Extremely disappointing. I will never again read anything written by Jane Smiley. I spent the entire novel engrossed in Jodie’s story and vested the many well defined characters who surround her. Looking forward to a conclusion, I was instead gobsmacked by an epilogue that unflinchingly told me I had been deceived. To add insult to injury, I was then treated to an extreme and depressing political statement basically foretelling the end of civilization as we know it. Do not waste your time.

This book was delightful - I loved following Jodie and the cast of characters Smiley conjures around her through the second half of the twentieth century. I appreciated the music industry details in the novel but also that it didn’t dwell on the nitty-gritty of fame - it was much more about Jodie’s life than fame and fortune.