The Must-Read Book Club

Jonathan FitzGordon: I've been listening to Bob Marley since I was fifteen and was surprised how little I knew of his life when I watched the Netflix documentary Marley. The book follows events surrounding his attempted murder in 1976 and it was on too many “ten best” lists for me to pass up.

YCNYC: Favorite quote?

JF: I'm not sure I have a favorite. The book is written from multiple perspectives and it takes a bit of commitment to get comfortable with the dialect (plus it’s a big book), but once in there, it is spectacular.

YCNYC: What one person would you recommend this book to?

JF: Someone who loves Marley and/or Jamaican history.

YCNC: What moment or part resonates with you the most?

JF: The part that focuses around the Peace Concert, and the attendant politics, was particularly interesting as I'd originally learned about it in the Netflix documentary and was excited to read about it.

I also love that I can use the benefits of our modern technological world, and, as I read the book, I can share what I am reading with my children through music and videos about Jamaica even though the book itself wouldn’t be appropriate for them at seven and 10. I've discovered a pretty great soundtrack for the book. Some of it (tracks 1, 3, 5, and 6) could also be considered part of the soundtrack of my life.

You can purchase A Brief History of Seven Killings here.

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