Amy Harmon is one of my favorite authors, I always enjoy her books and look forward to reading more from her. The Songbook of Benny Lament was one of my most anticipated books. It's a poignant and tumultuous love story between a white songwriter Benny Lament and a black singer Esther Mine, set during the 1960s. Benny and Esther's love is not easy and their happy ending seems unattainable because so many people don't want them together. Benny and Esther themselves know their love will never have an easy pass and fight their feelings for each other. 

I enjoyed The Songbook of Benny Lament very much. The book is set more than 50 years ago but the racism and the inequality that Black people experienced then are still here today. I thought that Amy Harmon told the story of a biracial couple with care and consideration. 

The one thing that I didn't love about this book is the format it was written in. The story is told by Benny in the form of a radio interview. Because of that, it suffers from a "telling not showing" problem, in my opinion. We only get Benny's point of view and never Esther's. I would have preferred if the book was written in the third person. I am giving the storyline 5 stars and the storytelling 4 stars. The Songbook of Benny Lament is another compelling read from Amy Harmon. If you haven't read any of her books yet, you are missing out!

THIS book BLEW me away!!!!!!!  Coincidentally I had just watched a documentary on Amazon Prime about the making of Motown, & this fit perfectly in this era.  I LOVED the story of Benny & Esther and how they came to be!  This was perfectly written with a present day radio interview, and then the flashbacks to get to the present day.  I LOVED Benny’s Dad & Esther’s brothers and their different personalities!  I LOVED the ending!  I LOVED the journey!   I LOVED how she intertwined past historical events (even though they were sad or hard to read)!  Amy Harmon always gets you invested in her stories & I will read anything she writes!!!  

Thanks to Net Galley for an ebook for an honest review!!!  

Fav Quotes:
“There’s just people.  And everybody’s rotten inside. Some are more rotten than others, and some just aren’t rotten yet. But eventually, we all get a little ripe, ya know what I’m saying’?  We all have dark spots.” 

“It’s done.  Forget about it. You aren’t the only kid who’s seen something they shouldn’t. Eventually, we all see things we wish we hadn’t.”

“Esther’s smile was so wide she had to turn sideways to exit the building into Herald Square.”

“...the kind of song that broke your heart and made you want to fall in love at the same time.”

“If you want people to change, you have to show them what it looks like.”

“My worries are too loud to sleep.”

“If a man can’t protect and provide it’ll make him mean or it’ll drive him crazy.”

I have read a handful of Amy Harmon’s books in the past and they all thread that beautiful, poetic storytelling throughout. While this one though felt very different than some of my favs from her (What the Wind Knows & Where the Lost Wander), I was still also intrigued.

The story takes place during the 1960s and is told in flashbacks. Each chapter is also broken up with a radio show excerpt that the main character Benny is being interviewed for in 1969. Benny tells his story, a little about his personal life (his father and uncle’s mobsters life) and about his professional life (he’s a successful music producer and songwriter). One day Benny hears an up-and-coming singer, Esther Mine, singing and is entranced by her beautiful voice. Esther follows him after her show and wants Benny to manage and song-write for her. While the story centers around their family issues and secrets, budding relationship, and their music, it also focuses a lot on the era it takes place...the civil rights movement and the complexities of an interracial couple during that time. 

This one did take me a bit to get into, but once Benny & Esther are together and making music and singing together, my attention was grabbed. Their banter was really great and I loved how fiery and spirited Esther’s character is! You learn more about their life together, their families, their struggles, their successes, and their love over the decade that their story takes place. And then it all tied up back to the radio show interview. I think this will make for a really great audiobook with the interview chapters and also the song-making moments (which I loved those parts the most). While I really enjoyed their music journey and their romance, I wasn’t as enthralled with the mobster/mafia life that plays a big part of the story.

Thank you to the publisher for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & review.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Motown music, bars, and intimate stories of the songs that spoke of the heart and soul. Benny and Esther are characters that would can't wait to get to know. Their story unfolds so gracefully . Highly recommend.

