Customer Comments

Although I have long been a fan of Powers' writing, this novel surprised me. The sheer force of its musicality both in its musical allusions and in the cadence of its prose is astounding. The novel flashes from Easter,1939, at Marian Anderson's famous concert on the Washington Mall to the problems of the violent, turbulent sixties by following an interracial couple and their talented children who are unprepared for the difficulties and stigma of their heritage as they try to forge musical and professional careers, ignoring the hatred and prejudice around them. All three children are fascinating characters who are memorable because of their talents and their attempts to remain true to their parents' idealism as they deal with questions of artistic integrity, racial profiling, and deep-seated prejudice. This is a novel for musicians, for historians, for politicians, and for those readers who prize the writer's craft!

What a read! Rarely has a novel been so exquisitely written that can also boast a profound, moral center. If one most values the books that aid in altering one's philosophical perspective, then this novel is clearly destined for literary immortality! I have suggested it to friends and colleagues, all of whom have shared my delight.