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Cahokia Jazz

From the prizewinning author of Golden Hill β€˜the best book of the century’ Richard Osman
3.98 goodreads logo

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( 4,347 ratings, 795 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Cahokia Jazz imagines an alternate history where jazz, political intrigue, and mystery coalesce in the bustling city of Cahokia, a vibrant metropolis in the heart of a reimagined America. The narrative weaves together complex characters navigating societal tensions while being drawn into a perplexing and dangerous investigation that threatens the city's harmony. Francis Spufford crafts an immersive world that examines the interplay between tradition and modernity against a backdrop of jazz rhythms.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to an imaginative reimagining of American history mixed with a touch of jazz and crime noir. With a fascinating blend of historical fiction and speculative storytelling, it’s perfect for those who appreciate a rich narrative set in an alternate version of the past.

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A thrilling tale of murder and mystery in a city where history has run a little differently -- from the bestselling author of Golden Hill.

A thrilling tale of murder and mystery in a city where history has run a little differently -- from the bestselling author of Golden Hill.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A thrilling tale of murder and mystery in a city where history has run a little differently β€” from the bestselling author of Golden Hill.

In a city that never was, in an America that never was, on a snowy night at the end of winter, two detectives find a body on the roof of a skyscraper.

It's 1922, and Americans are drinking in speakeasies, dancing to jazz, stepping quickly to the tempo of modern times. Beside the Mississippi, the ancient city of Cahokia lives on β€” a teeming industrial metropolis, containing every race and creed. Among them, peace holds. Just about.

But that body on the roof is about to spark off a week that will spill the city's secrets and bring it, against a soundtrack of wailing clarinets and gunfire, either to destruction or rebirth.

The multiple-award-winning Francis Spufford returns, with a lovingly created, richly pleasure-giving, epically scaled tale set in the golden age of wicked entertainments.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Italic is praised as a brilliant and ambitious novel that combines historical fiction with a detective narrative. Readers appreciate the rich, evocative depiction of the 1920s, along with its unique exploration of politics and society. The book’s intricate plot and vivid characterisation have been noted positively, engaging readers with its clever twists and immersive world-building.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571336876

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 05 October 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 35.0mm

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 733g

Pages: 496

About the Author

Francis Spufford is the author of five highly-praised works of non-fiction, most frequently described by reviewers as either 'bizarre' or 'brilliant', and usually as both. His debut novel Golden Hill won the Costa First Novel Award, the RSL Ondaatje Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize, and was shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, the Rathbones Folio Prize, the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award and the British Book Awards Debut Novel of the Year. His second novel, Light Perpetual, was awarded the 2022 Encore Award and longlisted for the Booker Prize. In 2007 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He teaches writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London, and lives near Cambridge.

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