Last night around midnight I finished Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan. As an indication to show just how much I was drawn into this amazing story, I will admit that I almost missed my stop on the train yesterday because I was reading. Suffice it to say, I really enjoyed this book.
This morning I found myself replaying the characters’ final dialogue in my mind, as if I’d been there watching it actually unfold. Later today, I have plans to investigate a few things the book exposed me to for the first time regarding Black people and World War II, both Black Americans and Afro-Europeans. I love it when fiction is the vehicle for historical learning and this book clearly falls into that category. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who is ignorant about the experiences of Black people in Germany during the war years.
But the book isn’t just about war. It’s not really about war at all, the war is just the backdrop. I’d say this is really a book about music and its powers of redemption. The fact that the characters are Black, Mixed Race, Jewish, foreign and familiar just makes it all the more delicious. I am now officially an Esi Edugyan fan.
Of course, now I have to find the next book. I need a moment to finish digesting Half-Blood Blues, but I honestly am already feeling antsy thinking I don’t have another world to escape to tonight. If you have any suggestions for what I should read next, please leave your suggestions in a comment. I love this list of upcoming books by Black authors in 2015 that appeared on For Harriet. Maybe I’ll start there.
Happy weekend reading! But before you go, enjoy the book trailer for Half-Blood Blues.
Peace!
Comments
2 responses to “Weekend Reads: What’s New and Next for 2015”
Hej Ms Meltingpot,
Here’s a book I think you’d enjoy: “Invisible Woman – Growing up black in Germany” by Ika Hügel-Marshall. The book was originally written in German under the title “Daheim unterwegs”. It was translated into English and published in 2001 by Continuum. I read it long time ago, it left me feeling so sad and angry. Ika was born in 1947 (just 2 years after WW2 was finished) so you can imagine what she went through in Germany……
/Carina
Carina,
Thanks for the recommendation. I will definitely try to find a copy of the book.