Book Review: Accordion Crimes

I finished reading Accordion Crimes tonight, by Annie Proulx, author of The Shipping News. It was recommended to me by friends who know I'm crazy for accordions. I would say the book is about the immigrant experience in America. It follows a green accordion, hand-made in Sicily on a cross-cultural tour through America. I liked some of the individual stories, but mostly, I found that just as I was becoming involved with the characters and their lives, the author kills them off, dryly, in a few lines. I would have much preferred that she explored any one of the stories fully. I think it would have said much more than the broad, sampling approach Proulx attempted in Accordion Crimes. The accordion is a symbol throughout the book as an instrument of the old ways, of cultures dead or dying. She researched well, and brought the details of the various musical traditions to life, and I really enjoyed that....but ultimately, the book left me wanting. It is a decent read, worth picking up, especially if you are interested in cultural histories in North America. Don't expect a great novel.