Cahokia Jazz
By Francis Spufford
Read by Andy Ingalls
Table of Contents
About The Book
* Winner of the Sidewise Award for Alternate History * Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction *
“Dazzling.” —Los Angeles Times * “Energetic and hugely enjoyable.” —The Guardian, Best Fiction of the Year * “As intoxicating as a swig of bathtub gin.” —Good Housekeeping
The bestselling and award-winning author of Golden Hill delivers a “smoky, brooding noir set in the 1920s” (Slate) that reimagines how American history would be different if, instead of being decimated, indigenous populations had thrived.
Like his earlier novel Golden Hill, Francis Spufford’s Cahokia Jazz inhabits a different version of America, now through the lens of a subtly altered 1920s—a fully imagined world filled with fog, cigarette smoke, dubious motives, danger, and dark deeds. In the main character of hard-boiled detective Joe Barrow, we have a hero of truly epic proportions, a troubled soul to fall in love with as you are swept along by a propulsive and brilliantly twisty plot.
One snowy night at the end of winter, Barrow and his partner find a body on the roof of a skyscraper. Down below, streetcar bells ring, factory whistles blow, Americans drink in speakeasies and dance to the tempo of modern times. But this is Cahokia, the ancient indigenous city beside the Mississippi living on as a teeming industrial metropolis containing people of every race and creed. Among them, peace holds. Just about. Yet that corpse on the roof will spark a week of drama in which this altered world will spill its secrets and be brought, against a soundtrack of jazz clarinets and wailing streetcars, either to destruction or rebirth.
“Atmospheric…many of us will recognize our own held-breath bafflement, caught, as we are, on the darkling plain of our own barely believable times” (The Washington Post).
“Dazzling.” —Los Angeles Times * “Energetic and hugely enjoyable.” —The Guardian, Best Fiction of the Year * “As intoxicating as a swig of bathtub gin.” —Good Housekeeping
The bestselling and award-winning author of Golden Hill delivers a “smoky, brooding noir set in the 1920s” (Slate) that reimagines how American history would be different if, instead of being decimated, indigenous populations had thrived.
Like his earlier novel Golden Hill, Francis Spufford’s Cahokia Jazz inhabits a different version of America, now through the lens of a subtly altered 1920s—a fully imagined world filled with fog, cigarette smoke, dubious motives, danger, and dark deeds. In the main character of hard-boiled detective Joe Barrow, we have a hero of truly epic proportions, a troubled soul to fall in love with as you are swept along by a propulsive and brilliantly twisty plot.
One snowy night at the end of winter, Barrow and his partner find a body on the roof of a skyscraper. Down below, streetcar bells ring, factory whistles blow, Americans drink in speakeasies and dance to the tempo of modern times. But this is Cahokia, the ancient indigenous city beside the Mississippi living on as a teeming industrial metropolis containing people of every race and creed. Among them, peace holds. Just about. Yet that corpse on the roof will spark a week of drama in which this altered world will spill its secrets and be brought, against a soundtrack of jazz clarinets and wailing streetcars, either to destruction or rebirth.
“Atmospheric…many of us will recognize our own held-breath bafflement, caught, as we are, on the darkling plain of our own barely believable times” (The Washington Post).
Reading Group Guide
This reading group guide for Cahokia Jazz includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Introduction
On a snowy night at the end of winter in 1922, Joe Barrow and his partner find a body on the roof of a skyscraper. Down below, streetcar bells ring, factory whistles blow, Americans drink in speakeasies and dance to the tempo of modern times. But this is Cahokia, the ancient indigenous city beside the Mississippi living on as a teeming industrial metropolis, filled with people of every race and creed. Among them, peace holds. Just about. But that corpse on the roof will spark a week of drama in which this altered world will spill its secrets and be brought, against a soundtrack of jazz clarinets and wailing streetcars, either to destruction or rebirth.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. The novel begins by quoting a fictionalized Better Business Bureau guide to the city of Cahokia about the terms that denote the three major groups in its population: the takouma, the taklousa, and the takata. How does this immerse us in the world within Cahokia Jazz, and how does it differ from our world? What is the significance of different racial and ethnic titles in this world compared to ours?
2. Examine cultural identity and cultural mixture in the novel. How does Barrow handle this and how does the world perceive him? What world events caused this city to form? How is this true also to many people’s experiences in our world?
3. When Barrow and Drummond investigate the murder victim on the skyscraper, we learn a bit about the language that illustrates how our characters navigate their world. How does the Anopa language shape the novel, and what are some of the most interesting vernacular moments in this story?
