In 1923, 20-year-old George Hodges rejects his mixed-race family in Tiger Bay bound for New York. Shocked by American racism, he denies his racial background & courts danger by passing as white. Years later, his love of jazz, coupled with personal tragedy makes him reflect on his identity and his past, while back in Cardiff his family are facing their own grief and hardship. 'Anna Corbett's vivid portrayal of the Tiger Bay community in Cardiff during the 1920s and '30s is both truthful and tender-hearted, yet the discontented George decides to reject it all to follow his dreams to America. There he discovers that those dreams come at some considerable cost. The many interesting characters who accompany him on his life journey are deftly woven into an engaging story of love, identity and redemption. Set in two multicultural communities separated by the Atlantic Ocean but united by the rhythms of music and life, Tiger Bay in Cardiff and Harlem in New York City, Masquerade is an extraordinary debut - a smart, sensual and witty novel that is deeply informed by archival research and Anna's extensive, lifelong passion for Jazz music.' Jeremy Rees, Radio Presenter & Jazz Show host at Radio Cardiff
Reviews
'This fast moving story takes us back to life between the two World Wars in the old Cardiff Docklands's community of Tiger Bay and Harlem, New York. It follows the fortunes of one mixed race family as the light-skinned central character leaves to find a better life in New York. Anna Corbett successfully combines a very engaging human story with historically accurate details of life in these two very different communities. Particularly striking is the hardship and dangers faced by new immigrants arriving in New York and the precarious existence, driven by dreams of a betterment, that passing for white entails.' Professor Chris Weedon, Cardiff University 'A man looking for escape. A man with dreams. In this assured, tender and moving debut, Anna Corbett has created a complex and intriguing central character who takes us from the docks of Tiger Bay to the dives of New York on a journey that explores 'in betweenness' in relation to intimate relationships, place and identity, against a sound-track of Harlem Renaissance-era jazz. Moving through city-scapes rich in colour, sound and texture, where - and with whom - will he find 'home'? I listened to the music, cared about the characters and was kept wondering till the last how it would all turn out - story-telling at its best!' Dr Jackie Goode, Sociologist and Visiting Fellow at Loughborough University, Leicester 'Anna Corbett's engaging novel delves headfirst and very directly into issues of race, belonging, family, and discovery. An enthralling read with very relatable themes taking you with the protagonist on his transatlantic, transcultural life odyssey from cold Cardiff to the seething cultural melting pot of Harlem. With the burgeoning Harlem Jazz and social scene providing fresh stimuli and a fertile environment, George finds his place in the world, and in the end, redemption?' Gordon Wedderburn: Jazz Radio Presenter and Promoter, Co-Founder: GW Jazz, London.



Book Information
ISBN 9781916286207
Author Anna Corbett
Format Paperback
Page Count 306
Imprint Eulipion
Publisher Eulipion
Weight(grams) 400g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 22mm