Anchor Books, Division of Penguin, Random House LLC

By the end of chapter one, this book had me by the throat because it turned into a mystery.  The young hero, Rayquan McMillian, is not complaining about his lot in life as a Black boy, but his love of playing the violin is all he can see in his future beyond high school.  However, everything and everyone seems to be against him.   When, as a boy, he asked his high school music teacher for lessons like the White kids got, his teacher, walking away replied “Why?”.

Here we have the emotional story of a man who has loved the violin since a boy but is not appreciated by his immediate family of Black people except for his grandmother, Nora, his aunt Rochelle, and one college female Black administrator who is professor of music at her university.   But the White world is not prepared to accept him because he’s Black.   “Look at his skin, hair, clothes.   He couldn’t possibly like or play classical music.”  His mother insists that he not waste time pursuing music, but work at Popeyes or the local grocery store. 

And, when his family, at the demand from his grandmother, finally listens to this high school young man play her violin (handed down through generations) from her great great grandfather for the first time on an instrument better than his rented one from school, even he had to admit that he had made the right choice as a Black man to pursue the violin as a career.   This chapter made me cry.   I think every one of us has had a situation when others don’t have faith in our abilities. 

His grandmother’s violin turned out to be a Stradivarius, worth millions.   More conflict developed from the Marks family, descendants of the original slave owners, once the real value of his grandmother’s relative’s violin came to public attention.  You can guess the trouble they caused.

Reading Slocumb’s book was like being there in every one of his character’s adventures—some great, some horrendous.   I enjoyed this book more than any monthly book our book club read in the 2 years I’ve been a member.   Never have I come across an author who can make you see and hear what Ray is playing on his violin, who so envelops you in the beauty of Ray’s playing.  I’ve always loved to hear a violin which is able to interpret any emotion. 

Although the book made me angry, too, I had a hard time putting it aside so much so that I finished the book in 3 days.  I learned a lot about what classical musicians had to go through—from local competitions to international ones.  It is an exciting book full of detailed characters.

 Quote from the book by Whoopee Goldberg:

“We’re here for a reason.  I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.”

Submitted by Rosa L. Griffin

After reading Ms. Turner’s book, I’m reminded of Kelly Clarkson’s song, A Moment Like This.

“Some people wait a lifetime…

some people search forever…

for that one special kiss…

Oh, I can’t believe it’s happening to me…

Could this be the greatest love of all…”

Songwriters:  John Reid/Jorgen Elofsson

Lyrics Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

In her prior book, What’s Love Got to Do With It, Ms. Turner had finally loved herself and her children enough to fight for her freedom from physical and sexual abuse.  She was a young woman when she met the talented Ike Turner, musician who became boss of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue.   But only faith in her God and finally realizing that she did not have to stay in that situation brought her through the abuse, overwork, and lack of money. 

Even her mother helped keep her in the imprisonment because her mother admired Ike and credited Ike with everything positive that occurred.   Women were only a means to an end for Ike so he kept many even in their home.   After a while, Tina was just a meal ticket for Ike.   It’s like a Cinderella story but more like the Grimm version.   Once she escaped, she became a role model to other abused people.  All she kept was her stage name.  Her troubled past is merely a point of reference in this book to compare to her happy future.

My Love Story gives some of the above background for those who don’t already know her story.   But the rest of this book is pure happiness in spite of medical problems in her later life.   This book is written when Ms. Turner is 73, and after she has written other books.   She is still full of life, looks, and love.   It is a love story to her current husband, Erwin Bach, German record executive, and fans like me.   When it comes to love, race nor country matter.   What matters is freedom of choice, respect, individuality, etc.

My Love Story has beautiful color pictures in the inside front and back covers, and in the middle of the book.  Ms. Turner talks of her friendships established with various musicians like David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and other music industry people like Beyonce’. There was even a London musical done about her life which became a Broadway musical.    She has earned twelve Grammy Awards, a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was in a movie role “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”, received a Kennedy Center Honor, and sold more concert tickets than any other solo music performer in history by 2018.   She also continues to get letters from abused people about their situations.  This is a positive book.  You will really get a lift from reading this book.

Written by Rosa L. Griffin