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The central character is Jonah Strom, a highly talented tenor of mixed-race born to Jewish physicist David Strom (who has fled Germany) and Delia Dailey, a middle-class black opera singer. The relationship of Jonah's parents began at the famous recital given by the great black soprano Marion Anderson when she was rejected by the classical music establishment. David and Delia are very different people, but their love of music becomes central to the lives of their sons; the singer Jonah and his younger brother Joseph, who becomes a pianist and accompanies his brother. While Jonah struggles for the acceptance of the white establishment, his rebellious younger sister Ruth takes a different path and confronts the issues of race in her life by marrying a Black Panther and taking on her enemies. It is left to Joseph to find an accommodation somewhere between these two extremes.
While all the younger characters here are drawn with the kind of lucid detail that is Powers’ particular speciality, the real skill of the narrative lies in the parents David and Delia. The former is, in fact, the most richly drawn character, with his humanity and intellect triumphantly brought to life. The discursive narrative needs careful attention from the reader, and this is not a book for those seeking undemanding reading. But the rewards here are many: this is a biting and exuberant novel that isn't afraid to tackle many uncomfortable issues. --Barry Forshaw
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Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780099453833
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 1838970-n
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. From the Booker-shortlisted author of The Overstory, an enthralling, wrenching novel about the lives and choices of one family, caught on the cusp of identitiesFrom the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Overstory, an enthralling, wrenching novel about the lives and choices of one family, caught on the cusp of identities.Jonah, Ruth and Joseph are the children of mixed-race parents determined to raise them beyond time, beyond identity, steeped in song. Yet they cannot be protected from the world forever.Even as Jonah becomes a successful young tenor, the opera arena remains fixated on his race. Ruth turns her back on classical music and disappears, dedicating herself to activism and a new relationship. As the years pass, Joseph - the middle child, a pianist and our narrator - must battle not just to remain connected to his siblings, but to forge a future of his own.This is a story of the tragedy of race in America, told through the lives and choices of one family caught on the cusp of identities.'An epic novel of modern America that weaves ideas of race, music and science into a mysterious but satisfying tapestry. Endlessly fascinating' Independent Jonah, Joseph and Ruth are the children of mixed-race parents determined to protect them from the grinding effects of race. Hothouse children, they are all musically talented, but they cannot be protected from the world for long. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780099453833
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 640 pages. 7.76x5.08x1.30 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0099453835
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Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. Jonah, Joseph and Ruth are the children of mixed-race parents determined to protect them from the grinding effects of race. Ruth turns her back on classical music ('white music') and disappears, on the run with her black husband under suspicion of being a Black Panther. Seller Inventory # B9780099453833