazine-printed photo of rockstar Carter Willis next to a younger version of their mother. As a music journalist in the 90s, Evie started her career interviewing musicians, lingering backstage, and connecting with one handsome young musician destined for success… For fans of Mayluna, there has been a long-standing question about what could have gone wrong between the two. Between decades-ago interviews and present-day revelations, Evie and Carter reveal a love story powerful enough to change music history, as they try to come to terms with a past that is simply that — past.
Windy City Blues by Renée Rosen
From 1947 to 1969, Windy City Blues sounds with the rhythms of the music of Chicago, the beats of racial tension, of women’s struggles for independence, and of the difficulties of immigrants trying to succeed in a new country. Rooted in the real and legendary blues recording studio, Chess Records, the story follows Red Dupree as he tries to make it big as a blues guitarist.
Leeba Groski is a young woman whose Orthodox Jewish family wants to keep her sheltered — a past she is trying to break free from. So when her responsibilities at Chess Records grow, she develops her own talent for songwriting and struggles to circumvent the airwaves that are dominated by male singers. Soon, Red and Leeba fall in love, though an interracial relationship in the 1950s brings out the uglier side of Chicago. The pair become involved first with the Freedom Riders and then the Civil Rights Movement, as they try to right the wrongs of the past and build a future that has room for a female songwriter and a Black musician.
(Read the review on BookTrib)
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeline Thien
This multigenerational tale follows parents living through Mao’s Cultural Revolution in China and the after-effects on their children, decades later. Living in Vancouver, Marie and her mother invite into their home Ai-Ming, a Chinese refugee fleeing the crackdown in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square Protests in 1989.
The novel delves into different subplots, all centered around Marie finding and tracing her family history, and the connection between her late father Kai, a talented pianist, and Ai-Ming’s father Sparrow, a brilliant composer and violin prodigy. It explores the journey their fathers took to live as artists during China’s political campaigns. The consequences of these pivotal moments in history and the echoes of their music reverberate into the future and change the course of their children’s lives.
(Interview with the author on BookTrib.)
