Seattle Blues

by Michael Wenberg

The summer of 1970 starts off badly for 13-year-old Maya. Her mother has sent her to Seattle to stay with the grandmother she's never met; her father is reported MIA in the jungles of Vietnam; and angry Maya's determined to get back home, even if it means running away. But slowly Maya begins to adjust, first befriending an autistic boy-and piano prodigy- living next door, and getting to know her grandmother. When Maya finds a trombone in the attic, she's mesmerized. She learns to play as her grandmother gradually unravels details of her Maya's grandfather was a famous jazz trombone player who died in a car crash, and her grandmother was a top jazz singer-who now only sings in church. Maya gradually adjusts to the prospect of life without her father, helps to mend mom's relationship with her grandmother, and takes the first steps to becoming an accomplished musician.

181 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2009

About the author

I live with my wife and our wonder dog, Gracie, on five wooded acres close enough to Puget Sound to hear the fog horns when the weather turns nasty. In addition to writing stories, I enjoy playing my horn (a trombone), hiking and mountain biking in the nearby the woods and Olympic mountains, rowing my wherry on Puget Sound and Hood Canal, and spending time with family and friends. If you want to get in touch, send me an email: michaelcwenberg@gmail.com.

Reviews

[Catrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Seattle Blues" by Michael Wenberg takes place during the summer of 1970. Maya Thompson's life has been turned upside down... Her father is MIA in Vietnam, and her Mother has sent her off to spend the summer with her Grandmother that she's never met. Maya decides to do everything that she can to be sent back home. In the midst of her scheming, Maya actually uncovers a great deal about her family history and learns how to come to accept the changes in her life.

This book had me sucked in from the first chapter. The early 70s were a very tumultuous time in American history. It was interesting and eye-opening to experience this story through the eyes of a 13 year old African American girl. I really like how some history of Jazz music was woven in to the story which was mainly about how a young girl handles all the major upheaval in her life.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall I thought that this book was very boring. It was okay if you have a lot of patience, but seeing as how I have a book that I really want to ead all lined up, yeah, hard to focus on a boring book. It did get better at the end, however, so that was a plus. I just sorta felt that the author could have condensed the book into a short story. Mainly it just wasn't my cup of tea so it didn't really hold my intrest.

[Ricki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maya, a 13-year-old girl living in the 1970s, is on her way to Seattle to live with a grandmother she's never met. This was a very uplifting story, and I enjoyed reading it. I'd recommend it to students in the middle grades.

[Michael Wenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote it so I like it... :)

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seattle Blues is A beautiful family story that covers loss, grief, war, PTSD, and life lessons. The main character is cunning and at first full of mischief. As the story progresses, she meets a host of likable characters including A kind bus driver, her maternal grandmother, and several jazz musicians. She also meets a special needs child and his family.

Thankfully all her mischievous ways are forted, and she redeems herself as a loving and kind person. I am concerned about her musing about running away and manipulating adults, which caused me not to recommed this for young children —other than that, Seattle Blues is a great story full of emotion, love, hope, and friendship. I loved the warm characters and most of the storyline.

[Lucas Wenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really good.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maya, newly 13, is sent to stay with her grandmother in Seattle in the summer of 1970 because her mother needs time to attend college classes and study, and her father is missing in Vietnam (and presumed dead by everyone but Maya). Maya is resentful and apprehensive since she's never met - or even spoken with - her grandmother. Over the course of the summer, Maya and her grandmother challenge each other in ways that allow them to get to know each other and themselves better; they befriend the new neighbor with an autistic son, Tommy; and Maya discovers that she loves playing the trombone when Tommy discovers an old trombone that once belonged to her grandfather, Billy Bones. The coming of age aspects of this story are stronger than the historical fiction as Maya's initial bratty immaturity gradually gives way to reveal that she is a caring, and even heroic girl. However, there are some references to jazz history, civil rights struggles and Vietnam War era politics. Maya's grandmother Ruby is nicely characterized. Sometimes the writing style is distracting because it seems self-conscious; the narration is in the first person,but perhaps Wenberg doesn't completely succeed in putting himself into the point of view of Maya. For example, when at one point Maya says to her grandmother that someone "is sweet on her," it doesn't really sound like phrasing a 12-13-year-old would have used, even in 1970. Overall, I think middle schoolers will find the story interesting.