Edward Kelsey Moore revives the appealing characters introduced in The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat for his second novel, The Supremes Sing the Happy Heartache Blues. When wandering bluesman El Walker returns to his hometown of Plainview, Ind., to play at an old friend's late-in-life wedding, his presence shakes things up for a lot of people. His estranged son, James, for example, and wife Odette (who can talk to ghosts), as well as Odette's best friend, Barbara Jean, whose mother, Loretta, knew El when they were young. Meanwhile, Odette, Barbara Jean and their friend Clarice--known collectively as "the Supremes"--are dealing with other major struggles.
Moore alternates between third-person narration and first-person commentary from Odette, whose frequent visits with her deceased mama (now hanging around the afterlife with Eleanor Roosevelt) provide wry comic relief. As Odette deals with the effect El's sudden reappearance has on her usually unflappable husband, Clarice prepares for a big piano performance (battling a serious case of nerves), and Barbara Jean talks with El about the mother she struggled to love. Several running subplots, such as the ministerial ambitions of Clarice's cousin Veronica, round out the story, and El's melancholy blues music, including the titular song, runs throughout the narrative.
Like its title, Moore's story encompasses both happiness and heartache, but the end result is warm and satisfying, like the cherry pie at Earl's diner. This is a heartwarming story of friendship, reckoning with the past and learning to forgive (even when holding a grudge is more appealing). --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams