Book talk led by Dano Cammarota, this year devoted to historical fiction. This week’s selection is Half-Blood Blues (2011) by Esi Edugyan

The third book this summer finds us in Paris and Berlin in 1939-40 as Europe is enmeshed in war and suffering. The narrative involves a mixed race and culturally diverse jazz band of young men who are only interested in music. Their story is one of survival as each band member wrangles with their own heritage in order to keep playing jazz. When a lost recording of the band’s last disc surfaces 50 years later, a documentary reunites the remaining band members and events from long ago are finally explained.