Blue Summer, by Jim Nichols. Islandport Press.

What is it about the state of Maine that creates good writers. Elizabeth Strout, my favorite, Richard Russo, a close second. Then there is Ron Currie, a great satirist. And the list could go on and on. It must be the air and cold water. Or maybe it's the eccentric culture. Down-to-earth denizens. Gorgeous land. I just don't know. But when I see a writer from Maine, I know I'm going to be reading about real human beings with real problems. Even if we can't relate to the problem, we always relate to the writing.  

So, another Maine writer, Jim Nichols, has published Blue Summer, a story about a jazz trumpet player, Cal Shaw, who now recounts his life from behind prison bars. So, yes, it's a a backstory novel, but it's fast paced and easy to follow. And it's a Maine writer so you're in good hands. 

Cal Shaw cannot escape his life in the same way he cannot escape his musical song writing, which centers on his emotional blues. The songs stay in his mind-- like his past, like this story--and all of it was seeded one tragic summer.

And that's the story. There's a traumatic turning point in Cal's childhood after his father dies in a car accident and another unstable and cruel step father takes his place. The resulting abuse by this man and perceived betrayal by a mother who puts the marriage above her children, indelibly alters Cal. The kids put up with it, but the burning emotion eventually bubble over and results in a life changing tragedy.

Step father abuse stories are not that original, they fill our shelves. But Jim Nichols' story is elevated to a different level because of his writing voice. Soulful and eloquent, at times as soothing and raw as jazz. This unique storytelling and lovely writing  makes for great reading. 

I could have spent more time in the character's past, particularly his relationships. It's hard to know whether I wanted that because I wanted more of Nichol's writing, or if I needed more of an anchorage to understand the character's future behavior. I think a bit of both. 

It's great writing, fast and entertaining.