Riding with the Queen

a fabulous read! shortridge writes her protagonist tallie beck with verve and heart. this is the sort of book with scenes and images that you think about for weeks after you've read "the end". it made me wonder what inspired the author to pen this revealing portait of a woman who is caught between ambition and a dysfunctional mother. and why the heck hasn't it been made into a movie yet?

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!

"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.

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!

What a find! This book takes an old subject, the eternal struggle between mother and daughter, and spins a fresh new story we haven't heard before. Tallie Beck is not your typical protagonist. She's funny and sassy, but with an edge that makes her so real you'd swear you knew her in your high school or college days. She is about as down on her luck as she could be, but on her reluctant journey to face her past, her hardened shell begins to melt. Her blues queen ghost could have been another stereotype, but she's this kinda cool combo of imagination and historical figure. Almost every step along this story's journey is surprising, yet it all rings true. I think what I like best is that it leaves you with a feeling of hope. I'd recommend it to anyone!