Soul Serenade is the memoir of pop music critic Rashod Ollison, whose love for soul music was fostered by his father, a disturbed Vietnam vet. After his parents' volatile marriage ended in divorce when Rashod was six years old, he retreated into the records his father left behind-discovering that the music of Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Al Green, and others provided solace and coherence. Soul Serenade is the captivating coming-of-age story of a boy who tries to makes sense of life in central Arkansas in the 1980s and '90s, his family's tragic past, and his sexuality, all through empowering soul music.