Music from Another World

Patti Smith says: ‘Personally [I] am not interested in people trying to pigeonhole me’. Tammy does not feel understood. The seventeen-year-old belongs to a strict, 1970s conservative Christian community who attempt to force her to be someone she is not. Solace is found in writing unposted letters to her hero, Harvey Milk, in whom she confides her biggest secret; Tammy is gay. The teen enrols in a pen-pal project and is matched with punk-loving San Franciscan, Sharon. Neither of them can believe their luck. Finally, someone understands.

Best-selling author Robin Talley treats her characters with more kindness than their repressive communities do. Talley does not pigeonhole the story’s protagonists but grants Tammy and Sharon the space, of which they have been starved, to breathe. The story is told exclusively through diary entries and letters. For the social media generation, this intimacy is reminiscent of direct messaging (or DMing). This narrative device brings an immediacy to the book, making it difficult to put down. We feel the characters’ unease as we await the next communication. Music from Another World is a book with a cinematic quality. The soundtrack is Patti Smith, Blondie and Bowie. Scenes are set in feminist bookshops, punk shows, and protest marches. It’s an empowering read with a powerful message; if you don’t fit in, why not stand out!

Brigid O’Dea, teen reviewer