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Thelonious Rising
Over the hot tropical waters of West Africa a fitful breeze flung salt spray in the faces of fishermen. Storms are common in the Atlantic between June and November. Most weather disturbances falter and die, no sooner born than ended.
Wind blowing from the east six miles high may collide with wind blowing from the opposite direction, creating a shear that will decapitate a storm and rip it apart before an eye can solidify. Warm waters fuel a hurricane, but cold ocean currents can destroy the system before it gains strength.
For the moment, this particular disturbance has no name. Meteorologists say she is a tropical depression that should be watched, but five days east of Florida, with gale force winds, she is worthy of no more than a warning to seafaring ships. When winds reach hurricane force, they will dignify her with a name: Katrina.
Nine-year-old Thelonious Monk DeCay lives in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward with his grandmother. His mother dead and his father missing, Monk is determined to find his father.
With their harmonicas and bottle-cap taps, Monk and his best friend entertain the tourists in Jackson Square under the watchful eyes of eccentric historian Quinton Toussaint, who knows where to find Monk’s father.
Hurricane Katrina changes everything. Left homeless and alone after the storm, Monk befriends a deranged man and survives by sneaking across the rooftops and courtyards of the French Quarter, stealing food and supplies while hiding from both a murderer and the police.
In the midst of the storm and its aftermath, a woman Monk has never met appears in New Orleans with answers to his questions about his long-lost father.
Wind blowing from the east six miles high may collide with wind blowing from the opposite direction, creating a shear that will decapitate a storm and rip it apart before an eye can solidify. Warm waters fuel a hurricane, but cold ocean currents can destroy the system before it gains strength.
For the moment, this particular disturbance has no name. Meteorologists say she is a tropical depression that should be watched, but five days east of Florida, with gale force winds, she is worthy of no more than a warning to seafaring ships. When winds reach hurricane force, they will dignify her with a name: Katrina.
Nine-year-old Thelonious Monk DeCay lives in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward with his grandmother. His mother dead and his father missing, Monk is determined to find his father.
With their harmonicas and bottle-cap taps, Monk and his best friend entertain the tourists in Jackson Square under the watchful eyes of eccentric historian Quinton Toussaint, who knows where to find Monk’s father.
Hurricane Katrina changes everything. Left homeless and alone after the storm, Monk befriends a deranged man and survives by sneaking across the rooftops and courtyards of the French Quarter, stealing food and supplies while hiding from both a murderer and the police.
In the midst of the storm and its aftermath, a woman Monk has never met appears in New Orleans with answers to his questions about his long-lost father.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2011
17 people are currently reading
411 people want to read
About the author
Judith Richards
39 books24 followersBefore becoming a writer, Judith Richards was an actress, an animal trainer, and a carny hauling pig-iron, managing big rides on America's midways. Thelonious Rising, her sixth novel, reflects her lifelong love of music and fascination with the city of New Orleans. A Midwesterner gone South, Judith's marriage to author C. Terry Cline, Jr. first piqued her interest in writing. Since then, two of her six novels won the Alabama Library Association award for fiction, and Too Blue to Fly was nominated for the Lillian Smith Award. Her novel, Summer Lightning, has been in print since 1978, and has been read in 17 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
July 21, 2016
A stunning read. I felt like I was there in New Orleans with this wonderful little boy who I wanted to scoop up and bring home with me. I didn't want the story to end. I'd give this story 10 stars if I could.
May 6, 2022
I’ve had this book for probably 2-3 years and have started reading it multiple times without getting past the first chapter or two, and I truly don’t know how. This is simultaneously the most heartbreaking and heartwarming book I have ever read, and has moved up my list to #1 overall. Beautiful writing, a 10/10 must read for literally everyone.
September 5, 2014
Read Thelonious Rising completely, today. Wow...I can't begin to thank Judith Richards enough. I couldn't put the book down. I felt so entwined in her characters and have ran the gamut today in emotions. I've laughed and cried and felt so connected to her story. What a wonderful, gifted writer. WELL DONE!
September 9, 2014
One of the most beautiful books I've read. The characters are developed so well. I would recognize them walking the streets of New Orleans. Judith Richards took my emotions up and down. I laughed and cried through the whole book. This story touched my heart.
September 14, 2014
Absolutely riveting! I could not put it down. Monk is in my heart now.
November 14, 2022
Absolutely fabulous!! It is such an endearing story during such a devastating time in the history of our country, especially Louisiana. The little nine year old, THELONIOUS, is a brave and spry boy. His heart is as big as the earth and his goal is to support his friends, survive his losses, and meet his imprisoned father. It Is such a journey for him and as the reader gets through this book, it becomes obvious that this is historic fiction. While the characters and story may be made up, the struggle that people endured during the aftermath of Katrina is so eloquently captured in this book. Read it! You will want to adopt little MONK!!
