Description
Opal is a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude, Afro-punk before that term existed. Coming of age in Detroit, she can’t imagine settling for a 9-to-5 job—despite her unusual looks, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar’s amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records. In early seventies New York City, just as she’s finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Opal’s bold protest and the violence that ensues set off a chain of events that will not only change the lives of those she loves, but also be a deadly reminder that repercussions are always harsher for women, especially black women, who dare to speak their truth. Decades later, as Opal considers a 2016 reunion with Nev, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton seizes the chance to curate an oral history about her idols. Sunny thought she knew most of the stories leading up to the cult duo’s most politicized chapter. But as her interviews dig deeper, a nasty new allegation from an unexpected source threatens to blow up everything. Provocative and chilling, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev features a backup chorus of unforgettable voices, a heroine the likes of which we’ve not seen in storytelling, and a daring structure, and introduces a bold new voice in contemporary fiction.
May Krajcik @carolyne94_221
July 28, 2021
4
There has been a fair amount of hype about this book, The Final Revival of Opal and Nev, and frankly, I didn’t expect it to live up to it. I’m pleased to say I was wrong! The book has been compared to Daisy and the Six, another fictional bio of a fictional rock band, and a book that I also enjoyed. The mismatched pair of Opal and Nev, him a pampered English white boy songwriter and her a gawky, balding black girl from Detroit, find one another and create something totally different than either would ever have without the other. On the cusp of their big break a tragic event occurs that hurtles them into fame and the spotlight, but also spells the end of their relationship. The book unfolds as a series of interviews some forty years after the fact with the principals and those surrounding them by an ambitious young, black female journalist who has a close personal connection to the story. Issues of racism, sexism, and social injustice, which are so sadly relevant still today, propel the story forward.