The Rif Raff Book Club selection for March was The Clarinet Polka by Keith Maillard.

The Clarinet Polka by Keith Maillard

I liked the book. There were many "life lessons" played out in this book. One of the major themes was confronting your obstacles and over coming them or at least learning to manage them. The polka music research and the way the author wrote about the performed music was really well done. At times I was right there in the scene with the characters hearing and feeling the music. I thought the portrayal of Polish foods and customs was accurate and I thought of many people I know that practice some of these same customs. The wide range of polka music history with the various styles and sounds was worth the read. I liked the way the author wrote about the differences between the Polish-American community in status and culture. As Poles they were one, but inside their own group there were class and cultural divisions. I felt the book ended on a good note that tied up the loose ends and gave a message of hope for those who really want it. The book reminded you to count your real blessings today, move away from the past and have hope for the future.

This was a truly delightful read. It brought back great memories of my Polish heritage and all of the wonderful traditions that the Poles have for the holidays. The sub-plot of life in W.W.II Poland was also quite interesting to read about. The first person, almost conversational writing style that Maillard used made it a quick and easy read. His characters were engaging and the protagonist's struggle with addiction was a great device to communicate the human condition and essence of what I think everyone faces at some point in early adulthood as they try to find themselves. The characters in the book were real, and the Polka Sisters band members provided just the right amount of comic relief, yet at the same time creating a real vision of what it's like to be in a polka band. The ending, although predictably happy, left the reader with a sense of hope for all the miss-guided souls out in the world. I'd be interested in reading another of his novels set in the fictional town of Raysburg, West Virginia.