July 29, 2018
I loved this book. I’ve recommended it to tons of people and they all love it, too. It’s a great story with wonderful characters set in fabulous New Orleans. It’s well-paced but ends all too soon. Don’t miss out on this one.
March 4, 2022
This was simply a great read. Great characters and the Katrina backdrop was well done. Not artsy, just excellent storytelling.
March 5, 2023
Such an amazing book! I highly recommend.
September 17, 2014
Thelonius Rising is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it. I became completely caught up in the drama, and particularly the love between Thelonious and his doomed grandmother.
Against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina, Judith Richards has brought to life a host of fascinating characters, particularly Thelonoius, nicknamed "Monk", who drives the book with his love and his quest to meet his father. Richards has tapped in to all it means to be human: love between the generations, and between man and woman, race, sexual orientation, mental illness, crimes, humor, spirituality, jazz, and childhood.
Richards brings the setting of New Orleans to life, as well. And gives the reader a close up look at what it was like to endure and survive that dreaded hurricane.
I had difficulty putting the book down when it was time to sleep at night. A wonderful read.
Against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina, Judith Richards has brought to life a host of fascinating characters, particularly Thelonoius, nicknamed "Monk", who drives the book with his love and his quest to meet his father. Richards has tapped in to all it means to be human: love between the generations, and between man and woman, race, sexual orientation, mental illness, crimes, humor, spirituality, jazz, and childhood.
Richards brings the setting of New Orleans to life, as well. And gives the reader a close up look at what it was like to endure and survive that dreaded hurricane.
I had difficulty putting the book down when it was time to sleep at night. A wonderful read.
October 11, 2014
I Can't say enough positive things about this book. Judith Richards has captured me with her story. It is a MUST READ book. The reader is lured into Thelonious's world and is most happy to stay.
I would LOVE to see this written into a screen play as there are wonderful characters and being set in New Orleans it would be a winner!
I would LOVE to see this written into a screen play as there are wonderful characters and being set in New Orleans it would be a winner!
March 21, 2017
A magical book with a colorful cast of characters. The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and the Ninth Ward are brought to life. This novel delved into the characters lives, heartbreak, death and hope. I could not put this book down!
September 23, 2014
A powerful story that you can't put down.
October 13, 2021
I Loved this book! Only giving it 4 stars because a) I'm stingy with stars and b) the writing put me off in the beginning (more on that later).
When my friend, Debbie, and I went to Page & Palette in Fairhope last month, we spent 5 hours at the bookstore. That may seem like a lot to some, but it is typical for me at this, the best book store in the world! To be fair, we stayed at least an hour and a half to listen to the blue grass band they had playing that night (they were really good!). While we were listening, we struck up a conversation with a couple of women seated next to us. One of them was the author of this book and she was delightful.
Her book had been on my “to read” list for a while and meeting the author spurred me to buy it right then and there. If you enjoy Southern literature, you will enjoy this book. It is about a 9 year old boy, living in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward with his grandmother. They have little money, but lots of love. Thelonious was named after the famous American jazz pianist, Thelonious Monk. Everyone except his Grandma calls him Monk.
Thelonious and his buddy make money by dancing in the streets with bottle caps on their shoes while playing harmonicas. Though poor, they are happy. That is, until Hurricane Katrina comes along and turns Monk’s world upside down. Homeless and an orphan, Monk wonders more and more about where his Daddy is and why he doesn’t love him. He decides he is going to save all the money he earns and go look for his Daddy. Monk befriends a deranged man and, together, they climb balconies and roofs, stealing food from wherever they can find it. After witnessing a murder, Monk is hiding from both the killer and the police and things are really rough until a strange woman comes to town who claims to know something about his father.
In the beginning, the writing put me off a bit because she tends to write in short sentences. There were so many places where I thought the rhythm of the prose could have been improved by the addition of a few commas to join related thoughts into one sentence. After a while, this ceased to distract me and, towards the middle of the book, she seemed to have discovered more punctuation marks than just a period.
The characters in this book become familiar and endearing quickly. From sweet Monk himself, to his flamboyant friend and mentor Quinton Toussaint and “crazy” Jon, you will enjoy getting to know and rooting for all of them. New Orleans comes alive in this book and, if you have ever been there, you will recognize street names and restaurants and you will feel the heartbeat of that great and unique city. I recommend you pick it up and enjoy it!
When my friend, Debbie, and I went to Page & Palette in Fairhope last month, we spent 5 hours at the bookstore. That may seem like a lot to some, but it is typical for me at this, the best book store in the world! To be fair, we stayed at least an hour and a half to listen to the blue grass band they had playing that night (they were really good!). While we were listening, we struck up a conversation with a couple of women seated next to us. One of them was the author of this book and she was delightful.
Her book had been on my “to read” list for a while and meeting the author spurred me to buy it right then and there. If you enjoy Southern literature, you will enjoy this book. It is about a 9 year old boy, living in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward with his grandmother. They have little money, but lots of love. Thelonious was named after the famous American jazz pianist, Thelonious Monk. Everyone except his Grandma calls him Monk.
