In 1960s Chicago, a young woman stands in the middle of a musical and social revolution. A new historical novel from the bestselling author of White Collar Girl and What the Lady Wants. “The rise of the Chicago Blues scene fairly shimmers with verve and intensity, and the large, diverse cast of characters is indelibly portrayed with the perfect pitch of a true artist.” —Melanie Benjamin, New … artist.”
—Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue
Leeba Groski doesn’t exactly fit in, but her love of music is not lost on her childhood friend and neighbor, Leonard Chess, who offers her a job at his new record company in Chicago. What starts as answering phones and filing becomes more than Leeba ever dreamed of, as she comes into her own as a songwriter and crosses paths with legendary performers like Chuck Berry and Etta James. But it’s Red Dupree, a black blues guitarist from Louisiana, who captures her heart and changes her life.
Their relationship is unwelcome in segregated Chicago and they are shunned by Leeba’s Orthodox Jewish family. Yet in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, Leeba and Red discover that, in times of struggle, music can bring people together.
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I love reading stories based on real live people and events. “Windy City Blues” is written from three different points of view Leeba’s, Red’s and Leonard’s with is a first for this author. This in no way takes away from the story but actually enhances it. Renee Rosen is one of the best at combining reality and fiction. She pored her heart and soul into “Windy City Blues” and you can tell. Bravo Renee!
I experienced first hand the segregation of bathrooms, restaurants, buses, etc., and Renee’s attention to detail as we traveled the buses and walked the marches of the Civil Rights movement brought me back to those times when I lived in Mississippi. Ms. Rosen explores interracial marriage and its hardships of being excepted not only by your own family but also both blacks and whites with such emotion that I felt everything Leeba and Red Dupree felt. Leeba loved music and as we read “Windy City Blues” we join her on her quest of being a song writer. Ms. Rosen takes us through the ups and downs of the music business as young blues singers migrate from the South, North to Chicago. At Chess records we meet Leonard the founder and such greats as Chuck Berry, Etta James, Muddy Waters, and more.
If you are a music lover this is one book you don’t want to miss, as the historical research that Renee Rosen did to write this story is outstanding. She went right to the source talking to Chess family members, DJs from the era, and etc. Reading this compelling story we learn about the struggles of the musicians as they dealt with racism against not only themselves but also their music.
As I was reading this story I thought to myself if Renee was one of these characters who would she be and obviously it would be Leeba. The depth this character had as she grew from a young girl into a woman amazed me with her love and kindness, even as she herself battled racism. She so easily could have become bitter and hard, instead she showed compassion towards others.
Again, Bravo Renee your best one yet!
*I received an early e-ARC copy from Penguin’s First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review.*
Windy City Blues is an excellent historical novel, bringing its characters to life and providing a compelling description of the struggles of musicians during the mid-20th century.
A fun and interesting read.
Rosen hits all the right notes in this moving story of music, ambition and love. After World War II, blues musicians from the South made their way to the gritty streets of Chicago, hoping for a breath of freedom and the chance for a new sound–the electric blues. Music lovers will appreciate Rosen’s painstaking research and deep understanding of the genesis and influence of this iconic sound. But Windy City Blues goes far beyond a lively musical history; Rosen puts real characters on the stage and makes them sing and play for their lives. Racial conflict–black, white, Jewish–is front and center, making the struggles and triumphs as relevant to today’s world as they were sixty years ago, strumming the same heartbreaking, soulful, all-too-human riff.
I enjoyed the way real events and characters were mixed with fictional events and characters. It read like a novel yet also provided an historical look at the music industry And Black musicians in the 50’s and 60’s.
While the subject matter of the birth of rhythm & blues and Negro music going mainstream via Chess Records in Chicago was worthwhile, I found the number of connections to the Civil Rights Movement a bit much. Rosen through in as many connections to the movement and the main characters as she could, which made the story a bit unbelievable for me.