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Paperback Book Details
  • 12/2018
  • 9780997959734 B07LDJ2FCK
  • 334 pages
  • $14.99
Grace Ombry
Author
Smokin' & Cryin'
Grace Ombry, author
August 27, 1972. Robin Chelsea, teenage lead singer of Smoky Topaz, disappears into the Atlantic Ocean mere weeks before the group’s double album, Smokin’ & Cryin’, is released. Recorded over one blistering Savannah summer in the dungeon of an antebellum mansion, it’s threaded with candid snippets of the band members’ dirty secrets, bitter arguments, and deepest fears. In the wake of Robin’s disappearance, Smokin’ & Cryin’ flies off store shelves and dominates radio airwaves to become the obsession of a generation of music lovers. But what really happened to Robin Chelsea? More than four decades later, the discovery of Robin’s candid writings—juxtaposed with news clippings, legal documents, reviews, letters, personal notes, and interviews—make it possible to finally piece together the tangled truth behind this mysterious rock and roll legend.
Reviews
Reedsy Discovery

Loved it! 😍

Smokin' & Cryin' is a cute and easy to read book! The writing style is simple and smooth and the themes very interesting. Worth reading :-)

Smokin’ & Cryin’ isn’t Grace Ombry’s first book, but it was for me as I hadn’t read anything by her before. I randomly found out about it through Reedsy Discovery, and you can bet I am so glad this happened. I truly loved the book and felt so lucky to read it before anyone else, and also for free.

This book is about Robin Chelsea, a fairly normal teenager who ends up becoming the lead singer of an American rock band called Smoky Topaz in the 1970s. This is an interesting storyline as I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel that was so focused on music before, specifically on the happenings of a band on the rise. It’s a bit of a documentary novel, as it’s filled with poems, pop culture references, documents, letters and interviews – making it more realistic but also more of a young adult novel. I have nothing against that, but some people might. The language and writing style are also very simple and smooth, which make this book feel young, laid back and fresh.

Set in the 70s, the themes of music, being young, family and love come together with sadder themes such as death, addiction, the Vietnam war and the fact that teen boys were sent there to die. In fact, three of the members of Smoky Topaz are veterans from the Vietnam War and Robin himself joined the band to avoid recruitment, which obviously adds a layer to their personalities and interactions. I really liked the funny dynamic between the band members, as their egos clash and as they bond show after show. I also liked the fact that two of the band members, Robin and Arthur, are half-brothers, as it’s not often that I’ve found such a good representation of sibling dynamics in a book.

Even if this book deals with heavy themes and interesting concepts – even conspiracy theories – the part of the novel that deals with the rise of Smoky Topaz is so upbeat and fun that I think on the whole the book is a happy one. I can’t reveal much about the ending, but you will be surprised by unexpected twists as you read about what happens to the members of Smoky Topaz while recording their second album, Smokin’ & Cryin’.

Formats
Paperback Book Details
  • 12/2018
  • 9780997959734 B07LDJ2FCK
  • 334 pages
  • $14.99
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