Praise for ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’
— Marshall Moore, ‘Atticus Review’
"[Hallberg's] writing evokes the linguistic richness of South: the indirectness, the elisions, the regionalisms, the steel behind the kindness. Hallberg acknowledges the entrenched problems of the region—racism, religiosity, a propensity for irrationality—without necessarily putting them front and center. This is the work of a writer who knows her craft well." Read the full review here.
— from Just Backdated, a blog by Chris Charlesworth, famed Rock journalist and, at Pete Townshend’s request, compiler and co-producer of The Who’s 4 CD-boxed set ‘30 Years of Maximum R&B’
“. . . a rather spooky tale which, like the aura surrounding Led Zeppelin and their music, strays into areas of mysticism, tarot cards and scary things that happen at night beneath a full moon, with screeching owls and old men who stoop like the wood-gathering hermit on the cover of Led Zeppelin IV.” Read the full review here.
—Jeff Fleischer, ‘Foreword Reviews’
“ ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ is a powerful coming-of-age story in which an orphaned girl tries to make sense of her difficult circumstances.” Read the full review here.
—George Hovis, author of ‘The Skin Artist’
“ ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ explores the dangerous magic that arises when pop culture is mixed with traditional folkways in the rural South. From power chords to delicate noodling of our heart’s innermost strings, Hallberg’s debut demonstrates breathtaking range.”
—Meagan Lucas, author of ‘Songbirds & Stray Dogs’
“Steeped in rock and roll lore, ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ is the coming-of-age tale of a motherless daughter making sense of her grief, and finding the strength to save herself from the flood of loss that threatens to wash her future away. Hallberg's prose is sumptuous and rich with detail, and readers will fall in love with tenacious Luna. ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ is a heartbreaking and hopeful debut.”
—Dalia Chf, OnlineBookClub.org
“I can honestly say that I liked everything about this story. I have zero complaints. I have to give a big shout-out to Melissa Connell, the narrator of the audiobook. Her voice was soothing and expressive. She was definitely the perfect choice for this type of emotional narration. Plus, her American and British accents were top-notch!.” Read the full review here.
— ‘Kirkus Reviews’
"In this debut novel, a young woman’s search for details about her dead mother leads her to a guitar hero. . . . The novel is strangely gripping, and fans of Led Zeppelin, in particular, will enjoy how the author has woven the band’s mythology through Luna’s odyssey. . . . An intriguing but brooding coming-of-age tale." Read the full review here.
—Taylor Herperger, Taylor On a Trip
“At times as soft and poetic as ‘Going to California’ or ‘The Rain Song’, and other times as raunchy and full of angst as ‘Black Dog’ and ‘The Lemon Song’, ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ is a coming-of-age tale that, whether you’re a die-hard Led Zeppelin fan or not, will take you back into your sharp and inquisitive adolescence.” Read the full review here.
—Jeff Jackson, author of ‘Destroy All Monsters: The Last Rock Novel’
“ ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ is an intoxicating journey into the secret world that lies hidden inside certain songs, a place of illicit promises, shifting identities, and unlikely personal connections. Hallberg’s story unfolds with lyrical poise and thrums with the feral heart of the best rock and roll.”
—Liz, the Boho Book Blogger on Instagram
“A heartbreaking and beautiful tale of a young woman’s experience digging into the story of her mother through music. . . . All the flashbacks of Luna and her mother really give so much perspective and were powerful moments. I feel the mesh of music and connection was extremely well done and if you love stories where characters go on a journey to find truths this is definitely for you.”
—Martha Southgate, author of ‘Third Girl From The Left’
"You don't have to love Led Zeppelin to have a whole lotta love for Christy Alexander Hallberg's gorgeous rock and roll fantasy. ‘Searching For Jimmy Page’ will speak to anyone who has ever loved--truly loved--someone they know only from the posters on their walls and the music that speaks to their very soul."
—Jessamyn Violet, 5-Star Amazon Review
“Rich with soul, passion, and decorated by history and fan facts all about Led Zeppelin, this is an emotional tale of the daughter of a lost soul of the 70s. One who desperately wants to believe there is more to her backstory than she's been told. And so she goes searching in all the wrong places to figure out more about herself and her past. I laughed and I cried; I felt all the feels and I learned a lot along the way as well. With an unforgettable voice, the narrator leads us down her own winding coming-of-age journey. I couldn't put this book down.”
—D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, ‘Midwest Book Review’
“Luna's journey to reveal family secrets, a better sense of self, and the impact of musical and cultural influences on all their lives brings readers into a close examination of music, spirituality, suicide, and a foray into musician Jimmy Page's life. The revelations are anything but staid and often emerge unexpectedly, backed by the care Christy Hallberg takes to capture the sights, smells, sounds, and feelings of these times and people.” Read the full review here.
