Book summary

This novel tells the simple story of a man's intense desire to be reunited with his son. John Nickel is a Black musician in Memphis. A protective man by nature, he sympathizes with Carl and Fay Taft, a young white brother and sister who seek work at his blues bar. Despite the trouble they cause him, the pity they induce in him helps him to define his morals. The narration is in Nickel's voice, alternating between the dark events of the story and his imagination.

Media reviews

"Comparisons are tempting: to the unabashed romanticism of Laurie Colwin, the eccentric characters of Anne Tyler, the enchantments of Alice Hoffman. But Ann Patchett is unique: a generous, fearless, and startlingly wise young writer...Expect miracles when you read Ann Patchett's fiction."