Midnight Reader - March 10, 2014

So in the past couple of months, I have read two books about rock groups formed in the Sixties.  One was a very in-depth portrayal of the Beatles early years and the other an emotional tribute to Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band written by his daughter.  That was an exciting time for music and I am disappointed to have missed it by a couple of decades. 

Currently Reading:

• My Life in Middlemarch  by Rebecca Mead
• The Johnstown Girls by Kathleen George (received through NetGalley)
• Partials: Book One in the Partial Sequence by Dan Wells
• The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh (received through NetGalley)

On Deck:

• The Dream Dress by Janice Thompson (received through NetGalley)
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
• The Kids Will Be Fine: Guilt-Free Motherhood for Thoroughly Modern Women by Daisy Waugh (received through LibraryThing)

Recent Reviews:

Please Be with Me: A Song for my Father, Duane Allman by Galadrielle Allman
4 Stars

Once I saw this book listed on NetGalley, I knew that I had to read it.  Although I am not familiar with all of the Allman Brothers Band material, as a fan of rock music from that era I am familiar with many of their songs.  Duane Allman was the force that created the band, with his brother Gregg, and his dedication to the art of making music is incredibly moving.   This book is written by his daughter, Galadrielle, who was only two when he tragically died.  Through her conversations with family members, friends, bandmates and other musicians, she re-creates his early years and his short life with the Allman Brothers Band.  She excels at describing his relationships with other musicians and the bond that he formed with those whose music he admired.  The author also does an excellent job of making the time period come alive with descriptions of clothes and buildings and attitudes. 

What I found most moving, though, were the passages in which she tries to fully understand her father and his all-consuming love for his music.  At times I felt that she reached a little to re-create specific scenes but overall she has written a moving tribute to her father and his music.  It is one of those books that you read, dreading the finish, wishing it could have a completely different ending.  I received this book through NetGalley.