Bodacious Blues

Whitney J. LeBlanc
Outskirts Press (2011)
ISBN 9781432773793
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (12/11)

 

“Bodacious Blues” is the final installment of the trilogy of a Creole family from Estilette, Louisiana. The reader is taken on an adventure that takes up where the author’s second book (“Shadows of the Blues”) leaves off. The story begins in 1965 and tells of the descendents, Lester and Ann Martel of the Martel Creole family. Ann goes on to become a physician, which their grandfather had hoped for Lester. But such was not the case and the roles reversed. Instead, Ann became the doctor and Lester struggles on to fulfill his dreams. He gets wrapped up with protest groups fighting against racial intimidation in Estilette and then travels to Chicago and gets romantically involved. Then Les tries his hand at being an actor and moves to Hollywood for a while. Living life on his own terms, he soon discovers that Hollywood is not the place he thought it would be. There was the deception, lack of values and the lies. All of it made Les realizes that becoming a man is not an easy task.

The author sets a good mood for “Bodacious Blues” by relating the problems that three generations of this family have struggled through. They survived the perils of religious conflicts, murder, voodoo, and racism among all the other trials they are given. “Bodacious Blues” earned my high grade of a B, I think it would be a good adult read and has as much diversity as Harold Robbins’ “Carpetbaggers.” With its 350 pages, it’s not a one-day read, but it is a fairly fast moving book. As with any two or three volume series, it would have helped had I read the first and second LeBlanc books, then I would have had a better background and lead in to this third and final book of the trilogy - “Bodacious Blues.”

Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (1/12)

Establishing a career in Hollywood is not easy, particularly if it is the 1980s and you are a young Creole actor. Author Whitney J. LeBlanc, a television director in Hollywood for many years, has clearly based “Bodacious Blues” on what he knows well. In this third book of his series on a Louisiana Creole family through time, Les Martel is presented with many opportunities to be an actor and director. And just as many times this young man pushes it all away as he grows to understand himself, his family, and their places in a changing world.

To experience the inner workings of television at a time when series such as “Good Times,” “The Jeffersons” and “The Rhoda Show” were airing, this book is a must read. Had he been visually identifiable as a black man I’m sure his stories would have been different, but Les easily passes for white so readers are given access to a wide variety of the often harsh experiences and people that Hollywood offers. And when he returns back home to Estilette, Louisiana, readers learn a bit more about Les’ family and its members. However, to truly experience and understand the family I think the first two books in the series should be read beforehand. Without their background it was difficult to understand Les’ actions at times, not to mention that some of his relatives were fascinating. I wished I had known more about them.
           
A delightful part of this book is the Reviewer Comments at its beginning, which show that LeBlanc has clearly touched many people with his stories and characters. By all accounts, “Bodacious Blues” by Whitney J. LeBlanc appears to be a satisfying conclusion to his series. Entertaining and relevant, this is also a good novel about following dreams, Hollywood and Louisiana cultures, and the maturing of a young man.

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