Songs in Ursa Major

A Novel

By: Emma Brodie

Narrated by: Kristen Sieh

Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's Summary

A transporting love story of music, stardom, heartbreak, and a gifted young singer-songwriter who must find her own voice: “In the vein of Daisy Jones and the Six and The Final Revival of Opal and Nev, [this] is an intoxicating chronicle of the music industry, inspired largely by the love affair between artists Joni Mitchell and James Taylor” (Elle)."

The year is 1969, and the Bayleen Island Folk Fest is abuzz with one name: Jesse Reid. Tall and soft-spoken, with eyes blue as stone-washed denim, Jesse Reid’s intricate guitar riffs and supple baritone are poised to tip from fame to legend with this one headlining performance. That is, until his motorcycle crashes on the way to the show.

Jane Quinn is a Bayleen Island local whose music flows as naturally as her long blond hair. When she and her bandmates are asked to play in Jesse Reid’s place at the festival, it almost doesn’t seem real. But Jane plants her bare feet on the Main Stage and delivers the performance of a lifetime, stopping Jesse’s disappointed fans in their tracks: A star is born.

Jesse stays on the island to recover from his near-fatal accident and he strikes up a friendship with Jane, coaching her through the production of her first record. As Jane contends with the music industry’s sexism, Jesse becomes her advocate, and what starts as a shared calling soon becomes a passionate love affair. On tour with Jesse, Jane is so captivated by the giant stadiums, the late nights, the wild parties, and the media attention, that she is blind-sided when she stumbles on the dark secret beneath Jesse’s music. With nowhere to turn, Jane must reckon with the shadows of her own past; what follows is the birth of one of most iconic albums of all time.  

Shot through with the lyrics, the icons, the lore, the adrenaline of the early '70s music scene, Songs in Ursa Major pulses with romantic longing and asks the question so many female artists must face: What are we willing to sacrifice for our dreams?

©2021 Emma Brodie (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

A New York Times New and Noteworthy Book • A Wall Street Journal Best Book to Read This Summer • A Bustle Must-Read Book 

“Inspired by Joni Mitchell and James Taylor’s romance and creative collaboration, this alluring debut has an Almost Famous vibe as it explores the gritty—and sometimes chauvinistic—side of the music industry.” —People, Book of the Week

“In the vein of Daisy Jones and the Six and The Final Revival of Opal and Nev, Songs In Ursa Major is an intoxicating chronicle of the music industry, inspired largely by the love affair between artists Joni Mitchell and James Taylor.” —Elle

"A delightfully engaging novel about music and chasing after your dreams... Brodie plays all the right chords in her debut... we could all use a bit of carefree fun as temperatures warm up this year. So whether you’re not quite ready to rip off your mask and go sway in the middle of a festival crowd, or you just need a break from all your post-vaccination celebrations, Songs in Ursa Major is a great opening act to the summer." —Cory Oldweiler, The Boston Globe

Great story if you love music!

Great fictionalized story about Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, and to a lesser extent Carly Simon. It brought you back to music in the late 60s and early 70s and the talented powerhouses that Joni Mitchell and James Taylor were. I would highly recommend!

Enjoyed

This was a run relaxing easy book to listen to. Kristen Sieh is a wonderful
Narrator.

For those of us who rock!

Yes It is all about song writing and the process of creating music, yet it unwraps
Itself early on as a passionate, love story.
Love of a soul mate, of women folk who show us how to be strong and selfless. Lastly…
the longing to let the imprisoned art out of
of our subconscious silence , setting it free into the world, bringing joy to those
who are ready to hear it’s message .

a romance novel about the music industry!

Oh! It was a romance novel about the music industry! I get it! Because if it wasn't intended to be that, I didn't get the point of why this book as written. In reading other reviews, it appears people think it was loosely about James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. If I had known that I probably would have skipped it; why would we care if James and Joni had a relationship?

I suppose the music industry then and now was/is very political, sexist, and lacking basic morality, as were the people in the industry. No surprises there. As I was writing this review I actually downgraded my rating to a three. It was okay, but just okay. There were some gratuitous sex scenes that were probably unnecessary, and which were distracting. One thing that I found completely lacking in credibility was that Jesse could sit and have a conversation with Jane after his overdose, while in withdrawal. Not likely, he would have been jumping out of his skin.

The most interesting parts of the book to me were a) the relationship and rallying behind of the Quinn women, and b) that the main characters did not end up together in the end (which, if this was about James and Joni is factually correct, but it would have been a better romance novel ending to let them be together!).

disappointing

narrator was fine so no problem there but tbe story is so...flimsy. and had so much promise! the writing is excruciating...the diologue flat, monotonous and relentlessly tagged. no explanation of how or why jane and Jesse fell in love no passion or any particular chemistry between them. could have been so good.

Inside the Music Biz

I enjoyed all the musical jargon and lyrics. The sex scene in the shower was a total turn on. I was pleased with the female power and creativity.

Great summer read

Had to slow down my reading to savor this novel as it was so sweet

Two writers?

The story began as a love story similar to Daisy Jones but was derailed mid-story. It read like someone came in and wrote a few chapters while the original writer completed the remainder of the story.