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Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
Melting the Blues by Tracy Chiles McGhee is a beautiful story set against the backdrop of Arkansas in the 1950s. Augustus Lee Rivers dreams of leaving his town and wants to fulfill his ambitions of reaching fame in Chicago. The Duncan family is his biggest fan in his small town of Chinaberry, and they call him the Hummin' Gutsy because of the way he hums the blues during performances. But things take a bad turn and his dreams of making it big remain a dream, like that of anyone from a black community. The story captures the essence of a certain time, place, and community where the pain, passion, and heartbreak make it tangible and palpable to readers.
I found the book fascinating with its layers of emotions, ranging from heartbreak to passion to transformation, and that, along with the characters, make this story a compelling read. The narration is descriptive, the scenes are vivid, and characters come alive. The author's fluidity in writing and exquisite language make this book a wonderful read. Augustus Lee Rivers and his good and faithful guitar will stay in the minds of readers for a long, long time. The plot has many twists and turns. The story has a gamut of emotions running through it - passion, acceptance, pain, heartbreak, transformation, and love, laced with rhythm and a lyrical quality that make the story and the characters convincing and relatable. The emotional journey is also reminiscent of the racial injustice that prevailed in the 1950s.
