R.L.'s Dream - by Walter Mosley (Paperback)

About the Book

From the author of Devil in a Blue Dress comes "the most powerful and poetic novel about black life in America since Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man (Digby Diehl, Playboy). RL's Dream, the first work of his to break from his mystery series, focuses on an aging bluesman named Soupspoon Wise.

Book Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author Walter Mosley, this life-affirming novel about an aging bluesman in New York City and the neighbor who takes him in after he's evicted is "a mesmerizing and redemptive tale of friendship, love, and forgiveness" (San Francisco Review of Books).

Soupspoon Wise is alone and dying of cancer on the unforgiving streets of New York City, years and worlds away from the Mississippi delta, where he once jammed with blues legend Robert "RL" Johnson. It was an experience that burned indelibly into Soupspoon's soul--never mind that they said RL's gift came from the Devil himself. Now it's Soupspoon's turn to strike a deal with a stranger.

A hard-drinking, swearing redhead from Arkansas, neighbor Kiki Waters isn't much better off than Soupspoon, but she too is a child of the South, and knows its pull. And she is determined to let Soupspoon ride out the final notes of his haunting blues dream, to pour out the remarkable tale of what he's seen, where he's been--and where he's going.

Mosley creates a "a meditation on the history and meaning of the blues" (Entertainment Weekly) in R L's Dream, which practically sings a soulful blues song itself.

Review Quotes

"Fans of Mosley's Easy Rawlins series will not be disappointed by RL's Dream....Mosley's sense of timing and mystery is as powerful as ever....Mosley is a master storyteller, and in RL's Dream the blues are real."-- "Chicago Tribune"

"Heart-stopping....a beautiful little masterpiece....a meditation on the history and meaning of the blues and, in its sorrowful lyric, virtually a blues song itself....Every part of this novel -- every page -- comes alive."-- "Entertainment Weekly"

About the Author

Walter Mosley is the acclaimed author of more than forty books, including the internationally bestselling Easy Rawlins series. His best known Easy Rawlins novels include Devil in a Blue Dress, A Red Death, White Butterfly, Black Betty, and Little Yellow Dog. He is also the author of the collection of stories Always Outnumbered. Always Outgunned featuring Socrates Fortlow, which was the basis for an HBO feature film. A former president of the Mystery Writers of America, he was named a grand master by the organization in 2016. He has served on the board of directors of the National Book Foundation and is a recipient of the PEN American Center Lifetime Achievement Award. A native of Los Angeles, he now lives in New York City.