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Book Review of Misfortune

Misfortune
Misfortune
Author: Wesley Stace
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Hardcover
northville avatar reviewed on + 3 more book reviews


A Wesley Stace novel is always an adventure. His stories never go where you think they are going. This is his most unusual novel. It is part comedy, part mystery, part history
and an intriguing read!

Wesley Stace is of course, also well-known as a musician, under the name John Wesley Harding, so its not surprising that all his books have musical references. This book describes the work of a nineteenth century ballad singer who composes songs about the events in the book. The author has now released a CD of the folk ballads featured in the book. I didn't buy the CD until after I read the book, but it added to the enjoyment

The story, of an orphaned baby boy brought up as a girl by a man obsessed with having a daughter, is certainly unusual, and poses several questions about gender and identity.
It seems to re-assert the currently unpopular belief that our gender preferences are the result of background and upbringing. Challenging, thought provoking, and a great read!