Narrated by Greg Boudreaux
I suppose it was a given that a book written by Roan Parrish and narrated by Greg Boudreaux was going to hit me squarely in the feels; the author’s beautiful, lyrical writing combined with the narrator’s ability to zero in on and convey every single bit of emotion in that writing is a match made in audiobook heaven. Invitation to the Blues is a gentle and moving love story featuring a musician living with depression and the artist whose love and understanding makes a huge difference in his life. It’s the second book in the author’s Small Change series, but although characters from the first book appear in this one, Invitation to the Blues works perfectly well as a standalone.
Following a suicide attempt, Jude Lucens simply up and left his manipulative boyfriend and his life as a successful musician in Boston to return to his home town in Philadelphia, feeling like a complete failure and unsure what happens next. He’s moved into his brother’s apartment (Chris has moved in with his girlfriend, Ginger – their story can be found in the previous book, Small Change) and has taken a job for which he’s extremely ill-suited at the coffee shop Chris owns. Knowing things aren’t going well, Jude needs to find other work, but the question is what? Music and playing the piano are his life and all he really knows how to do, so he decides to see if he can find work as a piano teacher. It’s not ideal, but it will pay the bills. Chris suggests he should make some leaflets advertising his services and then sends him to ask Ginger if he can put one up in her tattoo parlour; but on seeing his… graphically challenged effort, Ginger immediately calls on tattoo artist Faron Locklear for help. Jude has had a crush on Faron for a while and watches, transfixed as Faron comes up with an eye-catching design far better than anything Jude could have come up with in a million years. And although he knows he shouldn’t, he can’t help agreeing to meet Faron the next day when the other man offers to help him to take the flyers around town.
It’s clear right away that Faron is every bit as smitten with Jude as Jude is with him, although Jude has no idea. Gradually, however, the two men start spending more time together and getting to know each other – and their mutual attraction begins to build and strengthen into a deep connection. Jude is resistant at first, believing that “desire is the beginning of disappointment”, and that his depression is responsible for the failure of his past relationships because of the burden it places on anyone who loves him. But whatever it is Jude has with Faron is like nothing else he’s had with anyone else; Faron understands Jude even when he can’t find the words to express how he’s feeling, and helps him feel calm, even when his anxieties threaten to overwhelm him.
Both Jude and Faron are complex, three-dimensional characters, their relationship is beautifully developed, and the book addresses the issue of race – Jude is white, Faron is black – in a subtle but insightful way. Faron is thoughtful, confident and talented, but his self-assuredness hides vulnerabilities surrounding his relationships with his family, especially his twin brother, whom he hasn’t seen for a number of years. My heart ached for Jude as I listened to his good days and bad days, to his frustration at not being able to do what he loved and his guilt over being (as he thought) such a burden to his loved ones. Roan Parrish does an amazing job of getting inside Jude’s head and it seemed to me that his depression and issues surrounding it were presented very realistically. The story is told from Jude’s PoV throughout, and while some of the things he says are completely heartbreaking:
“Tears pricked my eyes. It had been so damned long since anyone had held me, just held me, with nothing else at stake.”
– the story is never depressing or bogged down in misery and angst.
Jude and Faron have a lot in common in the way they think and talk about their passion for art and music and I loved listening to them falling for each other – especially as Jude finally starts to allow himself to hope and to let go of some of the guilt that’s been crushing him. I appreciated that Jude’s problems aren’t magically cured by love; by the end of the book he’s better than he was, but there’s an acknowledgement that this is something he’s going to live with and will have to manage for the rest of his life. Yet there’s the sense that, with Faron’s support and understanding, and his own determination to move forward, Jude is going to be okay; there’s a lovely moment near the end when Jude finally realises that he’s strong enough to offer support to Faron at a difficult time which is such a breakthrough for him that my heart did a happy dance.
Sometimes life is about the small victories.
Greg Boudreaux was the perfect narrator for this audiobook. There are very few performers who can match him when it comes to finding the emotional heart of a story like this one, and who can then convey that to the listener in a way that is so realistic, and above all, true. His portrayal of Jude is simply masterful, conveying every facet of his character from his wry humour and his longing to be really known to his deep-seated insecurities and guilt. The deeper tones and considered delivery used to depict Faron work extremely well to show him as the perceptive, compassionate and loving man he is. All the secondary characters are given distinct vocal personas and I especially loved Mr. Boudreaux’s interpretation of the forthright, no-nonsense Ginger, who is a real force of nature.
If it doesn’t sound odd to use the word “enjoyed” when talking about a book that deals with depression, I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook, and can recommend it wholeheartedly. The characters are really well developed as are the various relationships between them, and Roan Parrish’s writing is filled with warmth, humour and incredible insight. Add in Greg Boudreaux’s wonderful performance and you’ve got a compelling listen that will make you laugh, cry and just about everything in between. Invitation to the Blues isn’t always an easy listen, but it’s an extremely moving one that more than rewards the listener for the time spent with it.
Caz
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