Monday, May 12, 2014

Book Review: Frog Music by Emma Donoghue

I am a fan of author Emma Donoghue. Her book Room is stellar and has stayed on my list of favorites. Now with Frog Music she fictionalizes a real unsolved murder from 1870s San Francisco. You can tell her research went deep, and her writing brings to life the raunchy, rough world of "entertainer" Blanche Meunon, her lover gambler Arthur, and the frog catcher gal in pants - Jenny Bonnet.

From the cover blurb: Blanche struggles to piece together a tale of free-love bohemians, desperate paupers, arrogant millionaires, jealous men, icy women, and damaged children. It's the secret life of Jenny herself, a notorious character who breaks the law every morning by getting dressed: a charmer as slippery as the frogs she hunts.

Emma Donoghue's writing is lyrical, and she charms with Blanche's immigrant French flair for life and survival. Jenny's American common sense shines and you'll want her murder solved too. Frog Music leaps into a bawdy San Francisco, and as the reader you'll croak with surprise at the tale.

1 comment:

  1. Oh, my, you have hooked me again with the intrigue and time period of this book. I do love a good historical read with 'raunchyness' to boot. I'm adding to my list of must reads...new author to me, too. I just received 'Monument Men' today, and will be starting that soon. I've got to stop coming here...LOL...not gonna happen I hope you know.
    Sue at CollectInTexas Gal

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