Kiss the Sky

By Farai Chideya

Book Overview

From nationally acclaimed political commentator and multimedia personality Farai Chideya comes an intense and darkly funny debut novel about a woman who learns what you stand to gain--and lose--if you follow your dreams.

Sophie Maria Clare Lee is no stranger to reinvention. A book-smart black girl from blue-collar Baltimore, she remade herself into a Harvard hipster, and finally into an indie rock musician touring America with her mesmerizing classmate (and now ex-husband) Ari Klein.

Now, ten years after graduation, a one-night musical reunion with Ari spurs Sophie to snatch back the mic. She lands a record deal--with the help of new manager and paramour Leo Masters--but quickly discovers that her celebrity status brings new risks for her sense of self and even her safety. As she and Ari play music together again, a complicated love triangle begins. With a Greek chorus of advice from her two best girlfriends, Sophie tries to figure out how she relates to these two men, the music business, her loving but demanding extended family, and her penchant for alcohol and melancholy. As the band tours the world, will Sophie's faith, family, and friendships crumble under the weight of her dogged fight for fame?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416585958
• ISBN13: 9781416585954
• Release Date: May 2010
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Captivating Novel!

If you ever wanted to experience the volatile and creative energy of the rock scene, this is a must read book. The moment you meet Sophie you know you are in for an unforgettable journey. This character is so authentic; her creative intelligence and passion for everything in life still cannot silence her own vulnerabilities. You celebrate with her, and you cry with her. I loved the writing style of the author....stylish and sensual. Once you begin your journey with Sophie, your own life takes a pause, until you see how Sophie's journey ends.

Fabulous!!

I picked up this book and read it immediately. I couldn't put it down. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a entertaining, interesting, fabulously written read.

Take a Cultural Journey with a Master!

As I read the multi-talented Farai Chideya's first novel, Kiss the Sky, I found myself smiling each time she unearthed the perfect turn of phrase to reveal the exact texture of a moment in its just-there-it-is reality. For example: "The crowd was London über-multiculti, where everyone was a quarter Jamaican and a quarter Pakistani and a quarter Scottish and a quarter plain Dickensian white." Spot-on: I've been in that club! And, I've been in many of the darker emotional places Chideya so bravely exposes. She has her finger on the pulse beat of the cultural touchstones that surround our lives. As I'm about two decades older than her, my "sound-track" is generally from an earlier vintage. Yet, her writing is so evocative that even when I wasn't familiar with the particular song or performer she was referencing, I still got the full flavor bringing me into that moment. And, because her wide-ranging familiarity with culture is so deep and broad, she even referenced jazz classics that pre-date my youth. Like those songs do for her, they fill me with an immediate understanding about the emotional context of their moment in history. Even for those who may be musically illiterate, her writing might do the same. Just as when I read A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley - I'd never been on a farm in Iowa but I actually could taste and smell the earth - some writers can just bring you to a place you've never been. Let Chideya bring you on a journey whether it's one you're familiar with or not!

A brilliant novel

Farai Chideya's first foray into fiction has proven to be a success. The novel follows a 30ish African-American punk/rock singer, Sophie Washington, trying to make a "comeback" with her band Sky (also her nickname). Sophie is wrestling with the old demons of Ari her ex-husband/love-of-her-life/creative collaborator/guitarist, the need to be a rock star, self-worth, weight, and the trappings of life and those that exist around us. If you want a better summary of the book read, the "Editorial Review" above. Let's get any negativity out of the way, and nibble on the good morsels of this novel. Her "voice" has some growth in it as a storyteller, but it does a warmth to it that allows the words to be easily read. There are some jumps in action that feel slightly clunky- they lacked strong transitions from point to point. This is so minor that it does not detract completely from the over arching story. There were some story lines that I felt where whittled down for length and pacing sake, and maybe in earlier drafts had more flesh to them (this is pure speculation). Also, this is not an all-ages book. This is for more mature audiences. Viewer discretion is advised. To start, each chapter is entitled after a particular song and band. The range of Artist goes from The Smiths to N.E.R.D. to Frank Sinatra to Musafir to Jill Scott and everything in between. Knowing the songs gave some insight into the chapter, which I found to be an interesting motif. Granted, I wasn't familiar with every song, but it did not detract from the storytelling. Also, meticulously intertwined in the prose, where clips from song lyrics. The lyrics did not always hail from the song that the chapter was named for, but provide a fun find when I would recognize a lyric. I read the book a second time to search for these "Easter eggs". Furthermore, Farai created lyrics for "Sky" that provided interesting commentary, and maybe a not so secret desire to be a minstrel. Of all the lyrics written, "Burn" was my favorite, although the tongue and cheek of "Shadow" provide poignant commentary and a giggle from me. The characters, in this character driven story, are beautifully woven together and developed where a connection to Sophie, and her supporting cast is felt. There are no characters that are cookie-cutter good or bad, but human with the flaws and mistakes that are accompanied with that dubious distinction. This is a novel, a story, you go from point A and journey with Sky to point B, where there is the beginnings of change. I loved the characters and genuinely did not want to finish the book, thus leaving the character's story in those pages. Farai's prose are precise, without feeling droned or forced. There is life and warmth in her writing. I would recommend this book to most people; however, be warned THERE ARE A LOT OF SEX SCENES. I dare say that I think Farai has a non de plume for her Hustler articles. If you do not like sexy sex scenes, then this tale is to be avoided by

Can't Wait to Read This!

I've been looking forward to this. Farai Chideya's brilliant. I'm looking forward to receiving the book and reading it!