Songs in Ursa Major

3.25 stars. I enjoyed the story and trips down memory lane (to the author the 1970s are history, to me they are my childhood). Brodie admits that the novel is very loosely based on Joni Mitchell and James Taylor's love affair, and it's fun to spot the other real-life stand-ins (Carole King, Carly Simon) and remember the days when the “Laurel Canyon sound” was so popular. The sexism that Jane faces from the male-dominated music industry feels authentic, and the close relationships that she has with her aunt, cousin, and grandmother are a welcome contrast.

The book feels like a debut novel in some ways, especially in the author's puzzling choice to occasionally jump into the point of view of random secondary characters, which kept me from feeling fully invested in Jane. And although he is supposed to be a charismatic, brilliant singer-songwriter, Jesse's drug addiction overshadows the rest of his personality, so Jane's attraction to him isn't totally convincing.

I'm a sucker for novels about musicians, so I was predisposed to enjoy this one, despite the weaknesses. YMMV if you don't still get chills when hearing “Fire and Rain.”