A review by tesslw
Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
TW; substance misuse, heroin / opiod useage and overdose, psychiatric hospital, mental illness / psychosis
When Jesse Reid, the up and coming hearthrob and musical prodigy booked to headline the 1969 Bayleen Island Folk Fest winds up in an accident and unable to play, local band The Breakers (fronted by Jane Quinn) step up at the last minute to fill in. Reception from the disappointed crowd is deeply sceptical at first but Janie Q soon wins them over with the performance of a lifetime. What follows is a whirlwind of record deals, tour buses, heartbreak and stardom; and the incredible journey to an album named Songs in Ursa Major.
I’ll be totally honest, considering I had an unintentional break from instagram posting, which almost perfectly followed an even less intentional break from reading (which quickly moved into a slump which I’m still in BUT we won’t talk about that right now), it feels like a really long time ago since I finished Songs in Ursa Major. However, I can absolutely tell you that it captured the essence of the ‘coming of age music memoir / big sixties rock & roll lifestyle vibes’ in a way that many have tried to emulate. Daisy Jones and the Six is the obvious example of this, but I have to say I think SIUM gives it a real run for its money.
I liked that this wasn’t the perfectly straight forward character arc of ‘talented girl is scouted, gets tainted by the lifestyle of the rich & famous and gets caught into a downward spiral, only for it to resolve perfectly and turn out sunshine and roses in the end’. Whilst the story is, of course, pitted with dark revelations, secrets and loss, at the core of it all is creativity, determination, and the unmatched thrill of live music.
Based loosely around the relationship between James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, the fraught relationships and hazards of stardom are beautifully framed - and whilst (without giving too much away) I really enjoyed the fact that the ending wasn’t an unrealistically picture perfect ‘wrapped up in a neat little bow’ conclusion, I did feel like it left me with a lingering taste of unfinished business. It’s very possible that was the intention; and having said I preferred this to an overly sweet ending to the story, I feel like I might just want to have my cake AND eat it - but I think it maybe just felt a little rushed to me? Having spent most of the novel recounting a relatively short time period, several decades seemed to fly by in a single epilogue.
That being said, I’d absolutely recommend this anyone who is a fan of Daisy Jones & the Six, or any interest in the 60s / 70s music scene.
When Jesse Reid, the up and coming hearthrob and musical prodigy booked to headline the 1969 Bayleen Island Folk Fest winds up in an accident and unable to play, local band The Breakers (fronted by Jane Quinn) step up at the last minute to fill in. Reception from the disappointed crowd is deeply sceptical at first but Janie Q soon wins them over with the performance of a lifetime. What follows is a whirlwind of record deals, tour buses, heartbreak and stardom; and the incredible journey to an album named Songs in Ursa Major.
I’ll be totally honest, considering I had an unintentional break from instagram posting, which almost perfectly followed an even less intentional break from reading (which quickly moved into a slump which I’m still in BUT we won’t talk about that right now), it feels like a really long time ago since I finished Songs in Ursa Major. However, I can absolutely tell you that it captured the essence of the ‘coming of age music memoir / big sixties rock & roll lifestyle vibes’ in a way that many have tried to emulate. Daisy Jones and the Six is the obvious example of this, but I have to say I think SIUM gives it a real run for its money.
I liked that this wasn’t the perfectly straight forward character arc of ‘talented girl is scouted, gets tainted by the lifestyle of the rich & famous and gets caught into a downward spiral, only for it to resolve perfectly and turn out sunshine and roses in the end’. Whilst the story is, of course, pitted with dark revelations, secrets and loss, at the core of it all is creativity, determination, and the unmatched thrill of live music.
Based loosely around the relationship between James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, the fraught relationships and hazards of stardom are beautifully framed - and whilst (without giving too much away) I really enjoyed the fact that the ending wasn’t an unrealistically picture perfect ‘wrapped up in a neat little bow’ conclusion, I did feel like it left me with a lingering taste of unfinished business. It’s very possible that was the intention; and having said I preferred this to an overly sweet ending to the story, I feel like I might just want to have my cake AND eat it - but I think it maybe just felt a little rushed to me? Having spent most of the novel recounting a relatively short time period, several decades seemed to fly by in a single epilogue.
That being said, I’d absolutely recommend this anyone who is a fan of Daisy Jones & the Six, or any interest in the 60s / 70s music scene.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Drug abuse