4. When Barrow meets Sebastian Cuauhtemoc Hashi, “the Man of the Sun,” and begins to learn about the Hashi dynasty, he has many concerns: the Man’s request, his display of power, and the family’s wealth. The city’s businesses, government, and police force also have their hesitations about the Hashi family and its bloodline. Why is Barrow concerned about the Hashis’ interest in the murder victim and their grand role in the case? Are Barrow’s suspicions justified?
5. The Man says the following to Barrow: “Symbolism, you see, detective. It has consequences. It gives a nudge to the world. It makes things happen” (page 31). What symbols are present throughout the work?
6. Why are Drummond and Barrow friends? Are Drummond and Barrow friends?
7. At one point in the novel, Drummond says to Barrow: “It’s all a racket, Joe, everywhere you look, and the only way not to be a sucker is, believe none of it. Free your mind. Free—your—mind” (page 49). What does this say about Drummond’s character, and does Barrow follow this advice? How does Drummond’s cynicism reflect the world in this novel? Is he right?
8. The themes and pacing of this narrative are heavily influenced by the noir genre: undercover conspiracies, jazz, detective twists, and many more. What elements of noir do you see in this work? How does the story play with genre conventions and subvert them?
9. Who is Peggy Iti/Sister Peggy? What does she do? Compare her with the other women in the novel. How does she shake up societal norms and push back against the patriarchal structures that Barrow and the others are familiar with?
10. Describe Barrow’s encounter with Couma Hashi at the Catawba Room. What does she mean when she tells Barrow that she envies him? How does this hint at Couma Hashi’s character and motives throughout the novel?
11. Barrow wears many masks throughout this story: that of a jazz pianist, a detective, a person of uncertain race who walks between the multiple power structures in Cahokia. How does his life as a former full-time artist influence his role as a detective? How does his mixed inheritance influence how takouma, taklousa, and takata people view him?
12. How does the story tease at Drummond and Barrow’s end? What clues are placed throughout the story to reach this conclusion?
13. Discuss the world-building in this novel. What made this setting unique for you? Did you believe in it as a possible course for American history?
14. Who is “Professor Kroeber’s daughter,” and why do you think Cahokia Jazz is dedicated to her? How many other walk-on appearances by real historical figures can you spot in the different parts of the book?
15. The year 1922 is a century ago, far off in time, and the book is not even set in the 1922 of our own American history. Still, what similarities might you notice between the world of the book and the world of the present day?
16. Why do you think the book is called Cahokia Jazz? How does the eclectic musical art form of jazz help tell the tale?
17. After reading the book, check out the notes and acknowledgements. What are some of the most interesting takeaways from the author’s research and notes?
Enhance Your Book Club
1.Read Francis Spofford’s novel Golden Hill, an alternate history of eighteenth-century New York. What similarities exist between the two novels, and how are they different?
2.Explore St. Louis, Missouri, and the area where Cahokia would have been. What are some aspects of St. Louis that influenced the city of Cahokia?
Introduction
On a snowy night at the end of winter in 1922, Joe Barrow and his partner find a body on the roof of a skyscraper. Down below, streetcar bells ring, factory whistles blow, Americans drink in speakeasies and dance to the tempo of modern times. But this is Cahokia, the ancient indigenous city beside the Mississippi living on as a teeming industrial metropolis, filled with people of every race and creed. Among them, peace holds. Just about. But that corpse on the roof will spark a week of drama in which this altered world will spill its secrets and be brought, against a soundtrack of jazz clarinets and wailing streetcars, either to destruction or rebirth.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. The novel begins by quoting a fictionalized Better Business Bureau guide to the city of Cahokia about the terms that denote the three major groups in its population: the takouma, the taklousa, and the takata. How does this immerse us in the world within Cahokia Jazz, and how does it differ from our world? What is the significance of different racial and ethnic titles in this world compared to ours?
2. Examine cultural identity and cultural mixture in the novel. How does Barrow handle this and how does the world perceive him? What world events caused this city to form? How is this true also to many people’s experiences in our world?
3. When Barrow and Drummond investigate the murder victim on the skyscraper, we learn a bit about the language that illustrates how our characters navigate their world. How does the Anopa language shape the novel, and what are some of the most interesting vernacular moments in this story?
