Abicus Blues

By: Woody Dismukes

Narrated by: Felipe Pacheco

'A stunning tale of myth, magic and music – perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman.

When the birth of Ana Clara’s twin children leaves her near death in a hospital bed in the Brazilian backcountry town of Macaprana, her children’s father, Matheus, must make a difficult decision. he decides to sell one of the children to a corrupt American adoption firm.

Twenty-five years later, in New York City, Ben knows nothing of his birth family - until an encounter with a mysterious guitar brings him visions of a man who is as alike to him as his reflection in the mirror, and he begins to question everything he knows about his life.

Back in Brazil, Anderson wants nothing more than to escape to Bahia to study with the great guitar legends of Salvador. Then he, too, is gifted a guitar that brings him visions and forces him to confront his family’s hidden past.

Meanwhile, the Orixás, the immortal powers who dwell in Orum, jockey to control these events they have set in motion on Earth, the consequences of which will affect more than the lives of this one shattered family - and may affect the fate of the world.

©2022 Woody Dismukes (P)2022 Audible, Ltd

Amazing fantastical story

This is a beautifully written magical realism book! can't recommend it enough. it's a really interesting story and the reader is great.

Masterful

It’s hard to believe this is the first novel by Woody Dismukes; I venture to say it won’t be his last.

Abicus Blues is mesmerizing. His descriptions of people and places are captivating. If you’ve ever driven through or spent much time in small Brazilian towns surrounded by sugar cane farms or in Manhattan, you will be amazed by the way the author captures all the characters’ descriptions as well as colors, smells, and chaos of the surrounding places with his words. Felipe Pacheco’s many voices were a perfect addition to understanding the suspenseful nature of this novel. Truly this is a wonderful story of fantasy, love and mystery that is very hard to put down once you start listening.

I can’t wait to hear or read the next story by this author.

Such a great story!

I loved this story! I didn't know what to expect at all when I borrowed this on Audible, but it was good old-fashioned storytelling that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end and delivered a very satisfying ending.

The scope was grand, spanning time and space even to the realm of the gods. Definitely magical realism in the South American tradition at its finest. I loved learning about the Yoruba people, who came from West Africa, and their Orisha religion, which have a significant influence on life in multicultural Brazil and form the background to our story and main characters.

This is a story that needs to be heard rather than read, in the grand tradition of oral storytelling, so it's a perfect fit for Audible release and the narrator is great! He does all the accents and voices so well.

Great story, narration, and more!

Interesting, unique story. Great characters and narration. Even learned some Portuguese and Brazilian culture! Listen to this, you won’t regret it.

Action and adventure knit together with rich cultural meditations

Brilliant braided story concept. Mythical yet modern, Dismukes writing style is very distinct, the rhythm and word choice are musical. Also found the characters deeply relatable and complex at every point in there journeys across time.

Really interesting story, great narration

This was the audio book version of a page turner. I wanted to listen continuously until it was over. Loved it. You will too.

I liked this story

This was a nice read. I like the way the narrator was able to do the different voices for each character. The story line was good and performance was well executed.

“you cannot control the stories told about you…”

Wow, what a stunning novel debut! This is an atmospheric modern day fable of music and magic! It’s a tale about the power of family secrets and a brotherly love capable of trascending the boundaries of countries and class! Also- who doesn’t love some rambunctious deities causing chaos to us mortals!

Dismukes is a voice to watch out for! After finishing listening, I sought out his other work online and found his scifi short stories and poetry! They are just as whimsically incredible! Feel so blessed to have been recommended this by a friend!

Looking forward to everything Dismukes shares with us!

Obrigada!

Recommended for fans of Salman Rushdie

Woody Dismukes is a talented storyteller. He holds the listener’s interest throughout his tale which moves between the United States, Brazil and the other-worldly Orun. As the author entwines the story fragments, the listener can envision a more complex environment where the themes of self-discovery, love and family emerge.
The author’s use of strong natural forces, such as the special bond between twins and the magical power of music, allows the story to resonate with “believers of the supernatural” and skeptics alike.
For fans of the great storyteller and author, Salman Rushdie, I recommend this book since it has many characteristics of the magical realism used by Rushdie in his books, such as Midnight Children.
The clever title had me wondering about the book’s contents. I was not familiar with the term “abicus” (although, at first, I thought that it might be related to the mathematical instrument, abacus). The author clarifies the word within the book and demonstrates the appropriateness of the title for the work that he has written.
I also enjoyed the strong female characters (who were not “forced” into their roles) as much as I appreciated the vulnerability of the male characters.
Felipe Pacheco, the narrator, did an excellent job relating the story to the listener. It was very easy to follow him through the changing roles of the characters.
To the future listeners of Abicus Blues - enjoy this well-written and well-narrated tale!

Amazing!

A novel that keeps your attention since the beginning! It’s about the power of music , religion and simple love . Don’t be afraid of get in and travel inside this wonderful word!