Music memoir set in the American South – Wayfaring Stranger by Emma John

A Musical Journey in the American South with blue grass music

A chance trip to the American South introduced Emma John to bluegrass music. Classically trained,and a London girl at heart, Emma was as far removed from country music as you could be. Yet she immediately felt at home.

And so she traveled to the home of that music – the Appalachian mountains, to explore and discover not just the music but the hidden culture behind it..

BookTrail the locations in this musical journey of the Wayfaring Stranger

BookTrail the locations in this musical journey of the Wayfaring Stranger

 Setting: Wherever the trail of the blue grass music takes you..

#Bookreview

If you’re any kind of music fan, this is going to be interesting for you! A girl travels to follow her love of music. Even though I’d heard of the style here – bluegrass, – I’d couldn’t have told you much about it But here, Emma travels to find it and find its heart and soul in the American Deep south. Travelling across Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina, there’s some great ‘set pieces’ with musical interludes and a playlist to enjoy.

It’s a musical journey in more ways than one and I was with her every step of the way. I’m a huge jazz fan and would travel for miles to see a band (New Orleans was my pilgrimage) so much of what she said and felt along the way, I recognised. It’s the way music moves you and how you learn to appreciate it, how being a British girl might seem odd in the world of this deeply American music tradition. But music is the universal language right? Emma takes you and introduces you to a world you’ve probably never seen or heard of before, but I think she will gain some new fans to the music along the way.

That’s not what this is about however. It’s a journey of passion and discovery. You have to read this with the music playing in the background. Preferably in the deep south with the wild grass blowing across the empty road up ahead, the wind in your hair and a violin or guitar somewhere nearby.…

Emma John has taken a subject, a kind of music, that’s not well-known to many I would think, but she’s written about it in such a way, in such a personable style and with such passion, that I would be surprised if it doesn’t gain the music new fans along the way. Those who take this journey with Emma will be first in the queue at the next show!

I feel as if I’ve known Emma for years after reading this. She’s a brilliant companion to have along on a musical journey of discovery!

BookTrail Travel to the locations in Wayfaring Stranger

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BookTrail Boarding Pass: Wayfaring Stranger

Twitter: @em_john  Web: www.emmajohn.net/