—Fred Chappell, former Poet Laureate of North Carolina and winner of the Bollingen Prize in Poetry, Aiken Taylor Prize, T. S. Eliot Prize
“I congratulate you on your talented invention, your unbreakable grasp of character, and your ability to bring off a story that feels at first unlikely and then inevitable.”
—Alice Osborn, ‘Main Street Rag’
"You don't need to be a Led Zeppelin fan to appreciate the mythology of the band's history--this is a gripping story for anyone who has traveled far from home seeking answers to where the pain usually begins: at home. . . . Hallberg does an extraordinary job through her dreamlike prose in shaping the many layers of grief, while making Luna and the other characters flawed and real."
—Frye Gaillard, The Alabama Writers’ Forum
“With her new novel, ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’, Christy Alexander Hallberg takes her place as one of the bright new stars in Southern fiction. She has given us a coming-of-age story based on a premise that could have fallen anywhere between sad cliché and literary page turner. In Hallberg’s deft and confident hands, it is most assuredly the latter. . . . The writing itself is part of what sets this novel apart: haunting, ironic, lyrical, lovely.”
—Sue’s Musings
“The author does a fantastic job of setting the scene and time in which Luna’s story takes place, weaving in mentions of Led Zeppelin songs and albums, tarot cards, magic mushrooms, tie dyed clothing, Formica tables and beanbag chairs to help you easily visualize the world she describes. . . . I highly recommend this moving story to lovers of coming of age stories, troubled teens finding themselves despite complicated family situations, fans of Led Zeppelin music and ‘80s nostalgia.” Read the full review here.
—Rob Errera, ‘IndieReader’
“Hallberg’s masterful storytelling skills are further elevated by her beautifully crafted prose. Flowery language can pull readers out of a story’s flow, but Hallberg uses it to deftly draw readers deeper into the mystique of Led Zeppelin at the height of the band’s power. ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ is woven through with Zeppelin mythology that fans of the band will love. But it’s Luna’s humanity and heartbreak that ultimately strikes a chord and resonates with readers.” Read the full review here.
—Kim Wright, author of ‘Last Ride to Graceland’, winner of the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction
“Multi-generational secrets, the semi-mystical music of Led Zeppelin, and the tidal pull of a Southern family combine to create literary magic in Christy Alexander Hallberg’s ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’. Luna Kane, a troubled but determined young orphan, believes she is undertaking a journey to learn the truth about her father, but along the way she gains deeper insights about her long-lost mother and finds not merely Jimmy Page, but herself. A beautifully written and engaging first novel.”
—Landis Wade, host of Charlotte Readers Podcast and author of ‘The Christmas Courtroom Trilogy’
“Christy Hallberg’s ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ is a musical mystery where the author’s melodious writing throws her troubled teenage heroine, Luna Kane, headlong into the pulsing beat of a bygone Rock N Roll era. Luna’s search for the father she never knew begins in a trance and ends with enlightenment, and like any good coming of age tale, the story proves that the lyrics of life, like those of Rock N Roll, are sometimes unexplainable.”
—Lee Zacharias, author of ‘What a Wonderful World This Could Be’
“ ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ is not fan fiction, though it is a must-read for Led Zeppelin fans. It's also a must-read for followers of literary fiction, a coming-of-age novel that is grounded in a real world but heeds omens and takes fanciful flights. It's a beautifully written book that doesn't quote Zeppelin lyrics but inhabits them, that takes its essential spirit from them, from owls that cry and rivers that run dry, and explores what it means to discover who you are after a long search full of painful questions and doubt. It is difficult to transcribe one art—visual or musical—into another, especially for a writer, who is always tempted merely to describe, but Christy Alexander Hallberg captures the spirit of the music that compels Luna Kane to search not just for her father but also the mother she lost much too young—the spirit of longing, of the unrequited, and of the need to leave that the lyrics of rock and country music nearly always express—here specifically the music of Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page, in this haunting novel that is one of the most exciting small press books to be released this fall. I loved it.”
—Sneha Jaiswal, host of Abstract AF website and podcast
“It’s an impressive debut book that’s set in the 1980s, about eighteen-year-old Luna Kane, who finds herself asking questions about her dead mother and the identity of a father she never knew. . . . The book almost reads like a non-fiction memoir, which is a compliment to the author for spinning a tale that is steeped in reality and the Rock n’ Roll era of the 60s/70s. For fans, this would come across as a fitting tribute to the legacy of Led Zepellin [sic], and for non-fans, it creates a strong sense of intrigue – you feel the need to know more about these rock Gods who held so much sway on their followers and the ‘groupie’ culture. . . . ‘Searching for Jimmy Page’ is a coming-of-age tale, that artfully mixes music, poetry, travel and memories.” Read the full review here.
