ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13

People & Places

Books

‘Blood Grove’ grips readers An ode to strength, ferocity of mothers By Molly Sprayregen

he Four Winds,’ by Kristin Hannah (St. Mar- ‘Ttin’s Press) It’s 1921 in Texas, and 25-year-old Elsa Wolcott is considered by her own parents to be an ugly, unmarri- able spinster. Elsa’s family is wealthy, but she is hor- ribly unhappy. She dreams of a life where she is loved and where she also feels brave. One day, Elsa becomes entangled with a young man named Rafe, who she is forced to marry when he gets her pregnant and her parents disown her. They build a comfortable life and family together on Rafe’s family farm. But then the Great Depression hits, and so does the Dust Bowl. The family is broke and miserable, and it falls to Elsa to fend for her two children. It breaks Elsa’s heart to abandon the land she loves, but as the dust storms worsen, she knows the family must leave. They travel to California in search of a better life, but there, they fi nd even more hardship, even more poverty. Through it all, Elsa refuses to stop fi ghting for her family — no matter what. Hannah “The Four Winds” by Kris- tin Hannah is a captivating, heartbreaking tale of a family who will do anything for each other — and everything to survive. The strength of Hannah’s prose brings the characters to life in a way that will make you unable to tear yourself away from them. You will celebrate their triumphs, mourn their tragedies, and commend their bravery. Through it all, it is easy to feel Hannah’s desire to This cover image released by St. Martin’s Press shows ‘The Four Winds’ by Kristin This cover image released by Mulholland Books shows ‘Blood Grove’ by Walter honor those who lived and fought through this devas- Hannah. (AP) Mosley. (AP) tating time in history. “The Four Winds” is also an ode to the strength and ferocity of mothers, and a declara- tion that sometimes, love is the only thing that holds us together. Above all else, “The Four Winds” is merely a really Music good story, one that hits you in all the right places and will keep surprising you until the end. ❑ ❑ ❑ “Blood Grove,” by Walter Mosley (Mulholland CNCO gives fans swanky ‘Déjà Vu’ on covers Books) Walter Mosley’s Los Angeles detective, Easy Raw- lins, has always invited comparisons to the original hard-boiled Southern California gumshoe, Raymond Parks goes deep on retro-soul album Chandler’s Philip Marlowe— but never more so than in “Blood Grove,” Mosley’s 15th and latest install- By Scott Stroudi In the fi rst lines of the closing song pop ballad “Tan Enamorados” fi nds its ment in his series. “Portra 400,” she practically declares sensual side. The surface similarities are obvious. Both detec- rlo Parks, “Collapsed in Sun- her mission as “making rainbows out The album beckons you on, one tives work what Chandler called LA County’s “mean Abeams” (Transgressive) of something painful.” seduction at a time. It may have been streets.” Both are seldom in the good graces of the au- This cover image released by Trans- The fi rst full-length album by Arlo By this time, 12 songs in, she’s done love some time ago, but the reggaeton- thorities. And both sometimes meander through ram- gressive Records shows ‘Collapsed In Parks delivers on the promise of the that over and over again. adjacent beats lead on with lust, and bling plots that are diffi cult to follow. Sunbeams’ by . (AP) intriguing pieces that have led some ❑ ❑ ❑ CNCO re-ignite a different kind of In “Blood Grove,” as with Chandler’s “The Long to tag her already as the voice of a magic within these nostalgic songs. CNCO, “Déjà Vu” (Sony Music ❑ ❑ ❑ Goodbye,” the plot is so byzantine that it borders on generation, riding a gentle R&B retro- Latin) incoherent. And that’s OK. soul groove that soars with cinematic Imitation is the sincerest form of Ani Di Franco, “Revolutionary Both Chandler and Mosley amply reward readers imagery. fl attery and a covers album is the most Love” (Righteous Babe Records) with the beauty of their prose and with the world views A 20-year-old child of West Lon- earnest form of vocal fl exing. What Pioneering folkie activist Ani Di of their iconic heroes, men of honor struggling to do don, Parks counts an eclectic range better way to prove you’re not a run- Franco is a standout instrumentalist right in an unjust world. For Marlowe, that meant try- of infl uences, from Nigerian Afrobeat of-the-mill boy band than go for those whose guitar could kill fascists. Alas, ing to earn an honest living and stay alive in the cor- artist Fela Kuti to Otis Redding, but a hard to hit notes in those hard to forget on “Revolutionary Love,” her six- rupt, cultural wasteland of late 1930s to 1950s Los more tempting comparison is Sade, the songs? string doesn’t play a major role — or Angeles. For Easy Rawlins, it has meant trying to do British artist whose exotic looks, bass- “Déjà Vu,” the third album from many notes. the same with the added complication of being a Back driven melodies and smoky, accented Latin American sensation CNCO, Not that Di Franco has gone mel- man in race-torn, post-World War II Los Angeles. vocals set her apart, mostly before takes on the challenge of reimagining low. With characteristic