Sugarland
by Martha Conway
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Pub Date May 12 2016 | Archive Date Apr 28 2016
Description
A RIVETING TALE OF MUSIC, MYSTERY, AND MURDER IN CHICAGO’S PROHIBITION-ERA ‘BLACK AND TAN’ CLUBS
The hotly anticipated new novel from North American Book Award winning author Martha Conway, Sugarland [Noontime Books, May 12 2016] breathes new life into the Roaring Twenties, and invites readers into a rendering of the Chicago jazz circuit that’s as seductive as it is dangerous.
Centered on Eve Riser – a young African-American musician who unwittingly puts herself in peril when she witnesses the accidental killing of a white sugar farmer by a black man – Sugarland follows Eve as she tries to help cover up the crime, and agrees to deliver money and a letter to a man named Rudy Hardy in Chicago.
But when Eve arrives in Chicago, she learns that her stepsister Chickie, a nightclub singer, is pregnant by the white club owner. That night, Eve witnesses another murder – that of Rudy Hardy, in a drive-by shooting – and Chickie disappears.
Alongside Rudy Hardy’s sister, Lena – a lonely nurse who is drawn to the music clubs – Eve sets out to find Chickie, while Lena works to find out who killed her brother and why. Together, Lena and Eve form an unlikely bond as they navigate the back alleys and smoky rooms of Prohibition-era nightlife – and ultimately uncover a bootlegging operation with deadly potential.
Smartly paced, full of dark humor, and informed by Conway’s close research of first-hand accounts, memoirs, and interviews of early jazz musicians and singers, Sugarland deftly explores racial tension in America, the realities of life as a female musician in the early days of jazz, and the transcendent power of music, above all else, to express what can’t otherwise be understood.
A Note From the Publisher
Author is available for interviews, blog tours, autographed tours, autographed book giveaways, contests, and book club discussions.
Advance Praise
Praise for Martha Conway’s THIEVING FOREST:
“The stark, solid plot never plods, moving deftly between the characters’ physical and spiritual trials. Overall, it’s a hypnotic, capacious and cutting evocation of a bleak period of American history. An elegiac, hopeful historical novel.”
-- Kirkus Reviews
“The scope of this old-fashioned pioneer adventure yarn is impressive, and the full arc of Conway’s characters’ development, combined with a satisfying ending, is memorable.”
— Publisher’s Weekly
“A powerful tale of sisterhood and survival.”
— San Jose Mercury News
“The depths of the issues considered, the wealth of historical detail, the realistic descriptions of the never ending forests and the creatures living there, and the actual story line all combine to make Thieving Forest a great read. I have nothing but good things to say about Thieving Forest. I really enjoyed reading it and it is a pleasure to occasionally find such a great book. I highly recommend it.”
— Reader’s Favorite
“Thieving Forest showcases Conway as a force to be reckoned within the realm of historical fiction.”
-- Digital Journal
“Conway’s literary skill shines in the setting and time period … [the] descriptions are precise, atmospheric, and haunting.”
-- Foreword Magazine
“A gripping tale of survival and gumption.”
-- Akron Beacon Journal
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About the Author:
Martha Conway’s first novel was nominated for an Edgar Award, and her second novel, Thieving Forest, won the 2014 North American Book Award for Best Historical Fiction. Her short fiction has been published in The Iowa Review, The Carolina Quarterly Review, The Quarterly, The Massachusetts Review, Folio, and other journals. She teaches creative writing for Stanford University’s Continuing Studies Program and UC Berkeley Extension, and is a recipient of a California Arts Council Fellowship for Creative Writing. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she is one of seven sisters. She currently lives in San Francisco.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9780991618538 |
| PRICE | $14.99 (USD) |
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