The Songwriter

by Beatrice Colin

New York, 1916. Monroe Simonov, a song-plugger from Brooklyn, is in love with a Ziegfeld Follies dancer who has left him for California. Inez Kennedy, a fashion model in a department store, has just one season remaining to find a wealthy husband before she must return to the Midwest. Ana Denisova, a glamorous political exile, gives lectures and writes letters while she waits for the Russian people to overthrow their Tsar.

Then America joins the war, jazz sweeps the city's dance floors, the old order is swept away by newly minted millionaires and the entire nation is gripped by the Red Scare. Although the world is changing faster than they could ever have imagined, Monroe, Inez and Ana discover that they are still subject to the tyranny of the heart.

In this richly atmospheric and deftly plotted novel, the paths of these three central figures cross and re-cross, leaving a trail of passion, infidelity and betrayal, and hurtle towards an explosive climax.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Literary Fiction

370 pages, Hardcover

First published March 4, 2010

About the author

I'm a novelist/radio dramatist. I've written seven novels (two for children) and numerous plays for BBC Radio 4.

My last novel, To Capture What We Cannot Keep was published in late 2016/early 2017.

I am inspired by new places and old books, snatches of conversation and boards on Pinterest (seed catalogues from the 19th century!) I am a list-maker, a grower, on a good year, of fruit and vegetables, a walker of old paths and a mother of teenagers.

Writing novels helps me to discover something new - about the world, about history, about myself.

My website is www.beatricecolin.co.uk

Become a fan on facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beatric...

Reviews

[Beatrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new book! Of course I have to give it five stars. . . .

[Leanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

With it’s epic tale of cinema and cabaret against the backdrop of rising National Socialism, The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite soon made it on to the list of my all time favourite reads, and so, I was very excited when I heard that author Beatrice Colin had a new book releasing. In The Songwriter, Colin sets her story in the streets of a rapidly changing New York City in 1916 and continues the tale over four years. For me the time frame immediately conjured up images of political unrest, World War I, the Red Scare and the emergence of Jazz, all of which are covered here. Through her vivid descriptions and well-drawn characters, Colin lets us experience a slice of life during this turbulent time.

The story here follows three different characters, from three very different backgrounds, who we get to know gradually over time. There is Monroe Simonov, a song plugger of Russian descent who has zero interest in war and just wants to win the heart of the girl he loves. Inez Kennedy, a fashion model, who, although alluring, lacks some depth as a character for much of the book. Then there is Anna Denisova, a beautiful Russian political exile, who adds a dark edge to the book and highlights the sense of paranoia that existed in society towards immigrants at the time. At the beginning of the book, these characters have no real connection to each other, and at this point I found the book a little difficult to get into, even though I enjoyed the writing style. This one will surprise you, though. Colin’s plotlines are multi-layered and she will catch you off guard with some surprising plot twists. I love how Colin brought this story together, weaving even the most tenuous of plot links together beautifully.

There is a sense of unrest, political and otherwise, and a real hint of impending doom throughout the book. On the way Colin introduces some very unsavoury characters, each with their own story to tell. One of Colin’s strong points is her characterisation, and here all characters both primary and secondary and well-written, distinctive and entirely memorable. There is a romantic plotline throughout the book, and although it follows quite a heart-wrenching storyline, I felt it lacked the intensity of a really good love story. While I rooted that the characters would ultimately be together, I found that I wasn’t entirely sympathetic towards their predicament at times.

