Sophia loves watching her emotional, but somehow distant mother, Naomi, sing at the Blue Angel. For years, Naomi has dreamed of fame and a chance to make something of herself in spite of all life's hardships. Together, they must deal with their relationship as it grows in both strength and despair while they battle the stress of a not-so-glamourous life.

Full of touching prose, heartbreaking moments, and the exact feel of a slow and soulful song, LAST NIGHT AT THE BLUE ANGEL by Rebeca Rotert will have you up at all hours of the night thinking about two characters who can't fail to touch your heart. The alternating perspectives between Naomi and Sophia show how different and important perspective is as well as how complicated the relationship between mother and daughter can be. The crucial themes of learning how to love without barriers while navigating both the simplicity and complexity of everyday life and how to distinguish truth and trust in a world of agendas, vanity, and greed are absolutely mesmerizing and would be excellent for a group discussion.

What I love the most is the contrast between Sophia and her mom. On one hand, we have the story of a young woman who never quite fit in but whose love could embody a hundred songs. On the other, we have the story of a young girl just learning about the darkness of life while harboring the oldest sort of soul on the inside. Their relationship is far from perfect. It holds an emotional kind of distance, a fragile balance, and even a little neglect, but it also holds a powerful love worth fighting for.

Though the story leads up to the final night at the Blue Angel, don't be surprised if you find your mind returning there over and over after you finish the story. Rebecca Rotert has written a stunning novel of desperate beauty in LAST NIGHT AT THE BLUE ANGEL that will fit perfectly on shelves with Emma Donoghue and Jodi Picoult.