European industrial managers Book

I have had this one on my TBR list for so long. Keep checking it out from the library and sending it back, unread. I grabbed the audio, started listening....and when the narrator announced 'a book by Anne PRATCHETT' I had that uh oh moment.

John Nickel is a black man in the South (Memphis), who is an ex drummer playing Jazz music, and works in a bar as a night manager. He has a son that he wants to be with. His 'girlfriend' Marianne has his baby, but he's more into the bar, the music, partying...and taking her for granted. After the birth of the boy, he changes and want to marry her, but she wants no part of it. After some time, she moves to Miami and he struggles to keep his son in his life and wants more. John has changed over time. Then, one day a very young (too young to be working in a bar) white girl, Faye, walks into the bar to get a job as a waitress. John gives her a job and is drawn into her world. Her brother is constantly at the bar, he's a mess, dealing drugs, and John is drawn into his world. The lost their father, Taft, recently and John becomes 'obsessed' with detailing Taft's life. And I mean building elaborate details of his life. He feels something for these two and just wants to help them. John is drawn to Faye and she believes she has fallen in love with him. You just know this is going to end in a tragedy.

It was almost two different books here - one I found interesting (John's life) and one I found bizarre (John telling Taft's life). Had the story just focused more on John's life, it would have been much better. I had a feeling early on where this one was headed, but the ending....just odd. Despite the narrator not pronouncing the authors name properly, it was a pretty good narration. I've mentioned numerous times how I love to read Ann Patchett books and this one is no exception. It's one of her earlier books. Unfortunately, I think I liked this one the least. But I did like it. And now, on to my next book by this author.