What drew me to this book initially is what kept me - a weakness for any story set within the music industry and curiosity about the mobs connection. 

I found it difficult to get into the zone while reading this book, not because of the writing but because the radio segments jarred me out of the story each time. I would skim them in boredom, then begrudgingly reread them for the sake of a well rounded review. Still, I can't help but think I may have enjoyed the book a little more without these sections.

More than the plot, the characters shine through. The complicated relationships with family might seem like the obvious point to make when there's a mob in town, but the dynamics between characters - both on and off page - is what I really enjoyed about this book. From Benny and his father, to Esther and her more complicated history, it was interesting to watch these relationships pan out during the short period of time with the characters. 

Overall, it was worth reading, but I'd recommend skipping over the radio segments (except for the last, that is).

I know already that this book will be one of my most favorite reads of this year.  If I could give this a million stars, I would!  

I have read a lot of authors in my many years, but I cannot think of very many  who have managed to sweep me up so completely in their stories the way Amy Harmon does.  She has this magical ability to make her stories leap off the pages and wrap themselves around you so fully, you feel like you are living and breathing in them right along with the characters.  So, when they are happy, you are deliriously happy too.  And when they are suffering, you feel like nothing is ever going to make it better again.  But somehow, Amy does make it better, and even though tough things, bad things, sad things happen, you make it through and find a way to smile at the beauty she pulls out of the scenes, even when they are in the darkest of moments.

Benny Lament and Esther Mine are two characters that will stay with me for a very long time.  I cheered so hard for these two people to find love and happiness.  To find acceptance and tolerance.  It is not much to ask for, but society very often has a different opinion on what tolerance and acceptance looks like.

<b> <i> “You wanna change the world, you gotta show ‘em what it looks like.”  ~Esther Mine </b> </i>

Amy presents this story in a uniquely refreshing way.  First, through a radio interview between Benny Lament and Barry Gray of The Barry Gray show on WMCA Radio.  It was delightful to see this seasoned radio DJ be somewhat in awe of Benny and what he has accomplished.  And from there, the chapters segue directly into what Barry and Benny had just been discussing, and the reader is gifted with seeing everything play out from Benny’s point of view.  It was fascinating to see inside Benny’s head and heart, the two things often at war with each other over what the right course of action was.  And Esther Mine was right there the whole time, worming her way into Benny’s very soul, until he did not know where he ended, and she started.  

Family is a huge part of this story.  The ones you are born into, the ones you create on your own, and all the complicated baggage that comes along with them.  Amy masterfully weaves a complex and interwoven story of two people who never really felt at home in their own families, until they meet each other and begin to see the world in a whole new way.

<b> <i> “Chords are like families.  The notes go together, and there’s a million combinations.” ~Benny Lament </b> </i>

Music is another huge part of the story, and I was in awe of how Amy wove so much of Benny and Esther’s story into the lyrics of the songs they created.  Starting with the unease and distrust of two strangers trying to work together to the gradual progression of their comfort and affection, to the banter and sass that came from their obvious love and trust in each other.  Their relationship plays out just as much through the songs they wrote and performed as it was being told to us by Benny.  

<b> <i>“I love you, Benny Lament.”

“I love you too, Baby Ruth.” </b> </i>

One of the things I love the most about Amy’s books is that she takes real life events and manages to weave them into her fictional stories.  More times than I can count I hurried to my compute to Google something, only to remember this story is not real.  Yes, some of the characters, events and situations of the time could be looked up, but as Amy warns us in her afterward, do not fall down that rabbit hole! And to be honest, I like Amy’s versions of events way better than real life, hence the reason I love to read fictional stories.  

I really could wax poetic about this book forever.  As always, Amy has left me speechless, over emotional and wishing for a thousand more pages of Benny and Esther’s story.  The entire time I was reading, I could clearly see this book being made into a major motion picture.  It is relevant in today’s social climate, and I know for certain, people would flock to theatres to see it.  

Bravo, Amy!  To borrow a phrase from Esther, this story is ugly beautiful!

