Cane Field

by Daniel Austin

Cane Field is the tale of a young musician going through existential crises of desire and values, who reaches out to his high school crush in an attempt to seek closure for the shared disappointments of their youth, but his attempt to reconnect is stifled by the sudden shock of her father's suicide. This novel was partly inspired by author Daniel Austin's early years as a touring musician, and shares true-to-life stories experienced while on the road. Cane Field portrays the duality of a musician's life–from the deeply vulnerable shadows of their inner emotional life to the very public show the performer must put on to be a light for others.

296 pages, Paperback

Published November 4, 2019

Reviews

[Corey Deiterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I've known Daniel Austin through his band, Die Young, and the Houston, Texas, hardcore music scene for a long time. I know Daniel, but I don't really KNOW Daniel. I know him from Facebook and from talking in passing at shows he was playing. Even though Cane Field is fictional, if you know Daniel Austin, you can see how much of it is autobiographical. In interviews about the book, he has admitted as much. The main character IS Daniel Austin, and this is his life. I'll never know how much of this book is true and how much is made up, but it gave me a unique insight and perspective into Austin's mind. Through the first half of the book, you get to see an immature, misanthropic young man trying to navigate through a troubled world. He's annoying. But as the picture forms, you see him grow and realize Austin is tearing himself apart here, deconstructing himself and his past, showing you every facet of the person he was and is. He knows he was annoying back then, and it's necessary to show who he was to show who he became. While it's almost difficult, cringeworthy to read at times, it's necessary to follow through to the end to see the personal growth and development of this young man. By the time one gets to the end, it has been a long, deeply personal, and deeply worthwhile journey to follow.