Hurricane Song

Volponi, Paul. 2008. Hurricane Song: A Novel of New Orleans.

"Miles has only been living with his musician father in New Orleans for two months when Hurricane Katrina hits--and they haven't really been getting along. His dad lives for jazz, while Miles's first love is football. But father and son must set aside their differences when they seek refuge in the crowded Superdome."

Need I say more? The above quote from the jacket says it all. Hurricane Katrina fictionalized through an emotional father-and-son story. Did I like it? Yes and no. It was emotional. It was dramatic. I think Volponi has written a handful of complex characters and placed them in a very turbulent setting. And the pacing of those scenes is good. It will keep you reading, keep you engaged. But the ending felt a little bit too contrived.

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It's not that I wanted Miles and his father to suffer even more than they already did. It's just that the ending seemed to have miraculously erased the losses, the troubles, the trauma, the stress and strain of the hurricane in a blink of an eye or the snap of a finger. And I just don't think that that is the case with most folks who actually did experience Katrina.

136 pages.

Other reviews: Chasing Ray, Richie,

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews