Rated  of 5
by Mary (Fairfax CA) (Rohnert Park CA)
fine as a bees wing
When I saw Barbara Hall's TV credits–four of my all-time favorite shows–the bar was set high. When on page three she identified my favorite musician (RT) as Guitar God, the bar shot so high I figured it could only go down. I was wrong. The bar remained at the same high level and I couldn't stop turning the pages.
The exploration of music in general and talent in particular is fascinating and thought-provoking. There's a lot going on: the blessing/curse of an artistic gift, the responsibilities of a teacher, the responsibilities of a human. The way we care, the way we're damaged, the way we seek redemption–or not: the stories of lives. Hall is a terrific writer; every page reflects her intelligence and perception. My only major frustration was with the length of the book, or rather the lack of length. Pearl's inner life as well as her external one warrant much more attention.
A person extends herself, one of the characters says. Hall extends herself brilliantly in these pages, never shying away from hard truths. I'm certain she can extend herself a bit further and I'll be reading more of her. All in all a wonderful book that I will definitely be recommending.
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of 5
by Therese (Calera AL)