4. When Barrow meets Sebastian Cuauhtemoc Hashi, “the Man of the Sun,” and begins to learn about the Hashi dynasty, he has many concerns: the Man’s request, his display of power, and the family’s wealth. The city’s businesses, government, and police force also have their hesitations about the Hashi family and its bloodline. Why is Barrow concerned about the Hashis’ interest in the murder victim and their grand role in the case? Are Barrow’s suspicions justified?
5. The Man says the following to Barrow: “Symbolism, you see, detective. It has consequences. It gives a nudge to the world. It makes things happen” (page 31). What symbols are present throughout the work?
6. Why are Drummond and Barrow friends? Are Drummond and Barrow friends?
7. At one point in the novel, Drummond says to Barrow: “It’s all a racket, Joe, everywhere you look, and the only way not to be a sucker is, believe none of it. Free your mind. Free—your—mind” (page 49). What does this say about Drummond’s character, and does Barrow follow this advice? How does Drummond’s cynicism reflect the world in this novel? Is he right?
8. The themes and pacing of this narrative are heavily influenced by the noir genre: undercover conspiracies, jazz, detective twists, and many more. What elements of noir do you see in this work? How does the story play with genre conventions and subvert them?
9. Who is Peggy Iti/Sister Peggy? What does she do? Compare her with the other women in the novel. How does she shake up societal norms and push back against the patriarchal structures that Barrow and the others are familiar with?
10. Describe Barrow’s encounter with Couma Hashi at the Catawba Room. What does she mean when she tells Barrow that she envies him? How does this hint at Couma Hashi’s character and motives throughout the novel?
11. Barrow wears many masks throughout this story: that of a jazz pianist, a detective, a person of uncertain race who walks between the multiple power structures in Cahokia. How does his life as a former full-time artist influence his role as a detective? How does his mixed inheritance influence how takouma, taklousa, and takata people view him?
12. How does the story tease at Drummond and Barrow’s end? What clues are placed throughout the story to reach this conclusion?
13. Discuss the world-building in this novel. What made this setting unique for you? Did you believe in it as a possible course for American history?
14. Who is “Professor Kroeber’s daughter,” and why do you think Cahokia Jazz is dedicated to her? How many other walk-on appearances by real historical figures can you spot in the different parts of the book?
15. The year 1922 is a century ago, far off in time, and the book is not even set in the 1922 of our own American history. Still, what similarities might you notice between the world of the book and the world of the present day?
16. Why do you think the book is called Cahokia Jazz? How does the eclectic musical art form of jazz help tell the tale?
17. After reading the book, check out the notes and acknowledgements. What are some of the most interesting takeaways from the author’s research and notes?
Enhance Your Book Club
1.Read Francis Spofford’s novel Golden Hill, an alternate history of eighteenth-century New York. What similarities exist between the two novels, and how are they different?
2.Explore St. Louis, Missouri, and the area where Cahokia would have been. What are some aspects of St. Louis that influenced the city of Cahokia?
About The Author
© Antonio Olmos
Francis Spufford
Francis Spufford began as the author of four highly praised books of nonfiction. His first book, I May Be Some Time, won the Writers’ Guild Award for Best Nonfiction Book of 1996, the Banff Mountain Book Prize, and a Somerset Maugham Award. It was followed by The Child That Books Built, Backroom Boys, and most recently, Unapologetic. But with Red Plenty in 2012 he switched to the novel. Golden Hill won multiple literary prizes on both sides of the Atlantic; Light Perpetual was longlisted for the Booker Prize. In England he is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Historical Society. He teaches writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
About The Reader
Andy Ingalls
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (February 6, 2024)
- Runtime: 15 hours and 56 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781797167923
Raves and Reviews
"Narrator Andy Ingalls delivers all the nuances of a full cast in Spufford's latest, a literary detective novel that takes place in an alternate universe. In an authoritative tone, Ingalls brings to life Cahokia, located on the banks of the Mississippi. In the novel, this ancient Indigenous society lives on in the 1920s, seeming to flourish in its diversity. But when Barrow discovers a mutilated body, the community's facade of racial coexistence is exposed. Whether Native American, European, or African, each principal character has a unique voice, aiding the listener in following the complex story. Ingalls's skills shine as he smoothly delivers conversations in a hillbilly drawl, an Irish brogue, and the many other voices of the diverse characters. Ingalls is the perfect guide for this complex world."
– Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award, AudioFile Magazine
Resources and Downloads
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): Cahokia Jazz Unabridged Audio Download 9781797167923
- Author Photo (jpg): Francis Spufford © Antonio Olmos(0.1 MB)
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