Eric Miles Williamson has collected glowing critical praise for this novel, which Newsday hailed as "exceptional" and "a remarkable literary debut". East Bay Grease is an authentic look at surviving an impoverished and neglected childhood by whatever means necessary.
In late 1960s Oakland, young T-Bird Murphy's life is more miserable and frightening than most kids can imagine. His mother spends her time with the local Hell's Angels, drenched in alcohol and drugs. His father is a volatile ex-con. Struggling in a community plagued by gang violence and racial feuding, T-Bird picks up a trumpet and finds solace in the soulful wailing of jazz music.
This powerful novel pulls no punches, offering a rare glimpse into a world typically ignored. Narrator Johnny Heller beautifully captures the transformation of T-Bird from a scared kid into a confident, trumpet-blowing young man.