Texas Flood by Alan Paul and Andy Aledort

ZZ Top, Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt and Buddy Guy were among the mourners at the 1990 funeral for Stevie Ray Vaughan – a fitting tribute for the man often called one of the greatest guitar players of all time. The newly released biography called TEXAS FLOOD is “The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan” written by Alan Paul and Andy Aledort. The authors were clearly inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan and express their appreciation to his many friends and fellow musicians and to his brother, Jimmie Vaughan, all of whom contributed (see the several page “cast of characters”) to this book which “represents three decades of work.”

This biography explores Vaughan’s life from an early age and uses direct quotes (“I got my first guitar when I was seven”) from his interviews.  In addition, the authors feature impressions and quotes from a large number of his associates (think of a script from a Ken Burns documentary) in chapters that deal with the Austin music scene, Vaughan’s addiction issues, his work with the Double Trouble band and much more. Kirkus called TEXAS FLOOD “a treasure trove for anyone interested in the blues and Vaughan’s place within popular music” and gave it a starred review as did Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. If you have not heard Stevie Ray play the blues, give a listen to the video below; then read his story: 

Where We Come From by Oscar Cásares

WHERE WE COME FROM by Oscar Cásares is a powerful novel.  It is a well-written story for our times, but it does much more than mirror headlines.  As Cásares noted in a recent interview, he began this work in order to explore the idea of cultural immigration and what happens to people as they become more assimilated. Strong emotions – love, fear, hope, shame, disappointment - are associated with WHERE WE COME FROM which tells the story of many characters, including:

• Orly, who is a twelve-year-old boy whose mother has recently died and who is sent to spend the summer near the border in Brownsville, Texas with his godmother, la madrina. She is named
• Nina, who is a retired school teacher and now cares for her ailing mother and for Chivito, another young boy, just becoming a teen. He is named
• Daniel, who is on a quest to avoid capture and to meet his father (who emigrated from Veracruz, Mexico) in Chicago

Cásares deftly explores misunderstandings, manipulations, and internal tensions as each faces questions of bravery and trust. As Cásares develops the relationships between characters, he also intersperses italicized vignettes containing the stories of otherwise almost invisible, minor characters like a local policeman who is the son of an unauthorized immigrant or an inspirational teacher facing deportation due to an expired work permit.

For a sense of the writing style and story line, see Texas Monthly’s recently published short excerpt here. Booklist says “Teens will be moved by this heartfelt story about an intensely timely subject that demands attention.” We will definitely be booktalking this title and encouraging classes like Global Voices and other Senior electives to consider adding it to the curriculum. WHERE WE COME FROM received a starred review from Kirkus.

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD by Attica Locke is a mystery and police procedural of sorts, hopefully the first in a series to feature Texas Ranger, Darren Mathews. The setting is so well-drawn as to almost be a character itself -- a one stoplight town, named Lark, in East Texas where a black man (lawyer from Chicago) and a local white woman are found murdered within days of each other. Racial tensions reminiscent of Jim Crow days permeate this well-written novel from an award winning author. Locke’s other works include Pleasantville, winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction; The Cutting Season which won the Ernest Gaines Award; and the Edgar-nominated Black Water Rising.

Temporarily on suspension for helping a family friend, Ranger Mathews heads to Lark to investigate what appear to be racially motivated deaths. He encounters several memorable characters like the spouses, named Randie Winston and Keith Dale, of the murder victims or Wally Jefferson, the well-off proprietor of a white supremacist bar, or Geneva Sweet who runs a café catering to black clientele.  It’s a suspenseful and very complicated situation for Mathews who garners little support from local law enforcement or from his own estranged family.    

One of the most apt descriptions I’ve heard comes from Walter Mosley who says that “BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD reads like a blues song to East Texas.” BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD received starred reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal. Consider pairing this highly recommended mystery story with National Book Award nominee A Kind of Freedom by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton or the winner, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.