Riding With the Queen (Paperback)

by Jennie Shortridge (Author) "The sun rises red-hot in the rearview mirror like an Atomic Fireball, one of those jawbreakers that always sounds like a good idea until you're..." (more)
Key Phrases: spotlight song, liquid kiss, stage clothes, Big Gal Sal, Coyote Cry, Little White Deer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Tallie Beck is a 34-year-old washed-up, self-centered, rock-n-roll singer who has never grown up. Now she has to go home and face the music on several fronts. Her career is in tatters, her bank account is nonexistent, and the only job her agent can offer is in a piano bar in Denver, her hometown. Scornful but desperate, she buckles down--albeit with frequent rebellions--to a job where limits are set but where, paradoxically, she has the opportunity to grow. Meanwhile, she is also coping with family matters: a bipolar mother with a same-sex partner who happens to be Tallie's boss, an alienated sister, and a preteen niece looking for a role model. In the process, she reevaluates herself and those around her, learning to see them through more charitable and mature eyes. Painful to read but compelling, Shortridge's book chronicles the growing-up process from Tallie's perspective, providing a haunting inside look at the world of musicians on the edge between success and failure. Lynne Welch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
A poignant, riveting adventure full of moments that are touching and insightful, but never predictable. A fresh, unique character. -- Caren Lissner, author of

Full of insight and dead-on wit, [Shortridge] morphs everyday language into something richly poetic. Sexy, edgy, and written with grace… -- Statesman Journal, November 16, 2003

Like the novel she inhabits, Tallie Beck is funny, sexy, smart, and heartbreakingly real. A wonderful debut. -- Louise Redd, author of

Tenderly and without ever blinking, Shortridge evokes the psychic damage of childhood--and the will to survive. A life-affirming must-read. -- Caroline Hwang, author of

Witty, engaging, Shortridge writes with an easy grace and a quiet authority…Keep an eye on this writer. -- Summer Wood, author of

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (October 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451210271
• ISBN-13: 978-0451210272
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #308,500 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A serious subject, but a fun ride!, November 27, 2003

By	Carrie-Anne (Klamath Falls, OR USA) - See all my reviews

Tallie Beck smokes too much, drinks too much and runs away too much. She ran away from home at age seventeen to escape her mother's mental illness and instinctively continues running from anything or anyone that threatens the emotional armor she proactively wears.

Her sharp wit and innate singing talent keep her afloat while she pursues her dream of becoming a rock-and-roll star, the elusive prize she believes will somehow bring her the validation she deserves. In fact, music is the only thing that makes unequivocal sense in Tallie's life, and to her delight, it is a convenient reason to keep moving, from city to city, gig to gig, relationship to relationship.

Eventually, her luck runs out, and at age thirty four, divorced, fired from her latest band and broke, Tallie is crossing the country in her old beat-up car back home to Denver. There she will face the only job her agent could get for her, singing in a tacky piano bar, and the mother and sister she abandoned seventeen years ago whom she will now have to rely on, and somehow tolerate, until she's back on her feet again.

To her amazement, Tallie learns that her mother's mental illness is now effectively controlled by medication, and her little sister is now a grown woman, married and the mother of a nine year-old daughter. Perhaps the only thing that hasn't changed is Tallie. She reassures herself Denver is just a temporary stop until something better comes along.

As she struggles to make sense of her life, revive her career and reconnect with her family, Tallie is startled and comforted by the resurgence of her imaginary childhood guardian, Big Gal Sal, Queen of the Delta Blues, who coerces Tallie into viewing her life and relationships from a new perspective. If Tallie can achieve that, she may finally grow up.

Beautifully written and accented with just the right amount of back story, Riding with the Queen is an insightful tale about family dynamics in the shadow of mental illness, acceptance, and understanding. Though the subject matter is serious, Tallie is a fun, witty character you'll enjoy getting to know. Five stars!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riding Shotgun with the Queen, October 27, 2003

By A Customer

"Every unhappy family is unhappy in it own way."

Tallie Beck, hero of Riding with the Queen, never read Tolstoy, but she knows all about unhappy families. At 17 she left Denver to pursue a dream of rock and roll stardom. She also escaped a familial nightmare: bipolar mother, absent father, and a 12-year-old sister way more mature than Tallie would likely ever be. Now, almost two decades later, fate is sending her home with nothing to sustain her but her voice, a bottle, and the ghost of Big Gal Sal, Queen of the Delta Blues who died on the day Tallie was born.

Nothing in Denver is as Tallie remembers it. Her mother is healthy and successful. Her sister is bitter. And she has a niece she didn't know existed who thinks she's the bomb. With humor and humanity, Jennie Shortridge takes us along as Tallie tries to fit into a world she doesn't recognize, a fit made that much tighter by all the baggage she brings with her. Ultimately, Tallie must sober up, grow up, and lighten up to have a relationship with the women who inhabit her history. If she can pull it off, she just might have another shot at her dream. Fortunately, Big Gal Sal is riding shotgun.

Riding with the Queen works on many levels. It is a story of reconciling our recollections of childhood with adult reality. It's about choosing to build friendships with women accidentally connected to us by birth. It's about growing up, whether we want to or not. It's about finding love in unlikely places. And, it's about learning to let good things happen without sabotaging them. Of course, Tallie being Tallie, she has to learn all these things the hard way.

Shortridge's ability to put the reader into Tallie's skin, and see the world through her eyes, sassy attitude and all, provides a kick-ass ride. It also provides heart-bruising pathos as we feel the conflict of a character who wants and needs the love she is afraid to accept.

In this debut novel, Shortridge shows a sure touch with characterization and an ability to paint word images that promise a long, happy career.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll love it!, October 26, 2003

By A Customer

I LOVE this book! I want a smart and clever book that I can't put down and when I do finish it I keep thinking about the characters. I want to laugh and cry and be surprised by some of the twists and turns of the plot. Riding with the Queen fits all my criteria for a great read. Tallie is a rough character, but you know she has to be protecting herself from something so you ride with her on her way back home to find out what it is. Tallie and all of the characters are very real. I cringed when she was messing up, I applauded when she was trying to change and I cracked up at her often. I was just plain entertained. My favorite character is the Queen. Who doesn't need a dead Delta Blues Queen looking after her? Buy it and read it, you'll love it too!