Rainbow Rhapsody
Rick Borsten, author of the critically acclaimed The Great Equalizer, again takes on issues of unlimited power and social responsibility. The result is a second novel of vivid incident told with a strong vein of humor.
Rhapsody Walker is a depressed rock and roll superstar, who, unlike his musician ancestors, has a worldwide fan base, and thus a startling amount of potential clout, but not a clue what to do with it other than sell out his concerts. Then, a near death experience and an international nuclear crisis finally awaken him to life’s fragility and splendor, and to the madness of what his farmer/saxophone-playing grandfather calls “the White Machine.” When the international crisis is averted, and after Rhap has recovered from the freak accident that nearly killed him, he turns his talents, huge fortune, and universal fame to political activism, particularly nuclear disarmament. But as the novel winds to its unexpected climax, he’s forced to interrupt his planet-saving mission with the more prosaic circumstances of individual death. Gradually, Rhap learns that his inheritance from his grandparents, who raised him, is not only musical. Their loving commitment to him, to each other, and to the land are given energetic expression in Rhapsody’s public life and performance.
Set in south Florida and the Pacific Northwest and spanning three generations of musicians from the 1920’s through the 1980’s, Rainbow Rhapsody is a contemporary Porgy and Bess, with many of the qualities of rock opera--a novel that touches the sacred corners of life and fashions a believable myth for those who refuse to become cynical, preferring to focus, instead, on the love and wonder—the “real rhapsody—“ there to be experienced during our journey.
Review Excerpts of RAINBOW RHAPSODY
“RAINBOW RHAPSODY is fast-paced and compulsively readable....Borsten circumvents strictures with such unabashed zest and cleverness that he equals anybody in this genre....The writing is spare, gripping and heartbreaking, energetic in its endurance....The two accounts may be among the best I’ve ever read of the experiences of birth and death. In them, Borsten reaches a realm where doctrine is irrelevant. He is simply honest, his writing powerful. ”
“RAINBOW RHAPSODY is bursting with energy: moral energy, musical energy, love of the earth, but most of all a fierce, holding-on-by-your teeth, unabashedly passionate love of life….has a narrative drive which, if you start reading at bedtime could possibly make you late for work the next morning. It is a rare combination when an author can put across a message with vitality and compassion, and spin a good yarn at the same time.”
“Chock full of grist for thought....RAINBOW RHAPSODY is a novel of big ideas and sharp contrasts.”
“Borsten’s characters are wonderfully drawn, warm and human.”
“An unexpected delight….a marvelous book….it touches the sacred corners of life and fashions a believable myth for those who value affirmation in what they read…”
“Borsten writes solid set pieces....Best of all, he is populating his books with three-dimensional people who are likely to stick with readers....characters who merit full novels of their own.”
“April and Curtis are well drawn characters with depth and individuality. Their long, loving life together is a testament to the faith we are somehow able to find in each other....Like art collectors celebrating the emergence of a fresh, new talent, we can look forward to more from Mr. Borsten.”
“A lyrical novel.”
“An excellent tale, well-told....Rick Borsten has outdone his first novel, the highly acclaimed THE GREAT EQUALIZER.”