Handmaidens of Rock
by
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The way his voice soared, intense and scratchy on the high notes, gave me shivers. I tried to make eye contact with him to prove I got the message.
And then it happened: he saw me. For a few moments he seemed to be preaching to me alone. His eyes strayed and then returned to me. He winked, as he had done in class. Obviously not a rejection, but impossible to know what it meant. I centered myself strategically before the stage and saw him nod. I would wait there for him, as long as it took to wrap up the show.
The wait became excruciating. After a quick “Good night, everybody!”, the band descended the stage to mingle with its instant devotees. Many got in between Preston and me. The girls were mostly empty-headed, giggly types. Failing to impress Preston, they moved on to Neal and Brad. A girl named Hope posed the biggest threat.
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About the Book
It is the late 1960s, and Jimi Hendrix is at the height of his career, America is undergoing political and social upheaval, and a rock and roll band is shaking the rafters of its suburban Maryland high school. As Preston, the founder and lead guitarist of Homegrown cranks out the tunes with keyboardist, Neal, and drummer, Brad, three girls appoint themselves as the band’s official groupies without any idea of what lies ahead for any of them.
After the band members sign with a management company and make the controversial decision to replace popular Brad with another drummer, they decide to pursue a dubious lead in England, accompanied by the girls who love them: Candy, an aspiring journalist; Hope, wannabe model and fashion designer; and Theda, a thespian with big dreams. As their journey takes them to Europe and back again, the girls—challenged by love rivals, partying lifestyles, and the growing stardom of the musicians—remain determined not to be mere “handmaidens of rock.” But it is not until Brad embarks on a vengeful quest at a festival that the three finally have the opportunity to prove their worth as grown women.
Handmaidens of Rock is the compelling tale of three high-school girls who attach themselves to a rock and roll band in the late 1960s and embark on a wild adventure across the world.
About the Author
Linda Gould is a career bureaucrat. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Western Maryland College and a master’s degree in political science from American University in Washington, DC. Linda is the author of Secretarial Wars, The Rock Star’s Homecoming, and Let’s Play Ball, and lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.