Book Review: ‘Songs In Ursa Major: A Novel’ By Emma Brodie

by | Jun 2, 2021 | Books | 0 comments

The debut novel from author Emma Brodie is a great look at the music industry in the late 60’s and early 70’s and how it dramatically affected two people in the business. It’s a well-written novel with interesting characters and story. A stellar debut novel.

Jesse Reed is suppose to headline a music festival on an island near Massachusetts but has a motorcycle accident and can’t perform. So a band that plays the side stage called The Breakers, led by a great lead singer named Jane Quinn, who is 19 and has been looking for a break for her band. They kill on stage and the audience goes crazy for them. Then Jane is approached to sign a record deal and the band is quickly signed and record an album. Soon Jane becomes friends with Jesse and the go on tour together and fall in love. But it has to be kept under wraps. And as the tour ends so does the band and the relationship between Jesse and Jane for a variety of reasons. Jane writes and records a solo album but things quickly fall apart for her and learns secrets about Jesse and he learns her biggest secret. It seems them both on different paths in the music business and in life. A great beginning of summer novel from someone to watch for in the future.

You can pick up Songs In Ursa Major in stores on Tuesday, June 22nd from Knopf.