*Get swept away with the most escapist read of 2021*
‘Utterly transporting’ Stylist‘A gorgeous, one-gulp novel’ Red
‘Emma Brodie perfectly channels the languorous romance of the time . . . I got chills’ Kevin Kwan, No.1 bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians
Behind every greatest hit, is an even greater love story.
The summer of 1969
From the moment Jane Quinn steps barefoot onto the main stage at Island Folk festival, her golden hair glinting, her voice soaring into the summer dusk, a star is born – and so is a passionate love story.
Jane’s band hits the road with none other than Jesse Reid, the musician whose bright blue eyes are setting hearts alight everywhere. And as the summer streaks by in a haze of crowds, wild nights and magenta sunsets, Jane is pulled into the orbit of Jesse’s star.
But Jesse’s rise could mean Jane’s fall. And when she discovers a dark secret beneath his music, she picks up her guitar and writes her heartache into the album that could make or break her: Songs in Ursa Major.
Set against the heady haze of the 70s and alive with music, sex and sun-soaked hedonism, SONGS IN URSA MAJOR is an unforgettable debut and the soundtrack to a love story like no other.
‘The atmosphere. The drama. Jane Quinn has singing in her blood and we follow her rollercoaster music career alongside a love story that you will keep rooting for’ PRIMA, Book of the Month
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"Emma Brodie is a gifted storyteller, taking us from exhilaration to heartbreak and back again, all the while tackling issues of sexism in the music industry, the stigma of mental illness, and the way artistry can cost us fame and vice versa. I loved this book." - Angie Kim
"Songs in Ursa Major takes us on a propulsive journey: the rocky rise to stardom of a young singer songwriter who is as talented as she is beautiful, as vulnerable as she is ambitious, and as complicated as she is charismatic. Sexy, atmospheric, and entertaining — this novel is pure joy on the page." - Christina Baker Kline
"I’ve never read a book that so uniquely captures the experience of creativity and the shimmering coolness of being in a recording studio as music history is made. Emma Brodie perfectly channels the languorous romance of the time and the beautiful struggle of an artistic soul trying to break free. So many of the passages throughout Songs in Ursa Major are such pure poetry, I got chills as I read them. I could drink a case of this book, and I’d still be on my feet." - Kevin Kwan
"Songs in Ursa Major reads like sexy, confessional liner notes to the age of the singer-songwriter. Emma Brodie sieves through history to give us a behind-the-scenes, behind-closed-doors view of an aspiring singer’s tumultuous rise to fame. But if Jane Quinn and Jesse Reid will be familiar to fans of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, they are also intimate and sparklingly original. A drenching, delicious and impressive debut." - Paula McLain
"Emma Brodie's debut lilts easily between the power chords of a rock anthem and the soulful nostalgia of a blues ballad, evoking the seventies rock scene through two compelling protagonists: Jesse Reid, charismatic rock star on the rise, and Jane Quinn, electrically gifted songstress struggling to get her foot on the ladder of the music world. Their passion for each other, for performing, and above all for their music makes for splashy, engrossing reading. Songs in Ursa Major is pure sun-soaked summer fun." - Kate Quinn
"In this spirited and fearless debut, Emma Brodie gets right to the heart of the matter: what—and who—will we sacrifice for art? Who has power over the stories we tell? What secrets will we keep for the people who love us? Like a perfect summer song, Songs in Ursa Major breathes new life into a familiar tune and will work its way into your heart and not let go." - Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
"Songs in Ursa Major takes us on a propulsive journey: the rocky rise to stardom of a young singer songwriter who is as talented as she is beautiful, as vulnerable as she is ambitious, and as complicated as she is charismatic. Sexy, atmospheric, and entertaining — this novel is pure joy on the page." - Christina Baker Kline
"I’ve never read a book that so uniquely captures the experience of creativity and the shimmering coolness of being in a recording studio as music history is made. Emma Brodie perfectly channels the languorous romance of the time and the beautiful struggle of an artistic soul trying to break free. So many of the passages throughout Songs in Ursa Major are such pure poetry, I got chills as I read them. I could drink a case of this book, and I’d still be on my feet." - Kevin Kwan
"Songs in Ursa Major reads like sexy, confessional liner notes to the age of the singer-songwriter. Emma Brodie sieves through history to give us a behind-the-scenes, behind-closed-doors view of an aspiring singer’s tumultuous rise to fame. But if Jane Quinn and Jesse Reid will be familiar to fans of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, they are also intimate and sparklingly original. A drenching, delicious and impressive debut." - Paula McLain
"Emma Brodie's debut lilts easily between the power chords of a rock anthem and the soulful nostalgia of a blues ballad, evoking the seventies rock scene through two compelling protagonists: Jesse Reid, charismatic rock star on the rise, and Jane Quinn, electrically gifted songstress struggling to get her foot on the ladder of the music world. Their passion for each other, for performing, and above all for their music makes for splashy, engrossing reading. Songs in Ursa Major is pure sun-soaked summer fun." - Kate Quinn
"In this spirited and fearless debut, Emma Brodie gets right to the heart of the matter: what—and who—will we sacrifice for art? Who has power over the stories we tell? What secrets will we keep for the people who love us? Like a perfect summer song, Songs in Ursa Major breathes new life into a familiar tune and will work its way into your heart and not let go." - Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
Visitors also looked at these books
Used availability for Emma Brodie's Songs in Ursa Major