Nighthawk Blues (Paperback, 1st Back Bay paperback ed)

Hawk - the Screamin' Nighthawk - is a legendary bluesman, an uncompromising musician, and a cantankerous old man awash in memories of road trips and one-night stands, recording sessions and barroom escapades, love affairs and compulsive, inspired, down-home music making. As Hawk travels back down Highway 61 to Yola, Mississippi, for what may be his last gig, the novel immerses us in the world of Hawk, his friends and family, the nursemaid manager he craftily evades, and the beautiful young blues singer who alone can crack Hawk's crusty exterior.

Peter Guralnick - in this, his only novel to date - has drawn on his rich storytelling skills and his intimate knowledge of the blues to create an unforgettable character, and to give us a rare, unvarnished, utterly compelling look at a life in music.