I adore all of Amy Harmon’s novels so I always have huge expectations diving into one of her books.  I am thrilled to say The Songbook of Benny Lament lived up to all of my expectations (and then some)!  My favorite part about Amy’s novels is the fact that she is so incredibly original with such unforgettable characters.  The Songbook of Benny Lament follows Benny Lament and Esther Mine’s extraordinary journey.  The novel time hops between the beginning and the end of the 1960’s—telling the story in this way truly adds so much to the plot.   The storyline tackles many different obstacles of both the general time period and to Benny and Esther personally.  As with all Amy Harmon novels there are well placed twists that completely change the trajectory of the entire novel—love that!  If your looking for a novel that will captivate you from page one than this is the book for you!  The Songbook of Benny Lament is a complete and solid 5 star novel that I highly recommend EVERYONE read!  I am so excited to read what Amy Harmon comes out with next!

This was my first experience of Amy Harmon but it definitely won't be my last! I was initially drawn in by the stunning book cover and the description which reminded got me thinking this would be similar to Daisy Jones & The Six - a chronological story of a fictional celebrity's rise to fame. There were similarities for sure, but there was something more immersive and unique about this one...

Set in the early 1960s, Benny Lament is a songwriter for the stars and talented piano player to boot. When he returns to NYC after a stint of travelling, his Pops takes him to hear Esther Mine sing. Its instantly apparent to Benny that Esther is destined to be a star - her voice is unlike anything he's ever heard before. He returns to his hotel that night to find Esther waiting for him and he decides to write a song for her and her band, Minefield. Soon enough, an album-worth of songs has been written, secret connections are revealed and Benny finds himself falling for Esther...

The family mob background and the on-stage/off-stage chemistry and love story between Benny and Esther added something special and unique to this story. Their relationship was hugely controversial at a time where interracial marriage was mostly illegal and frowned upon in places where it was legal. It is clear that this element of the story has been meticulously researched; I wasn't alive in the 1960s and have limited knowledge of this period in history but I firmly believe Harmon did it justice. The civil rights movement is a constant background hum throughout this story, with references to Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. throughout. 

It took me a few chapters to get into it; to wrap my head around how the characters were related, to fully understand the mob family Benny came from. But once I was hooked, I was HOOKED. I was totally immersed in Benny's life and I loved his POV. The tension and fear was palpable at times and genuinely had my heart racing...

Highly, highly recommend to fans of Daisy Jones & The Six, or anyone looking for an immersive page turner.

I love Amy Harmon and am always amazed by her books- this one was no different! However, I felt the book was very different for her but it was amazing! 

The story was about Benny Lament a musician in the 1960s whose family had ties to the mob. His father brings him to see Esther Mines and they are eager to work together. Quickly they become a couple and set fire to the stage. I loved Benny and Esthers characters and wanted to know what happened next. I loved the past and present and the storyline was new and refreshing. 

Almost a Daisy Jones type feel for me, I really liked this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced ebook copy.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book received many 5 star reviews so I decided to get it as a read now. I sometimes like a period story in the 1960's. The cusp of so many changes in America, that I was not alive yet to see. Well, I got what I asked for as this book takes you on a journey to 1960 in the music and cultural pre awakening in the time of segregation. New York in 1960 is its own character but I fell for Benny and Esther's story as well. Being a former piano player I related to the music part of the book.  I don't think I will forget this book for a long time.

I am usually a huge fan of Amy Harmon, unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this book.  I am not sure if it was back and forth or flashbacks and what was currently happening or if it was just a flat story but it didn’t hold my interest which is unusual for Amy Harmon.

Amy Harmon never ceases to amaze me with her words. From historical romance to fantasy to coming of age, Ms. Harmon can do it all and she does it with such passion, enthusiasm, and honesty.

This story was a perfect depiction of the ugly beautiful side of the 1960s. Benny Lament was a musician and songwriter whose family had ties to the mob. When his father brought him to see Esther Mines perform, he was blown away by her talent, and she was just as eager to work with him. Both Esther and the music they made together were hard for him to resist, but not everyone in America was ready for an interracial couple with such chemistry, both on and off the stage.

