The Song is You

Julian Donahue’s life has revolved around music since as early as he can remember, beginning with stories his father told about an encounter with Billie Holiday in 1953, before he lost his leg in the Korean war. Now in middle age, Julian is adrift:

"Julian Donahue married in optimistic confusion, separated in pessimistic confusion, and now was wandering toward a mistrustful divorcistan, a coolly celibate land.”

Then one night when he goes out to buy milk, he stops into a bar where an Irish girl is singing with her band, and he discovers a new structure to his life – obsession. As his obsession grows, we learn about the triumphs and tragedies of his life that brought him to this point, and wonder how far he will go in pursuit of this relationship. Will they ever actually meet in person? I’m not telling, but it’s a good story and well written. Julian, his Jeopardy-playing genius brother Adrian, his estranged wife Rachel, and the singer Cait are just a few of the interesting characters in The Song is You by Arthur Phillips.