The Jewel of the Blues

by Monica Chenault-Kilgore Narrated by Bahni Turpin

Overview

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.

Lucille Arnetta Love has always lived on the run. In her family's traveling band, Lucille was billed as The Little Girl with the Big Voice, belting out gospel hymns and never staying in once place too long--all to keep attention off the real reason the Loves had to flee across America. Unaware of the danger, Lucille dreamed of breaking out of the backwoods and being big enough for Broadway. Nearly eleven years after setting out on the road with her parents, Lucille is finally discovered by Marcus Williams, a young talent manager who whisks her away to chase her dreams.

The big cities aren't kind to Lucille; no matter how big her voice is, there's always another act to be compared to. So Marcus rebrands The Little Girl with the Big Voice and sets Lucille up with a band. Once Miss Lucille's Black Troubadours are formed, no one can hold a candle to them. Together with Big Bobby, Lincoln, and Sweet Mitchell, Miss Lucille and her band become rising stars, moving up the bill and delivering knockout performances at every club and theatre on the circuit.

But as opportunities grow stagnant and the band turns restless, personal demons haunt the Troubadours. Between drinking, gambling, and love affairs, Lucille's family secret is revealed, and it's a shock even to her: a decades-old robbery that ended in a suspicious death--and all signs seem to point to her own father as the culprit. Now the thieves from years' past have caught up with Lucille and are back for revenge...and to collect the money that was never recovered with the body.*

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The Jewel of the Blues is a gem. Starry-eyed Lucille Love is a girl with a big voice and bigger dreams, hoping to get off the small-time vaudeville circuit where she travels with her parents, and become the next Josephine Baker singing in Paris. When a sharp new manager rebrands Lucille as the star of the Black Troubadours, she's convinced her chance has come—but an ugly secret lurking in the past rears its head to threaten everything she has worked for. Monica Chenault-Kilgore brings the world of Prohibition jazz in Jim Crow America to vivid life, gritty and unforgettable.” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author

“With The Jewel of the Blues, Chenault-Kilgore brings to life a rich and soulful tale of ambition, vengeance, and yearning. Through her harmonic assembling of characters, we experience the ins and outs of life on the road for performers in the Midwest during the 1920s, where we witness the burgeoning of the story’s talented heroine, Lucille. At the book’s heart is a rhythmic portrayal of love, family, and friendship. A sparkling jewel, indeed.” —Diane Marie Brown, author of Black Candle Women

“The Jewel of the Blues is a jewel of a novel! Monica Chenault-Kilgore brings the stage to life in her latest historical tale, capturing the big voice of Lucille Love, and the fabulous cast of characters that surround her lyrical life. I thoroughly enjoyed traveling right beside the melodic Loves in this story of music, family, love, loss, redemption, and dreams.” —Eliza Knight, USA Today and international bestselling author of Starring Adele Astaire

"The Jewel of the Blues is a dazzling Jazz-Age novel that propels the reader onstage alongside Lucille Love as she sets her sights on stardom. Vivid detail and page-turning drama make this a fascinating read." —Chanel Cleeton, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of The House on Biscayne Bay

"Chenault-Kilgore’s latest is an ode to the Black musicians of the Jazz Age who risked everything to follow their dreams, as well as a taut drama bursting with intrigue. In Lucille, she’s conjured up a heroine who practically leaps off the page with her passion and spark. Enthralling, fearless, and joyful." —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Spectacular

"A vivid and captivating tale of the glamorous Lucille Love, as she navigates the Jazz era with courage and dignity, in spite of a family secret that threatens to unravel the brilliant career she's created." —Joshunda Saunders, author of Women of the Post

"Monica Chenault-Kilgore has gifted readers with a journey of the heart that travels along the backroads of the vaudeville-era Chittlin’ Circuit. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that made me smell the red clay dust of an old country back road before. She made the sweat, the frustration, and the joy of her characters my own. I hope to see The Jewel of the Blues on my television screen as well as on my bookshelf." —Kaia Alderson, Author of Sisters in Arms

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"Monica Chenault-Kilgore’s Long Gone, Come Home is a big-hearted story of perseverance, family, and ambition set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the racial intolerances of the early 20th century. In Birdie, Chenault-Kilgore has created an unforgettable heroine whose resilience and determination will resonate long after you finish reading." —Bryn Turnbull, international bestselling author of The Last Grand Duchess

"Long Gone, Come Home is a heart-filled tale about a young woman willing to sacrifice it all for love and family. Set against the background of the Great Depression and Jim Crow, Chenault-Kilgore’s debut tugs every emotion as Birdie fights to make a way out of no way." —Kaia Alderson, author of Sisters in Arms

“Long Gone, Come Home is a poignant and powerful debut novel set against the backdrop of the 1930s jazz era, Great Depression, and civil rights movement. Monica Chenault-Kilgore has penned a sweeping, poetic story of love and family told through the eyes of a courageous and unforgettable heroine." —Chanel Cleeton, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Our Last Days in Barcelona

“An extraordinary tale of resilience and determination, Monica Chenault-Kilgore’s Long Gone, Come Home takes us on a journey of the 1930s jazz era and civil rights movement through the eyes of a tenacious and unforgettable heroine. Birdie’s enduring story is one of love, loss, family and survival. Despite the unexpected twists her life path took, when tragedy and fear could have prevailed, Birdie never forgot her dream, nor did she stop fighting for it. I was blown away by this powerful, heart-wrenching and ultimately hopeful debut!” —Eliza Knight, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Mayfair Bookshop

"Monica Chenault-Kilgore’s heartfelt debut, Long Gone, Come Home, vividly captures its setting and era through the trials and triumphs of a heroine readers will root for. Nuanced and atmospheric, this is a story of people pursuing big dreams amid great injustice, and ultimately realizing the value of family and the enduring power of love." —Kristin Beck, author of The Winter Orphans

"A remarkable story wonderfully told, Long Gone, Come Home, by Monica Chenault-Kilgore, is a historical novel with a wealth of captivating characters in a story about relationships, identity, struggles, and the heartbreak and joys of a Black woman and her family, over a decade, beginning in 1936 Kentucky. Chenault-Kilgore's main character Birdie is unforgettable—from page one, this complicated young woman grabs hold and doesn't let go until the last sentence." —Denny S. Bryce, Bestselling Author of Wild Women and the Blues

"Long Gone, Come Home is part adventure, romance, historical fiction, mystery, and coming of age, which Kilgore deftly develops into a tense, emotional, and inspiring read.... a masterpiece of literary fiction." —The Gloss, 5-star review

"It's one of those books you don't want to put down." —Red Carpet Crash

"[A] compelling debut... [a] powerful story of love, jazz, courage and home." —Ms. Magazine

“An effective and emotional novel, populated with big characters and vibrant settings... Chenault-Kilgore gives us a sweep of Black experiences in a thoughtful and vivid narrative.” —Historical Novel Society

Product Details

BN ID:	2940160216867
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/19/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged