The Rise of the Mad March

by

Robert Espenscheid, Jr.

The birth of a punk rock band, where the music is the thing, but love and family are the results.

The Rise of the Mad March by Rober Espenscheid, Jr., is the story of the making, life, and times of a scrappy, groundbreaking punk rock band in early 1970s Iowa. Henry Hollins had sworn to himself that if he got out of Vietnam in one piece, he would follow his heart and pursue a musical career, but it wasn't until a chance meeting with two young female felons at a state-run halfway house for offenders that he would find his path to fulfill his dream. 

While the narrative follows Henry Hollins's journey, it is truly an ensemble tale as he builds his band with three talented young women, a novelty even today. Individually, each of his new band members has a tragic backstory, but together, they find the support and family they need to heal. Just like any family, they don't always see eye-to-eye, and there are some epic disagreements. But they always return to each other with love. 

The plot tells the story of the band's formation, early days, and eventual success. I was surprised by how much work went into getting them to a point where they could take the stage to perform in front of a live audience. One of my favorite storylines was about the significant impact a seasoned sound engineer can have on the success of a live gig. Several serendipitous encounters of this type made all the difference in the band's trajectory. The relationships among the band members were very fluid, but they ultimately formed into a family, which gave the women a place of safety, love, and trust where they could finally heal from the traumas they had experienced in their pasts. However, neither their safe place nor the band's success prevents life from throwing the members another curveball. 

The story is easy to read except for one issue I encountered. I did have some trouble with the flow of the dialogue. Early on, the exchanges between characters felt choppy; the replies didn't quite align with what the characters were responding to at the time. This was particularly true of discussions between Henry and his wife, Esther. Sometimes, I couldn't really understand what she meant. Still, I was riveted to the story until the very last page. 

I recommend THE RISE OF THE MAD MARCH to readers of historical fiction, especially those with an interest in the music industry and punk rock bands. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.