passion on “Blood Grove” opens in 1969 when Easy, an aging Parks was born. some of the greatest Spanish hits from her fi rst studio album since 2017, she World War II veteran, is approached by a Vietnam vet Pacheco Tyson That’s good company, and Parks has the ’80s up to the early 2000s with makes the personal universal, and the with a wild story. The young vet thinks he may have the elegance to pull it off. But typecast- aplomb and a little aid from that con- political personal. killed a Black man in a fi ght over a white woman, but ing has its limits, and Parks fi nds her temporary reggaeton bassline. Her title cut is a seven-minute he’s not sure because he got knocked out and was Variety own way on “.” The quintet take 13 romance songs pledge to propel social movements alone when he came to. Could Easy track down the Her depth lies in lyrics that grapple that made hearts and ears swoon before with love and forgiveness, the mes- missing man and woman and fi nd out what happened? fearlessly with complicated subjects, they learned how to speak and they sage underscored by a slow-burn soul Easy fi gures the story is hooey but takes the case out an artist’s gift for imagery and a poet’s NEW YORK: Salsa idol Johnny Pa- make them sing. While a compilation groove. Elsewhere Di Franco quotes of solidarity with a fellow vet. Soon, he fi nds himself eye for detail. album of those original hits would Michelle Obama, skewers an ex- trapped in a bewildering maze of double-crosses, mul- checo, who was a co-founder of Fania A song called “Caroline,” for exam- Records, Eddie Palmieri’s bandmate make for a nostalgic, monster romance president and calls for resilience in the tiple murders, sex clubs and armed robberies. ple, is built around an argument over- playlist, this album weaves a love story wake of depressing news headlines. As always, Easy carefully calibrates his every move and backer of music stars such as Rubén Bladés, Willie Colón and Celia Cruz, heard at a bus stop. “Eugene” explores in catchy modern rhythms more suit- Such topics are mixed with couplets in a city where a Black man is perceived as a threat died Monday. He was 85. unrequited love for a longtime friend able for the dance fl oor. about personal pain and bliss, some- whenever he steps into a nice hotel or drives a good He had been hospitalized in New York with devastating, put-you-there preci- Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero” gets within the same song. looking car down the street. a few days earlier for pneumonia, his sion. least obvious makeover, keeping on The best of “Revolutionary Love” is “The Civil War had ended more than a century be- wife, Maria Elena “Cuqui” Pacheco, “I hold the Taco Bell and you cried the acoustic guitar but adding a rich- very good. Di Franco’s acoustic guitar fore,” Easy thinks as a cop holds a gun to his head, said on the artist’s account. over Eugene,” she sings. “He was ness of ranges to the vocals. The piano is most prominent on “Metropolis,” “but the remnants could still be felt, still killed over on Fania Records tweeted that the musi- mean.” from Ricky Martin’s “El Amor de Mi and it’s beautiful — a love ballad with any street corner in the country.” cian was “the man most responsible On “Black Dog,” a meditation on Vida” is replaced with a Latin rhythm shimmering reeds that evoke her de- ❑ ❑ ❑ for the genre of salsa music. He was depression, Parks invites you to share and traces of guitar in a modest but scription of “fog lifting off the bay.” a visionary and his music will live on in the ache of trying to lift the spirits Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner’s Reckon- catchy tune; Sin Bandera’s “Entra en The equally compelling “Chloroform” “ eternally.” of someone who feels utterly out of ing with the Myth of the Lost Cause Ty Se- Mi Vida” gets a similar makeover. laments domestic dysfunction as a ,” by In a post on his social media, Blades reach. Is the dog mentioned an animal? idule (St. Martin’s Press) “25 Horas” by Proyecto Uno goes string quartet creates dissonance of its said that “Pacheco leaves us with an Or depression itself? This is heavy ma- Few authors can say they have lived their story from folky to contemporary while own. important musical legacy, represented by terial, for sure. And yet the song is a with quite the same authority as Ty Seidule, retired all the collaborations he made during his keeping its tribal instrumental edge. Elsewhere Di Franco blends ele- US Army brigadier general and professor emeritus of distinguished career.” thing of beauty, rich with empathy. Chayanne’s “Dejaría Todo” turns ments of folk, jazz and R&B, and history at the US Military Academy at West Point. He Singer Marc Anthony lamented the Throughout the album, Parks sorts from a typical ’90s guitar ballad to a makes music suitable for a rally. She’s grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, and lived a life of loss of Pacheco, calling him “maestro of through complex emotions bravely, in livelier sound. Big Boy’s “Mis Ojos at her most politically vociferous on white privilege provided by de-facto segregation. He maestros” and a good friend. plain view, against the background of Lloran Por Ti” goes from a simple “Do or Die,” singing