I absolutely loved this story and couldn’t put it down until I knew what became of Benny and Esther’s whirlwind career and romance! The banter between them, while writing and performing their songs, immediately drew me in because it felt so raw and real and kept me rooting for them to make it. Their connection was not just once of attraction though; their pasts collided in the present and that too brought along its own obstacles. Overall I thought it was a great storyline and as always, I look forward to reading more from Amy Harmon.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3836454021

This is something that is very different from Amy's other stories.  I really felt the old school mafia vibe and thrown in the civil rights movement/and our main couple is interracial right at the turn of 1960's-70.  Also that this book has past/present chapters of how Benny and Esther met to Benny telling his story on radio show.  While this story had some family dynamic layers interwoven to the story, I think I was expecting something a bit different to suit my tastes.  I probably would have enjoyed this more as an audiobook.  Amy sure did thorough research and I really love this cover.  I look forward to the next book from Amy.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

It's 1969, and Benny Lament is telling his story of the past decade on a radio interview. As his story unfolds on air, we are whisked back in time to watch the events as they actually happen. Lament grew up associated with the mob, but he did all that he could to make his own success through music and avoid further ties with his "family." He meets Esther Mine, a petite lady with an incredible voice, and she convinces him to help her and her band (made up of her brothers) succeed in the music industry. As Benny reluctantly helps Esther, they are unaware at first that their pasts are linked and have no idea that working together could lead to unknown dangers. 

This is a delightful story with an intriguing cast of characters! The writing is beautiful, and even though I have no idea what the songs in the book might sound like, I still felt like I was present as the characters were performing and I could almost hear the songs in my head. With the racial tension and the affiliations with the mob, Benny and Esther have so much stacked against them, but I loved rooting for them throughout the book. This book primarily focuses on the rise of Benny and Esther in the music industry, but there's also an element of mystery based on Esther's past and why that might be affecting them now. The pacing of the plot is perfect, and it made it hard to put the book down. 

This is one of my favorite books of the year so far. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a bit of mystery. It will not disappoint!

A big thank you to Amy Harmon, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book!

“May we seek to learn each other’s stories so that we might love each other a little better.” (From the Author's Note in the back of the book - those make the whole story come full circle!)

Amy Harmon does it again - so gracefully, tenderly, and with grit and a piercing view into the tenacity of the human spirit. The Songbook of Benny Lament is a beautiful and thoroughly researched historical fiction about race, the mob, music, and love in the 60s.

4.5 rounded up! Go get your copy! And, while you're at it, grab her whole backlist. Harmon's writing is visceral, vulnerable, and sinks its teeth into your soul.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley for a arc copy for a honest review.    

I enjoyed reading The Songbook of Benny Lament.. I loved reading Benny and Ester and Beautifully written this is my first Amy Harman book I can’t read her book’s that I missed 5 star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy Reading 
Lisa

The Songbook of Benny Lament is the story of a white Italian guy who becomes the manager and more for a black band in the middle of the Civil Rights movement.  Benny and Esther come from different backgrounds and have different history.  They view life differently but they both want to see change, see the lines disappear.  Ms. Harmon uses fictional as well as real people to tell this wonderful tale, including glimpses into the beginning of Motown and Mr. Berry Gordy's vision for music.  Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to give my voluntary and honest opinion on #TheSongbookofBennyLament.

The Songbook of Benny Lament is a historical fiction novel set in the 1960s. Benny Lament is living his life as a musician and well-known songwriter in New York City. Although his father and uncle are in the mafia, he wants nothing to do with that world. Benny's father insists that Benny check out a singer named Esther Mine and when Benny does, his life will never be the same. Benny and Esther begin to collaborate in their songwriting and their pairing begins to bring their band to a meteoric rise. As they navigate their rise to fame and a new romance, someone is trying to silence the secrets they keep.

Amy Harmon does it again with amazing storytelling in this novel. I love Harmon's style - her poetic and lyrical prose and detailed imagery give this book a very groovy 1960s feel. This book was a bit of a slow start, setting up the complicated layers of the story but about half way through the book, the story was full charge ahead. There are lots of twists and turns that I didn't see coming in that second half and I was enthralled.

