THE CITY by Dean Koontz

Finished Tu 9/13/22 

This is an eBook that I borrowed from the library. Janny loaned me his novel 'FALSE MEMORY' and when reading about Koontz I noticed this book and decided to read it first.

A young black boy in a major American city is assisted by a 'spirit/angel' to deal with the turbulent late sixties. 

More like a fable or a fantasy. Nothing really supernatural or horrific. 

Features an unbelievable, tender relationship between a mother and her son.  

Swing music of the 1940's is featured. Mom is a big band singer and the boy is an excellent 'piano man'.

Counterculture characters are portrayed as evil.

One of the major characters is a Japanese man who was imprisoned at Manzanar Relocation Cam during WWII. 

A YouTube review of the book by Koontz reveals that he had an unsettling home life when he was young.

From the Book Summary at bookbrowse.com:

"The city changed my life and showed me that the world is deeply mysterious. I need to tell you about her and some terrible things and wonderful things and amazing things that happened... and how I am still haunted by them. Including one night when I died and woke and lived again.

Here is the riveting, soul-stirring story of Jonah Kirk, son of an exceptional singer, grandson of a formidable "piano man," a musical prodigy beginning to explore his own gifts when he crosses a group of extremely dangerous people, with shattering consequences. Set in a more innocent time not so long ago, The City encompasses a lifetime but unfolds over three extraordinary, heart-racing years of tribulation and triumph, in which Jonah first grasps the electrifying power of music and art, of enduring friendship, of everyday heroes.

The unforgettable saga of a young man coming of age within a remarkable family, and a shimmering portrait of the world that shaped him, The City is a novel that speaks to everyone, a dazzling realization of the evergreen dreams we all share. Brilliantly illumined by magic dark and light, it's a place where enchantment and malice entwine, courage and honor are found in the most unexpected quarters, and the way forward lies buried deep inside the heart."

Fun Fact: Koontz has sold almost 500 million books (more than Stephen King and James Patterson) yet James Patterson is the most highly paid writer in the world.