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The glittering third part of the trilogy about the Kite family, that whisks the reader in style across the Atlantic with Maxine Kite, our heroine, exploring the spectacular glamour and contrasting hardship of Depression-hit New York and Chicago in the 1930's.
Whilst "Love Songs" is currently out of print, used copies can be obtained from Amazon.co.uk. Click here to be taken to the relevant web page.
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SYNOPSIS Michael Taylor's third novel about the Kite family of Dudley is set in a colourful world of beautiful music, as the youngest of the Kite girls is whisked from between-wars Birmingham and the industrial Black Country of 1936, to the dazzling, abrasive culture of New York and Chicago. Maxine - the talented musician of the Kite family - is overjoyed to land a job as cellist with Birmingham's prestigious orchestra. But Brent Shackleton, an intriguing fellow musician, introduces Maxine to the world of jazz. Soon, she is the star of his band, playing piano and singing. She loves this hectic new life and the glamour that surrounds it, and even finds time to fall in love with Howard Quaintance. With Howard she discovers that she is not the cold fish her old boyfriend Stephen always said she was and Maxine has never been so happy - yet their lives couldn't be more different. Wayward, unorthodox Brent Shackleton, however, resents Howard and all he stands for. He vows to lure Maxine away - with Howard's unwitting help. As romantic and dramatic as the songs Maxine sings. |
PUBLISHING DETAIL Hodder & Stoughton Coronet paperback Magna Large Print £18.99 Isis Sound Recordings £47.95 |
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GREAT MEDIA REVIEW "Not only is it [Love Songs] a seriously good read, but it's beautifully written . . ." |
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EXTRACT They arrived outside the Gas Street Basin Jazz Club. Brent pulled on the handbrake, stopped the engine and drew heavily on his cigarette. |
RECIPE In "Love Songs", Maxine and Howard enjoy a dish called Chicken Marengo. |