Thelonious and his buddy make money by dancing in the streets with bottle caps on their shoes while playing harmonicas. Though poor, they are happy. That is, until Hurricane Katrina comes along and turns Monk’s world upside down. Homeless and an orphan, Monk wonders more and more about where his Daddy is and why he doesn’t love him. He decides he is going to save all the money he earns and go look for his Daddy. Monk befriends a deranged man and, together, they climb balconies and roofs, stealing food from wherever they can find it. After witnessing a murder, Monk is hiding from both the killer and the police and things are really rough until a strange woman comes to town who claims to know something about his father.
In the beginning, the writing put me off a bit because she tends to write in short sentences. There were so many places where I thought the rhythm of the prose could have been improved by the addition of a few commas to join related thoughts into one sentence. After a while, this ceased to distract me and, towards the middle of the book, she seemed to have discovered more punctuation marks than just a period.
The characters in this book become familiar and endearing quickly. From sweet Monk himself, to his flamboyant friend and mentor Quinton Toussaint and “crazy” Jon, you will enjoy getting to know and rooting for all of them. New Orleans comes alive in this book and, if you have ever been there, you will recognize street names and restaurants and you will feel the heartbeat of that great and unique city. I recommend you pick it up and enjoy it!
July 5, 2018
Thelonious Rising is an honest and emotional tale of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love. Hurricane Katrina created a disaster that I watched on the news from the comfort of my living room, without understanding the deep human impact it made on the people of New Orleans. Thelonious, a nine year old biracial child, gave me that insight. Throughout the book, Thelonious takes the reader on a ride of tragedy, hope, and sheer determination to survive through vivid description of New Orleans before and after Katrina,and honest characters who allowed me to experience the societal impact of racism and the power of individual love that overcomes. The book is honest, it is beautiful, it is necessary.
December 31, 2025
My mom and I sometimes take mini getaways to visit our favorite bookstore (Page and Palette in Fairhope, AL) when I visit her. We spend hours at the store and pick up some great reads. My mom picked this one up and then on a different trip there, wound up meeting the author. This moved her to finally read the book she bought among her stacks. I likely wouldn't have picked it up had my mom not encouraged me to do so. And I am so glad I did. Great characters, vibrant (though not overdone) descriptions of New Orleans, great story. Definitely recommend.
December 13, 2021
Thank you to whomever placed this fabulous read in the little "take one leave one library box" on Magnolia in downtown Auburn, AL!! This novel is amazing, engaging, and dreadful but enlightening and hopeful. It involves Hurricane Katrina in a personal way ... exceptionally so!!!
I had never read Judith Richards and was instantly enmeshed in her well developed characters and the fascinating storyline. It is my hope to read her published work in its entirety.
I had never read Judith Richards and was instantly enmeshed in her well developed characters and the fascinating storyline. It is my hope to read her published work in its entirety.
August 24, 2021
As others have said, this is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. I fell in love with the characters and the story and the portrayal of a city that I have always loved, New Orleans. The writing is beautiful, and the story Is wonderful. I couldn’t put the book down, and didn’t want the story to end.
August 10, 2017
I thought this was a good book. I was excited to read the end and read it very quickly. But I don't feel like it's something that will stick with me. I don't give out 5 stars very often but this was good and I would totally recommend it to others!
November 8, 2018
I couldn't put this one down! Judith Richards weaves a story of characters in New Orleans in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina, and take us into the storm and beyond. I've recommended this book to everyone!
September 23, 2019
Engaging to read and well written.. it takes place in New Orleans during the time of hurricane Katrina. Young boy who lives with his maternal grandmother. His parents are well-known white musician father and black jazz singing mother..
May 2, 2023
(4.8)
I am begging everyone to read this book. No other book I have read can compare to this story's heartwarming moments and devastation. Shout out to Emily for this AMAZING book recommendation. It did not disappoint
I am begging everyone to read this book. No other book I have read can compare to this story's heartwarming moments and devastation. Shout out to Emily for this AMAZING book recommendation. It did not disappoint
October 23, 2016
Set during hurricane katrina and her aftermath is a wonderful story of a nine year old mixed boy.
A great read and hearttouching in many ways.
A great read and hearttouching in many ways.
March 13, 2018
Beautiful book. Loved the characters.
March 18, 2018
All the feels. Definitely worth the read.
March 21, 2021
Powerful book. Written from the perspective of a child after Hurricane Katrina.
November 28, 2021
Loved it!! What a colorful, emotional, heart wrenching, and beautiful story. Could not put it down! Highly recommend.
February 27, 2022
Absolutely the best book I have read about Katrina. I was fully invested in the characters, they were relatable, the story lines were tragic but also believable.
December 4, 2022
Touching.
August 10, 2025
Fantastic book. Our entire book club loved it. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews