Half Blood Blues

This is a book that I know I will read again. A story about jazz musicians in Berlin and Paris during WWII. The author brilliantly captures the fear and horror of what is taking place, but also the protagonist's need to express himself no matter what if going on around him. Esi Edugyan's prose surprises and delights with her novel use of language which shows the intimacy between the characters during a horrific period in the world's history. This is a jewel of a book. Highly recommended

Enjoyed every line of this masterpiece.

Though there were a few times while reading that I wanted to put it down, I came away from this book feeling glad I read it. I didn't like the protagonist, and wanted to hear some of the story from someone else's perspective. Or I would have liked it from a third person perspective. The black German experience during WWII is something I'd like to read more about.

“Folks think a lifetime is a thing stretched out over years. It ain't. It can happen quick as a match in a dark room.”