The Jewel of the Blues

By: Monica Chenault-Kilgore

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Set in the sparkling 1920s jazz era, The Jewel of the Blues pulls back the curtain on all the romance, danger and drama in the bustling backstage life of a young performer.

Billed as the Little Girl with the Big Voice, blues singer Lucille Arnetta Love always dreamed of life under the lights. From traveling family gospel band to lead singer in a riotous vaudeville troupe, Lucille is on the rise. But a devastating family secret, one that’s poised to shatter every dream she’s ever had, casts an inescapable shadow over Lucille’s career.

Decades ago, a botched robbery ended in a suspicious death—and all signs point to Lucille’s own father as the culprit. It’s a secret that Lucille’s family is determined to keep buried—even from Lucille herself. For a time, a fresh start feels possible, especially when Marcus Williams, Lucille’s manager—and sometimes paramour—sets her up with a band to tour the country: Miss Lucille’s Black Troubadours. Lucille’s dream of seeing her name in the bright lights of Broadway may happen yet, if she and the Troubadours can endure the highly competitive, rocky road to fame.

Beneath the dazzling glamour of the vaudeville scene lies a wicked underbelly, as drinking, gambling, salacious love affairs and racial tensions compete to dim Lucille’s shining star. And when shady figures from her father’s past emerge, their thirst for revenge threatens to silence Lucille’s career—and the sultry singer herself—for good.

Reads like a history lesson we need

I’ve actually never been one for historical fiction, however, this read has changed my mind. I found myself pausing to write names that were new to me and gasping at references to towns I knew the history of which hinted to the future of some characters. It’s woven into a familiar, yet unique story of a girl blossoming into a woman while influenced by the time and environment.

As the second outing for Chenault-Kilgore, there’s growth in the writing from her first work - not that it was needed, it just felt more comfortable, like a retelling of a story she knew well. Well researched and beautifully placed reference to an entertainment world not typically given shine. I learned.

Set in a time of world war, and entertainment, the author manages to weave a fresh story. Jazz and blues is music of experience and testimony, even as fiction, this story invokes that same energy. I hope for an onscreen adaptation!

Excellent!!

Love the story. Wonderful description of the life of a young musician growing up in the early 1900s.

A great Storyline

I LOVEEE BAHNI TURPIN so anything she narrates I listen to. This was a good juicy story line that has plenty of dialog that kept me glued.