Historical Fiction: Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Sometimes there are books that we all instantly know are going to be popular, but that does not mean we are going to be interested in reading them. That was certainly me when it came to Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It was getting rave reviews before it came out, and readers have been discussing it since. I simply was not sure if I wanted to read a book that reads like an episode of VH1's Behind the Music. But when you find something like this at Half Price Books, and it is actually half price instead of being a new publication that is only marked down by 20%, you gotta go for it.

The Situation: Billy and Graham Dunne are still in their teens when they begin collecting other members for a band. With Billy as the front man and Graham on lead guitar, their six-member band begins to gain more and more attention, all resulting in the group landing a record deal, as well as some terrible backstage habits. The guys (and the one girl) are living the 1970s rock star dream of getting any drug you want, always having enough to drink, and taking whoever you want to bed. But none of them go as hard as Billy, whose addictions are bad enough for him to miss the birth of his first daughter, as well as the first six months of her life. His wife Camila gives him another chance, and he kicks the habits, cuts out the partying, and focuses on the music, all of which Daisy Jones should also do. And when she meets The Six, no one, not even her, could have known what the next few years would bring.

The Problem: Even as a gorgeous girl with an incredible voice who has never had to seriously work for anything in her life, Daisy is a train wreck. Needing both alcohol and drugs to operate in her daily life, she is a clear threat to Billy's sobriety. Out of his love and dedication to Camila and their growing family, he stays as far away from Daisy as possible. Also, he can't stand her, and the feeling is mutual. But it is undeniable that Daisy can sing, and she can certainly put a song together. Before she was introduced to the band, songwriting and singing lead were Billy's areas, with very little input from anyone else. And when Daisy refuses to back down, and the studio agrees that the band needs her, Billy has no choice but to push aside his ego and pride. If that was all there was to it, Daisy Jones & The Six quite possibly would have endured past that fateful performance in July of 1979. As with many musical groups, the issues between the two leads are not the only things going on behind the scenes.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set during the 1970s rock scene. Daisy Jones & The Six is not a real band, but the author certainly treats it like one, setting the book up as a beginning-to-end account of an iconic rock group. Assuming the (mostly) unseen interviewer is asking the questions and arranging the information, the different band members, in addition to Camila, the manager, the producer, a few journalists, etc., give their accounts of what happened all those years ago when Daisy Jones & The Six made their climb up the charts, making rock history while struggling to hold everything together. The story is told in a straightforward, chronological manner, but some facts remain nebulous as different band members remember different things. Some of them are very sure about certain details, while others admit to the memories being hazy, and often two or more of them will be very sure of how something happened, while completely disagreeing on the details. What is clear is that Daisy and Billy had a hard time functioning together. She was a threat to his sobriety; he was controlling; she was too pushy; he could only write songs about his wife; she was used to being handed everything; he only though of it as his band; she never wore enough clothing; and on and on it went. Reid has a created a band history in the same vein as Fleetwood Mac and The Mamas and The Papas, and it makes sense that there are already plans to turn the book into a web series.

My Verdict: I was skeptical, of course, as to whether or not I would like it. But Reid had me almost from the beginning with both the format and the style. I have personally only seen a handful of documentaries on musicians, and while they all have their fair amount of drama, it can often be easy to predict what the arc of the narrative is going to be. Reid somehow cuts down the predictability, and much like with the real stories, readers will eagerly wait for the secrets to come pouring out, somewhat desperate to know how it all went down, who said what, and who wronged who. I was super pleased that the story did not go down the usual trail, while still presenting a tale that is dramatic, tense, and incredibly fascinating. It cannot be easy to write a story where a fallout is clearly coming, and keep readers curious to see how it is going to happen, and have them be surprised when it does. It took me back  to when my brother was a subscriber to Rolling Stone magazine, but never actually read it, so I would take the issues for myself. Though it is fiction, I do recommend it to lovers of even long form nonfiction about the 1960s-70s rock era.

Favorite Moment: When Simone, Daisy's best friend, basically travels halfway around the world to track Daisy down.  

Favorite Character: Camila Dunne is exactly the kind of woman that could turn a man like Billy Dunne around. She is tough, kinda pushy, pretty bossy, and super stubborn. But that is what Billy needs, and it is also what he loves. Somehow, she decides to commit to Billy no matter what, and have faith that he will always come back to her. It is rarely easy, but she sticks with it, and sticks with him.

Recommended Reading: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah is an interesting look at the challenging task of making a life in a remote town in Alaska. And it is a task made even more difficult for a small family when the father struggles with alcoholism.