One of the major topics of this book is racism and interracial relationships. Benny and Esther lived in a time when interracial marriages were not legal in many states. Not only did they have to suffer through the drama of Benny's mafia family, but they also had to wade through the hate and racism of the time. It broke my heart that people like Benny and Esther couldn't be together in peace back in these times. I feel so fortunate to live in a place and time where my own interracial marriage isn't an issue.

Steam level: 🔥🔥½
⚠️: murder, violence, racism

My love for Amy Harmon is deep & true – she could write a grocery list and I would immediately read it. I have been looking forward to reading her new book, The Songbook of Benny Lament, and was ecstatic to see it on Net Galley to read immediately.

The Songbook of Benny Lament follows the story of Benny Lament, a successful songwriter from New York who has family ties to the Italian mob. While out with his father one night, they enter a club where they see the band Minefield play, and Benny is instantly drawn to the lead singer, named Esther Mine. 

After agreeing to help Esther and her brothers write music for their band, Benny begins reaching out to his contacts within the industry to try to get Esther & Minefield’s foot in the door – they began recording their music and sending out their records to labels & stations to try to get some traction. After performing together on The Barry Gary Show one night, Benny and Esther’s songs begin playing all over the radio across the country. However, due to one song in particular that they sang called Bo ‘The Bomb’ Johnson, Benny & Esther unintentionally resurfaced issues that the mob & politicians hadn’t dealt with in 20 years. 

What I really loved about this novel was how each chapter began in the present, with Benny appearing on The Barry Gray Show in 1969. On the radio show, Barry Gray would ask Benny questions on specific stories that happened to him, Esther, & Minefield during that tumultuous first year together. From there, the reader would be transported back to 1960, where Benny would reminiscence on exactly what happened, and provided additional context and information that the listeners didn’t have during the time. 

Unlike other novels that are based within the music industry, Harmon’s book is different. It is always different. Take her lyrics to “Can’t Cut You Out”, for example. “I tried to cut you out, baby. Now I’m bleedin’ to death,” “You took a little here, and you took a little there, and I’ve given all I can.” Within the first chapter, the reader receives pure and raw emotion through song lyrics that Benny has written based on his own life experience with his father. The number of books I’ve read about musicians is endless, but I can tell you that I can count on one hand where the lyrics of verses I’ve read made me feel something, and this book is first on my list.  

Harmon has a knack for story telling – specifically within her historical fiction novels. She exquisitely tells a love story between a white man and a black woman during the time of segregation and the civil rights movement. The stories Harmon tells are hard, truthful, and necessary. The issue of racism within America then and now are still very real; it’s a problem that has not gone away. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been to be in an interracial relationship during this time, but I believe that those couples who suffered then are the reason the world is a little better place to live in now. 

“There’s always gotta be a first time, right? There’s always gotta be someone who shows the world how its done.”  - Amy Harmon

Would I Reread? 100% yes

6 stars

WARNING: LONG REVIEW AHEAD (as it’s usual for Amy’s books. #sorrynotsorry). And you’ll get lots of quotes because Amy ahs one of the most outstanding writings.

“But if storytellers wrote only about things they had personally experienced, it would be like musicians playing only music they had personally written.
I don’t want to just sing my own songs; I want to sing the songs of many voices, even if the songs are painful and scary.”- Author’s note.
Amy Harmon is one of my top three authors and what I love about her books, beautiful writing aside, is that she never goes for the same story twice. She always pushes herself and goes outside of her comfort zone, like she did here. I would never have expected her to write a story with mobsters intertwined with race problems and politics! Yet she did and she did it brilliantly. 

This is an outstanding love story rooted in the background of mafia, segregation and Motown’s birth. 
This story is told on December 30th 1969 on the Barry Grey’s show. Barry is interviewing his guest, Benny Lament, songwriter, musician, singer and manager of Minefield, Esther’s band.
They will reminisce about the past decade, talking about politics and about Benny’s career and how he became Minefield’s manager.
“So how did you end up singing with her? You’d been a songwriter up to that point. A very successful one. But nobody outside industry circles knew your name. You were a behind-the-scenes guy.”

