Blue melody by J. D. Salinger. Short summary

5 seconds

Schoolboys Radford and Peggy lived in southern Tennessee. They were friends with the jazz singer Lydia-Louise. But when her appendix burst, no hospital wanted to admit the black woman.

1 minute

Radford and Peggy were high school juniors in a small Tennessee town. Both lovers of jazz, they used to run into Black Charles, the owner of a cheap diner. He was a brilliant improvising musician.

One day his niece, Lida-Louise, came to see him. The black girl sang blues, soul, and jazz enchantingly. Soon Lida-Louise became a local celebrity. Some producer took her to Memphis, but after a couple of months she returned to the town where Black Charles, Radford and Peggy lived.

Since the kids had become very friendly with her, Black Charles gave them a picnic. But there Lida-Louise had an attack of appendicitis. On Radford’s advice, she was taken to the best hospital in town. But there the black patient refused to be admitted. The same thing happened again at another hospital.

Black Charles took his niece to Memphis. But on the way, Lida-Louise died. All that was left was her records, which were always a success