The real beauty of this book is it’s historical aspect and the depth of research on Colin‘s part. I found the inclusion of Russian history, the Revolution and the rise to power of the Bolsheviks interesting as it is a period I have studied. While I very much enjoyed this book overall, I found the ending rather too ambiguous for my liking. Oftentimes, I need closure at the end of the book, and so, while in one respect, I found the ending of this one quite fitting, I was definitely left wanting to know what happened next. The Songwriter is pretty heavy on history and politics, and is a great read for fans of historical fiction, although I would suggest that you have a little background knowledge of the time period and it’s history before readin

[Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful gripping story. I am glad I set an alarm on my phone for when I needed to leave for my train as I was so absorbed :)

[Kel McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was a bit longer than my others but I STILL FINISHED IT! It's set around New York in the 1920's I think, when jazz and pianos were all the range. It's set initially pre-war but also encompasses that period as well. It follows the lives of 5-10 (I gave up counting after a while) seemingly different people and how their lives all end up interwoven. My only gripe was that maybe there are too many characters. With each chapter it's a different viewpoint and especially with the Russians, I got confused. Maybe it's because I had to speed-read the book to complete my challenge. If I had taken more time it might've have been easier.

Plus it's all rather melancholic. I want the two main lovers to break free of their shackles a lot sooner and with a bit more oomph. Here it tends to drag and fizzle. Gets a tiny bit depressing. Maybe that's to peoples' tastes, it isn't to mine.

That being said the descriptions in the book are wonderful. You build up a rich visual sense of the locations and the people. It places you in the middle of the scenes and massive kudos to Beatrice Colin for making it all so believable. I mean she wasn't there but you almost get the feeling she's describing it from her own memories, it's all so vivid.

I think I'll give this a 4/5. Probably the best book I've read so far. It's still not something I'd put amongst my favourites but it's very well-written and fresh.

[Silvia Liotta · Rating 3 out of 5]

In America l'eco della guerra sembra ancora lontano e sulle note del jazz
si dipanano le storie di diversi personaggi: Inez una giovane ballerina e Monroe
un musicista di talento si amano ma per diversi motivi la loro storia d'amore si
interrompe bruscamente. Seguiremo le loro vite prendere strade diverse ed allontanarsi
per poi ritrovarsi: riuscirà il loro amore a superare la barriera dell'orgoglio? Insieme
a loro ci ritroveremo ad accompagnare una signora russa fuggita dalla sua terra e alla
ricerca di un riscatto morale nella terra delle possibilità: Anna vivrà diverse
passioni e si struggerà per il figlio Kima che sta combattendo i tedeschi sul
fronte russo. Un romanzo che abbraccia diverse figure tutte diverse e tutte con
una voce e una storia da raccontare: tutte queste storie hanno però in
comune New York che risplende come i lustrini sui vestiti delle giovani donne
e che è nel pieno della modernità fatta di musica ed emancipazione. L'autrice
con assoluta maestria descrive un'epoca che ancora oggi affascina ed incanta
le persone di tutto il mondo. I personaggi che popolano questo romanzo sono
tante piccole sfumature della società dell'epoca ed insieme creano una storia
affascinante e piena di colore. L'autrice caratterizza ognuno di loro e lo
rende speciale ed unico riuscendo così a dare uno spaccato della società dei primi
anni del Novecento. Un romanzo che solletica l'immaginazione del lettore per la società e per le atmosfere
e che incanta con i suoi personaggi.

[Ffiamma · Rating 3 out of 5]

new york, tanta musica (con il jazz che nasce), un amore immenso e contrastato dalla vita e dalla guerra, un'intellettuale russa in esilio, la rivoluzione- tante storie che s'intrecciano in questo romanzone un po' melò che, con qualche lungaggine di troppo, descrive un'epoca e i suoi contrasti e le sue paure, intrattenendo fino all'ultima pagina.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very readable although I thought some of the characters and situations rather unbelievable - when Inez steps in to run her husband's factory, for example. Nevertheless, I think the author evokes a sense of time and place and captured the atmosphere of the hysteria that surrounded the "red menace" and the racism that was prevalent during the time that the book is set.

[Isaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

it is unusual that the villain wins and does not get his comeuppance where as our hero and heroine end up on a boat to Russia to go to a Gulag and death.. Bea this type of book should have a happy ending with lots of tears and then more sales by word of mouth.

[Alicia Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost a fave but not quite... takes me a little while to get used to the writing style.