I loved that the interview was used to stir her story. Every time Barry Grey talks about a topic, from one to two pages in the book, we’ll then shift to the past. It gave me a “telltale feel” when we dove back in Benny and Esther's story.

Benny is the nephew of the New York Italian mob’s boss: Salvatore Vitale. His dad, Jack Lomento, known later as Jack Lament, is an ex-box champion who became Sal’s bodyguard after he married Benny’s mom, Sal’s sister.
All his life, Benny has been a genius with music and at writing songs. 
“I wrote my first song when I was eight years old, a chocolate ice-cream cone in my hand, while my father roughed up a shop owner.”

He has witnessed some very bad things while young and swore to never pledge to the family and to never have a family or responsibilities. He has a great career as a songwriter, happy to stay in the shadow, doing what he likes: music.
“I didn’t want to be a star. Maybe that was what won people over. I didn’t have dreams of Hollywood or Broadway. I wasn’t in love with my own voice or my reflection in the mirror. My dreams were of a humbler variety. I wanted to make music, not mayhem.”

 But one day, his dad brings him to see Minefield, group made of black brothers and sister, play music in a club. Benny gets enraptured by their singer’s voice: Esther. That scene was …so intense I had thrills. I was in that club at night listening to Esther’s voice.
“But as I listened, my chest grew tight and my eyes pricked with tears. I was seven years old again, listening to a voice that covered my arms in gooseflesh. She reminds me of your mother.”

Esther has a voice like none other but she has had no luck so far and she will hunt Benny to convince him to become Minefield’s manager. It was fascinating to see Esther so determined while Benny was so reluctant.
“I won’t cause you a minute’s trouble. I’ll be a blessing. I’ll sing, and I’ll dance, and I’ll do whatever you say. I’ll be the best investment you ever made,” she said, her voice firm, eyes clinging to mine. “I don’t want to sleep with you. Or anyone else, actually. But I’ll even do that.”

They will bicker often Esther never sugarcoating things and Benny replying, giving as good as he got! That was captivating witnessing what felt like a long foreplay. These two met toe to toe and gave people an amazing show!
Benny was “Ugly beautiful. I knew exactly what she meant, and I was pleased. I knew I wasn’t pretty, but I’d take ugly beautiful any day. Ugly beautiful was a hell of a lot more intriguing.”
If Benny was very tall and white, Esther was pocket size and black but she had “pipes” like Benny loved to say.
Esther may have been raised poor and ostracized because of the color of her skin, she had poise, determination and sass!
“Esther’s eyes were ringed with fatigue and her white dress was wrinkled and streaked, but before we stepped outside she applied her lipstick, pulled on her coat, and squared her shoulders, readying herself for whatever audience might await us.”

From reluctant to manage Minefield, Benny will become committed when he’ll witness how unfair Minefield’s treatment was. There are adverse forces at play. Esther and her brothers are black. Benny is white.  And more than the color of their skins Esther’s past will create danger at every turn

That book pulled at all my heartstrings. My dad was a huge fan of The Platters, Ray Charles, The King, and all the singers and bands from that period. I have been raised listening to these singers and reading about them felt like connecting with my father. It was a fabulous gift as he left us two years ago. 
I also think that Amy did a brilliant job at recreating the atmosphere of that period in time. I was in these clubs listening to the bands and watching through a haze of smoke while mobsters talked business. I witnessed the birth of Motown and wanted to know more about that success story. I raged at the unfair treatment people of colors got and couldn’t help but think that if things evolved, USA still had a long way to go.
“I thought people segregated themselves because they wanted to. Chinatown, Little Italy, Harlem—it didn’t occur to me that many people didn’t have an option.”

To conclude this very long review, I’d say that Amy made me fall head over heels in love with Benny and Esther’s story right from the first sentences. I would recommend that outstanding book a thousand times.