Motown Burning
By John Jeffire
2006
First Published
4.40
Average Rating
218
Number of Pages
Late July of 1967, and Detroit boils over. For Aram Pehlivanian, known as Motown, the Grande Ballroom and the music of the MC5 and Iggy Pop and The Temptations no longer provide a haven as destruction engulfs his city. However, escaping death in the streets during the '67 Detroit Riots only leads him to the jungles of Vietnam and away from Katie, the girl who might be his salvation. Beaten on the streets of Detroit, hunted in the jungles of Vietnam, and fueled to survive by the music of the Motor City, Aram burns with one goal...to see Katie again.
Avg Rating
4.40
Number of Ratings
25
5 STARS
76%
4 STARS
4%
3 STARS
8%
2 STARS
8%
1 STARS
4%
goodreads
Author
John Jeffire
Author · 2 books
John Jeffire was born in Detroit. In 2005, his novel “Motown Burning” was named Grand Prize Winner in the Mount Arrowsmith Novel Competition and in 2007 it won a Gold Medal for Regional Fiction in the Independent Publishing Awards. Speaking of “Motown Burning,” former chair of the Pulitzer Jury Philip F. O'Connor said, “It works. I don't often say that, but it has a drive and integrity that gives it credible life....I find a novel with heart.” In 2009, Andra Milacca included “Motown Burning” in her list of “Six Savory Novels Set in Detroit” along with works by Elmore Leonard, Joyce Carol Oates, and Jeffrey Eugenides. His first book of poetry, “Stone + Fist + Brick + Bone,” was nominated for a Michigan Notable Book Award in 2009. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Philip Levine called the book “a terrific one for our city.” His short story “Boss” appeared in Coolest American Stories 2022, which won the International Book Awards Prize for Fiction Anthologies. In 2022, his novel “River Rouge” won the American Writing Awards for Legacy Fiction. For more on the author and his work, visit writeondetroit.com.
