Choosing my traveling novels is a task that I relish. On vacation, I want to be engaged, entertained, and stimulated. I'm not going to read David Baldacci or the likes...I'll just end up snoozing with the book balancing on my nose!!! (although it seemed like half the ship was reading Baldacci or Koontz...ugh.) So this year, I was excited to take Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan on vacation with me.
Being 2011's Giller Prize winner, Half Blood Blues is historical fiction set in the mid 1930's as the German's were gearing up for the Second World War. It is the story of several black German jazz musicians, and what they face as citizens of Germany, who don't fit the mould of Nazi Germany.
Similar to many musicians, they are most concerned with producing music. Bringing excellent talent together to perform and record is their main focus. They know that the political climate of their country is changing, and they begin to understand that it is best to flee the rising intolerant government.
After much struggle, they secure false passports that will allow them safe passage to France. But once they get to France, they are almost immediately greeted with the German invasion of Paris.
This novel is an exciting look at the lives of black German citizens. (I am embarrassed to admit that I had no idea that there was a black population in Germany during the war.) It showed me a part of history that I did not know existed, and I am glad to have read this novel because I now realise that WW2 represented the plight of so many diverse groups. It is a well written novel by Canadian Esi Edugyan, and I look forward to reading more from her. Here she is reading from her novel and speaking about the writing process...Click on the video thumbnail.
If you'd like to learn more about this exciting author, click on the following link: More info on Esi Edugyan's work.
Being 2011's Giller Prize winner, Half Blood Blues is historical fiction set in the mid 1930's as the German's were gearing up for the Second World War. It is the story of several black German jazz musicians, and what they face as citizens of Germany, who don't fit the mould of Nazi Germany.
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| Esi Edugyan accepting the 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize for her novel Half-Blood Blues. |
Similar to many musicians, they are most concerned with producing music. Bringing excellent talent together to perform and record is their main focus. They know that the political climate of their country is changing, and they begin to understand that it is best to flee the rising intolerant government.
After much struggle, they secure false passports that will allow them safe passage to France. But once they get to France, they are almost immediately greeted with the German invasion of Paris.
If you'd like to learn more about this exciting author, click on the following link: More info on Esi Edugyan's work.
