The Night Train by Clye Edgerton

From the back of the book:

In 1963 at the age of 17, Dwayne Hallston discovers James Brown and wants to perform just like him. His band, the Amazing Rumblers, studies and rehearses Brown's Live at the Apollo album in the storage room of his father's shop in their small North Carolina town. Meanwhile, Dwayne's forbidden black friend Larry, aspiring to play piano like Thelonius Monk, apprentices to a jazz musician called the Bleeder. His mother hopes music will allow him to escape the South.

A dancing chicken and a mutual passion for music help Dwayne and Larry as they try to achieve their dreams and maintain their friendship, even while their world says both are impossible. In THE NIGHT TRAIN, Edgerton's trademark humor reminds us of our divided national history and the way music has helped bring us together.

My Review

Title:The Night Train
Author:  Clyde Edgerton
Publisher:  Little Brown & Company
Date:  July 2011
Pages:  212
Source:  Little Brown Publsihing/Anna Balasi
Genre:  Fiction

I was born and raised in the South.  So, I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard of clyde Edgerton until Anna from Little Brown & Company contacted me about this book.  I have since learned that not only is he Southern author, he is a great Southern Author that has many book credited to him!  However, it may have the first book I have read by him but it will not be the last.

This was a wonderful story set inrural   North Carolina  dudring the early 1960's.  While the rest of the world was being turned upside down by Civil Rights issue, the folks in Starke North Carolina went on with everyday life as normal.  Unknown to them they were also making progress toward equal rights for everyone.


This is a story of two teenage boys and the friendship they shared, even though society frowned upon friendships between white and black children. Dewayne was white and Larry Lime was black  Their mutual love of music forged a clear path that allowed their friendship  to grow.

Dewayne loves James Brown music and has a band called The Amazing Rumblers.  His immediate goal is to get his band on the Bobby Reese Show that is sponsored by the local Dog Food Factory.  Larry Lime is taking lessons from a guy called the Bleeder at a bar called The Frog.  He wants to play Jazz music.  They love to lisiten to and love James Brown's Live at the Apollo Theatre album and especially The Night Train number. 

This story is leading up to the bid night of whehter the Amazing Rumblers will be on The Bobby Reese show or not.  Along the way, you will laugh with the boys and sometime be a little sad.  But, you will alsosee how people managed to overcome their differences by just living their lives.  both Dewayne and Larry Lime were interesting characters, but by far my favorite was Larry Lime.

I truly loved this bookand if you (like me) have never read a Clyde Edgerton book, I recommend that you remedy that situation soon!  You will be glad that you did.  Also, this would make ab awesome summer book for a teenage boy.

Quotes from the book:

Don't you want some more butterbeans? said Donnie's mother to Crystal, Donnie's seven year old sister.
     Now the child be farting all night, thought Aunt marzie.  She done ate her plate clean.
     I o-'ont no more, said Crystal.
Thank God, thought Aunt marzie.


We laughed our Asses off sitting there on the couch, Baby Mercy and me-I-and we came up with the dog food eating idea early on-after about a year, I think- and that's when the show took off for sure.