From the cover - 'I'll give you his beginning, and then you can tell me his ending. In exchange.'
A fortnight after jazz pianist Carl Tyler's funeral, Tamara has one week before she leaves New Zealand to return to her native Chicago. Nola wants to solve the mystery of her son's death, to know everything Tamara knows, so she begins to tell Carl's lover about her son's conception, his childhood and his early love of music, in the hope that Tamara will remember.
This book surprised me, taking me back to the Auckland of my childhood. I found myself looking forward to returning to the narrative and unfolding drama within it's pages. I finished this novel with a tear in my eye. Stephanie Johnson has created a cast of recognisable characters with authentis voices. I wonder why it has taken me so long to read this author's work. I will definitely be back for more. ( )