Friday, January 6, 2023

Meghan recommends "The Final Revival of Opal and Nev"

 

Did you love Daisy Jones and the Six? Well then, let me I introduce you to Opal & Nev!

Neville Charles is a British singer-songwriter struggling to find an audience in late 1960s New York. His producer suggests he might find success by pairing with a woman on his songs. On tour, he discovers Opal Jewell singing at an open mic night in Detroit, and is star-struck by her presence and performance. She leaves her office job behind to join him in New York and begin life as a creative. They work together for the next several years, though their partnership is marred by creative differences, drug addition, and a tragedy that pushes them into the national spotlight for political rather than musical reasons.

The story is written as an oral history, a book project undertaken by an magazine editor with a personal connection to the story. The book explores their (fictional) music, and their place in the social history of the U.S. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by a full cast and won the 2022 Audie award for best fiction. The format adds to the realistic feel of the story, as everyone had their own take on the past.

Recommended for adults.

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