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    Greatest Hits
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    Greatest Hits
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    Greatest Hits
    Ebook506 pages5 hours

    Greatest Hits

    By Laura Barnett

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    The beloved singer-songwriter Cass Wheeler has abandoned retirement for one last chapter in her musical career. She assembles an album of greatest hits – the songs that mean the most to her, songs that she wrote during the brightest and darkest times in her life.

    Each chapter springs from one of these songs. Told in tandem with the lyrics, this irresistible novel moves skillfully across episodes of a fascinating and sometimes tragic life – from Cass’ lonely childhood, through her freewheeling rise to fame, to first love and loss.

    Laura Barnett’s clear-eyed writing vividly depicts the UK and US music scene of the 70’s, with its mistakes and magic, and the lives that pass through it – is vividly painted, as is the artist behind the art. By the time she has selected the final song, Cass is confronted with one last choice: whether she can find the strength within herself to open her heart once more.

    Greatest Hits is an enchanting novel that will capture and delight anyone who has discovered the rewards of music, or who has found strength and meaning in art.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEuropa Editions
    Release dateMay 14, 2019
    ISBN9781609455248
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Greatest Hits

    3.5/5

    13 ratings1 review

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    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed Laura Barnett's first book, The Versions of Us. What is clear from reading this, her second book, is that she likes an unusual approach to telling a story. In Greatest Hits, Cass Wheeler is getting ready for a party and the re-launch of her music career after ten years away. The story is, in effect, told over the course of that one day, but we go right back to 1950 when she was born and follow her over the course of her life as a daughter, singer, wife and mother.This is a big book, almost 500 pages, but it has to be to fit in all that Cass has lived through. I think the author's style wouldn't necessarily appeal to everybody. It's quite wordy and descriptive but it's also lyrical, which is kind of apt for a story about a singer-songwriter. There's quite an intensity to the writing too, an introspective air. As it's all about Cass it's almost like a biography (but an interesting one rather than a stuffy, boring one!).Cass is an interesting character. It doesn't take much to imagine the kind of singer she would have been. She's so well-described that I have a real sense in my head of what she looks like, what she would wear, how she would speak and sing. I think the author must have done quite a lot of research into the times as it certainly seems very authentic. The ups and downs of a life as a famous singer, the wife of a volatile man and life on the road are portrayed so well.I think I actually enjoyed reading about Cass's private life more than her music career. Her childhood clearly had a massive effect on her life. I found her background as a vicar's daughter interesting and I loved her Aunt Lily and Uncle John, her saviours at a difficult time in her life. There's a nice touch in this novel too. Cass is picking out songs for her Greatest Hits album and each section of the book starts with the lyrics of one of the songs and all the details about when they were written, who played on them etc. And even more charming is that the songs are going to be made into an album recorded by singer-songwriter, Kathryn Williams. Having listened to one of the songs I think it's exactly how I would have expected Cass to sound.I think personally I could have done with a little less detail in this book but nonetheless I found it a moving and insightful read from a talented writer.

      1 person found this helpful