From Songwriter to Novelist, Hank Is A Fan of Suzzy Roche

From a folk-rock legend comes a tender, comic story of family, music, and second chances. 

Mary Saint, the rule-breaking, troubled former lead singer of the almost-famous band Sliced Ham, has pretty much given up on music after the trauma of her band member and lover Garbagio's death seven years earlier. Instead, with the help of her best friend, Thaddeus, she is trying to piece her life together while making mochaccinos in San Francisco. Meanwhile, back in her hometown of Swallow, New York, her mother, Jean Saint, struggles with her own ghosts.

When Mary is invited to give a concert at her old high school, Jean is thrilled, though she's worried about what Father Benedict and her neighbors will think of songs such as "Sewer Flower" and "You're a Pig." But she soon realizes that there are going to be bigger problems when the whole town--including a discouraged teacher and a baker who's anything but sweet--gets in on the act.

Filled with characters that are wild and original, yet still familiar and warm--plus plenty of great insider winks at the music industry--Wayward Saints is a touching and hilarious look at confronting your past and going home again.

On her website, Roche says:
"I have always loved to read novels, but whatever drove me to sit down and write one is a mystery.   Through the years I’ve had a tendency to create poems and stories but they remained, for the most part, private.

I like to think of Wayward Saints as a fable. I wanted to write about faith and art, and how it manifests differently in everyone.  I also wanted to write about the absurdity and dangers of the music business, the consequences of violence, the power of forgiveness, and the possibility of the miraculous."

Hank says: 
"With the Roches retired from touring (hopefully not entirely from recording, or making an occasional appearance, but it's not up to me), Suzzy has taken on writing a novel. She's written some great song lyrics, and this extended effort was enjoyable to read. The overall tone is one of gentle fondness toward her characters' foibles, reminiscent of Armistead Maupin or Fannie Flagg, with more than a dash of profanity and good snarky humor for contrast. The story is about a 'Fifteen Minutes of Fame' musician, who is hoping to make at least some kind of comeback, starting in her hometown. The town, and her mother in particular, may not be quite ready for this!"