about “Yankee revered Robert E. Lee. “Your sense of humor was contagious an insistent, bass-driven melody. keyboard with creole rap in the mix Doodle Dandy” to a Latin beat. Di Now, with the vigor of a prosecutor, Seidule dis- and I am forever grateful for your sup- Despite the heavy subject matter, to a smoother, more romantic affair. Francophiles will fi nd it positively pa- mantles the near-sacred beliefs among many South- port, for the opportunity to be in your the album is ultimately encouraging. And Ricardo Montaner’s absolute triotic. (AP) erners that the Civil War was a noble cause to preserve presence and for your amazing legacy,” Anthony wrote. a way of life that benefi tted everyone. Robert Edward Pacheco was born March 25, 1935, in Lee personifi ed the myths of a romantic era, a right- per’s wife in the 1972 movie “Sounder” man” and another Emmy 20 years later the Medal of Freedom in 2016. (AP) the Dominican Republic into a family cemented her stardom and earned her an for “Oldest Living Confederate Widow ❑ ❑ ❑ eous cause and contented slaves who were better off of musicians. In the 1940s the family than they had been in Africa. Oscar nomination. Tells All.” moved to New York, where he taught She went on to win two Emmy At age 88, Tyson won a Tony Award AUGUSTA, Ga: Danny Ray spent years Seidule’s book is particularly timely given the re- himself to play accordion, violin, saxo- as the emcee for James Brown, and part cent raid on the Capitol by hundreds of mostly white Awards for playing the 110-year-old for the revival of Horton Foote’s “The phone and clarinet and studied percus- former slave in the 1974 television drama Trip to Bountiful” in 2013. of his job during performances was drap- believers in an assortment of old and new myths. At sion at Juilliard. “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitt- President Barack Obama awarded her ing capes on the Godfather of Soul. least two of those who broke into the Capitol carried In 1954 he formed The Chuchulecos Ray was 85 when he died Feb 2 in Confederate fl ags. Boys with Palmieri on piano, Barry Augusta, . During his funeral in Seidule fi nished his book before the Jan 6 insurrec- Rogers on trombone and other musi- that city Saturday, Brown’s daughter, tion at the Capitol, which made his research and writ- cians who would gain renown in the Deanna Brown-Thomas, draped a shiny ing even more soul-wrenching. In the Civil War, he salsa scene, such as Al Santiago, Mike silver cape over Ray’s casket — just as writes, “the United States fought against a rebel force Collazo and Ray Santos. (AP) Ray had draped a shiny red cape over that would not accept the results of a democratic elec- ❑ ❑ ❑ Brown’s casket in 2006. tion and chose armed rebellion.” NEW YORK: People traveled across the The Augusta Chronicle reported that Lee, still memorialized in scores of monuments, country and stood in a block-long line to more than 100 people attended Ray’s ser- roads, counties and historical markers, was a traitor, pay respects to Cicely Tyson at a public vice at the James Brown Arena, where Ray Seidule writes, abandoning his oath of allegiance to viewing Monday. and Brown had performed many times. the United States to lead the fi ght to preserve slavery. Hundreds of admirers of the pioneer- The Rev Al Sharpton appeared at Does something endemic in the American character ing Black actor lined up outside Har- the funeral by video and said he expects render us susceptible to accepting beliefs unsupported lem’s famed Abyssinian Baptist Church Brown and Ray are now performing by even feeble evidence? That’s a question for an- on a wintry Monday. Some said they again “on the other side.” other book; Seidule has offered clear and compelling had come from as far as Atlanta or Los “His voice set the tone for the James evidence, to our shame as a nation, that many of us Angeles to be there. Brown show,” Sharpton said. “He was remain unwilling to confront an American past that Many in the multigenerational more than the cape man. He was the co- includes slavery, lynchings and embedded segregation crowd held photos of Tyson, who star of the peak of the show... and he was that endures today. died Jan 28. The New York-born ac- a decent and generous man.” tor was 96. Thomas was among the friends and Seidule’s book still has some chapters to be writ- relatives who spoke about Ray, whose ten — probably soon. Embedded in the 2021 military Her family said masks and social dis- tancing would be required at the viewing. body was laid to rest at Walker Memorial budget are directives to change the names of Army Tyson was the fi rst Black woman to Park in Augusta. bases named for confederates. have a recurring role in a dramatic televi- Fellow band member and caregiver And for whom should those based be renamed? Sei- sion series, the 1963 drama “East Side, This image released by Netflix shows Dan Ahdoot, (foreground), Kevin James, Joe Collier said Ray always taught new dule has thought that out too. (AP) West Side.” (fourth from right) and Freddie Stroma, (second right), in a scene from the comedy band members what to do — or not to do Her performance as a sharecrop- series ‘The Crew,’ which debuted on Netflix on Feb 15. (AP) — working with Brown. (AP)