A01=H. Lee Barnes
Author_H. Lee Barnes
boot factory
Category=FB
Category=FBA
Category=FXB
Category=FXT
Civil Rights
dangers to women before abortions were legal
eq_bestseller
eq_fiction
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_modern-contemporary
eq_nobargain
interracial love
Los Angeles
murder
Rosie the Riveter
stalking
the blues during the war years
The Greatest Generation
war worker
women's independence
WWII home front
Product details
- ISBN 9781647792138
- Weight: 454g
- Dimensions: 140 x 216mm
- Publication Date: 14 Oct 2025
- Publisher: University of Nevada Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
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In the summer of 1942, Eve Halverson assumes her dead sister's identity and leaves behind her small-town life in Washington for the promise of something new in San Pedro, California. Determined to support the war effort, she takes a job at a boot factory, stepping into an unfamiliar world of sweat, steel, and camaraderie. Among the women on the factory floor, she finds resilience, laughter, and unexpected friendships that begin to reshape her understanding of the world - and herself.
But it's the quiet, captivating dockworker and blues singer Hard Times (H.T.) who truly upends her life. As Eve grows closer to H.T., she finds herself drawn into his world, one filled with music, longing, and the ever-present shadows of prejudice. Their connection forces Eve to confront realities she'd never imagined, challenging the boundaries of her own perceptions and the risks of crossing societal lines. When Eve becomes a witness to a violent crime at a blues club, her life takes a dangerous turn. As she navigates the escalating threats, she leans on the strength of her newfound friends and the fragile, complex bond she shares with H.T.
Set against the vibrant yet turbulent backdrop of World War II-era California, Emerald City Blues is a heartfelt coming-of-age story. It explores the complexities of love, the power of friendship, and the courage it takes to forge your own path in an uncertain world. Eve's journey is one of discovery - not just of the world beyond her hometown, but of the resilience and strength she never knew she possessed.
But it's the quiet, captivating dockworker and blues singer Hard Times (H.T.) who truly upends her life. As Eve grows closer to H.T., she finds herself drawn into his world, one filled with music, longing, and the ever-present shadows of prejudice. Their connection forces Eve to confront realities she'd never imagined, challenging the boundaries of her own perceptions and the risks of crossing societal lines. When Eve becomes a witness to a violent crime at a blues club, her life takes a dangerous turn. As she navigates the escalating threats, she leans on the strength of her newfound friends and the fragile, complex bond she shares with H.T.
Set against the vibrant yet turbulent backdrop of World War II-era California, Emerald City Blues is a heartfelt coming-of-age story. It explores the complexities of love, the power of friendship, and the courage it takes to forge your own path in an uncertain world. Eve's journey is one of discovery - not just of the world beyond her hometown, but of the resilience and strength she never knew she possessed.
H. Lee Barnes is the author of ten books, including four novels and four short story collections. His short fiction has received the Willamette Fiction Award and the Arizona Author's Association Fiction Award. His last collection, Life Is a Country Western Song, garnered the 2019 New Mexico/Arizona Book Award for Fiction Other. In addition, Barnes was honored by the Vietnam Veterans of America with an Excellence in the Arts Award for his Vietnam War books, and in 2009 he was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame. He earned his MFA in creative writing from Arizona State University and taught English and creative writing at the College of Southern Nevada, retiring emeritus in 2017. Barnes lives in the Hualapai Valley in northern Arizona.
