from the first page it was obvious that music and women matter. they drive the story. they are the common thread that weaves together a patchwork quilt seven generations wide. the mayfield woman each hear, feel, make, and interupt music differently. they pass this along to their children-in odd ways its the same chord manifesting itself in different people. as society changes so does the tune.

i'm sure the amount of research they did to make this "historically accurate" could fill up another 560 pages of text. i appreciate the authors treatment of the environment. its like a character that plays off the mayfields. at times it was a bit too john hope franklin. some ends were tied up too nicely. everything came full circle. memphis, cinnamon, tokyo, baker. civil rights. fdr. access. blues. jazz. purple haze. french expatriats. dueling affections. poverty. elitism. the circle of african american life.