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Published Sep 2011
336 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
A tale of revolutionary intrigue, heroic journalism, crooked politicians, drug-running gangsters, Albany race riots, and the improbable rise of Fidel Castro. Quinn's epic journey carries him through the nightclubs and jungles of Cuba and into the newsrooms and racially charged streets of Albany on the day Robert F. Kennedy is fatally shot in 1968. The odyssey brings Quinn and his exotic but unpredictable Cuban wife, Renata, a debutante revolutionary, face-to-face with the darkest facets of human nature and illuminates the power of love in the presence of death. William Kennedy masterfully gathers together an unlikely cast of vivid characters in a breathtaking adventure full of music, mysticism, and murder: a homeless black alcoholic, a radical Catholic priest, a senile parent, a terminally ill jazz legend, the imperious Mayor of Albany, Bing Crosby, Hemingway, Castro, and a ragtag ensemble of radicals, prostitutes, provocateurs, and underworld heavies. This is an unforgettably riotous story of revolution, romance, and redemption, set against the landscape of the civil rights movement as it challenges the legendary and vengeful Albany political machine.
BookBrowse Review
"I sincerely wanted to like this book - with dynamic personalities such as Bing Crosby and Ernest Hemingway, set in revolutionary Cuba, written by Pulitzer Prize-winner William Kennedy... I thought this would be a shoo-in. But, unfortunately, it just didn't speak to me. The narration jumped around in a way that left me feeling isolated from Kennedy's characters, unable to empathize with them or care about what was going on in their lives. And Kennedy's short, declarative sentences came across less like Hemingway and more like one-liners, which in turn made the relationships seem unrealistic. I didn't believe in the connection between the two main characters, and wasn't given enough reason to want to suspend disbelief. And while the setting and the era are both very exciting - Kennedy does a good job incorporating details of Cuban history - the characters simply didn't draw me in enough to want to recommend this novel." - Elena Spagnolie
Other Reviews
"Starred Review. Thick with backroom deal making and sharp commentary on corruption, Kennedy's novel describes a world he clearly knows, and through plenty of action, careful historical detail, and larger-than-life characters, he brilliantly brings it to life." - Publishers Weekly
"Full of larger-than-life characters, strong men and stronger women who marry personal passions to national events, Kennedy’s novel has the mark of genius, yet a surfeit of names and plot threads discourage readers from fully engaging." - Kirkus Reviews
"Starred Review. The book is a masterly blend of a serious examination of the people's inherent right to fight oppression (and the dangers involved) and a political romp. Kennedy again proves that he is among our finest writers and that the American literary novel thrives. Bravo!" - Library Journal
"Starred Review. This gripping addition to Kennedy's celebrated Albany Cycle, which includes Ironweed (1983) and Roscoe (2002), is literary news of the highest order." - Booklist
This information about Chango's Beads and Two-Tone Shoes was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
William Kennedy was born and raised in Albany, New York. His Albany Cycle of novels includes Legs, Billy Phelan's Greatest Game, Ironweed, Quinn's Book, Very Old Bones, The Flaming Corsage, and Roscoe. A journalist before becoming a novelist, Kennedy covered the civil rights movement and Cuban revolutions in the 1950s and 1960s. He is a MacArthur Fellow and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He lives in Averil Park, New York.
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