“It's romantic, it’s tragic, it’s funny, it’s sexy, and most importantly, it’s accurate.” - Noel Paul Stookey, Peter, Paul, and Mary
“A joyous celebration of folk musicians and their world.” - Booklist
"A gripping novel…it would be a very indifferent reader who doesn't become emotionally involved with Nathan, Kit, and their friends." - Penguin Eggs: Canada's Folk, Roots and World Music Magazine
“A wonderful window into the world of folk music, the dreams of an artist, and a reminder that what we want and what we need are rarely the same thing. A beautiful novel.” - Performing Songwriter Magazine
"The story is timeless as it expertly weaves through the characters' emotional labryinth ot talent, ambition, promise, and disappointment." - Brian O'Donovan, host, A Celtic Sojourn, NPR
There has never been a novel like this, a love story set in the subterranean world of modern folk music. Talented, charismatic songwriter Nathan Warren lost his chance at stardom years ago, and now sees his life as waste and ruin. Kit Palmer is young, beautiful, and explosively gifted, but her dreams are also doomed unless she can keep from falling apart on stage. They travel the Boston folk scene as lovers and artists, through basement clubs and funky jam sessions, rowdy open mikes and sprawling festivals, seeking stardom for one and redemption for the other.
Scott Alarik covered folk music in the Boston Globe for over 20 years. Pete Seeger calls him "one of the best writers in America" and the Library Journal called his first book, Deep Community: Adventures in the Modern Folk Underground, "an essential primer of the continuing folk revival." Alarik is also a singer-songwriter who toured the national folk circuit and performed regularly on A Prairie Home Companion.
"A terrific, cathartic, hard-to-put-down read." - Mark Moss, editor, Sing Out! The Folk Music Magazine
"A story of love, ambition, and artistic integrity... characters so believable that you want to go hear them in concert." - Catie Curtis, singer-songwriter
"I couldn't put it down... a beautifully told and totally beautiful love story wrapped around the inner-workings of the Folk Music business... I highly recommend this book, it's a great read." - Mary Gauthier, singer-songwriter
"A rich tale with believable characters and hard truths about the folk musician's life... a great read for both music fans and lovers of fiction." - Ellis Paul, singer-songwriter
"Just about the warmest, most nourishing book I've read. Such deep lessons in loving, and so well told; it sticks to me like a layer of skin. I wept with joy at its depth and clarity. A great book." - Gordon Bok, folksinger, songwriter
"Highly entertaining and informative." - Alison Brown, Grammy-winning musician and Compass Records founder.
"A moving story set in the modern trenches of the urban folk music world; beautifully painted. I highly recommend it." Tom Paxton, Grammy-winning songwriter.
"Finely wrought, emotionally gripping tale, told with great humor. Music lifts us up. So does Revival." - Si Kahn, songwriter, organizer, author
“A must-read for anyone passionate about the singer-songwriter world…Alarik creates well-rounded, beautifully flawed, deeply human characters that you can’t help but care about…I was particularly struck by Kit’s evolution as a performer. I’ve experienced that myself, and the author describes it perfectly.” Edie Carey, songwriter