Review by Brian Tanguay
In the early 1980s, before the consolidation of media ownership gathered steam, and well before the digital revolution completely altered the broadcast landscape, AM radio occupied a particular niche in the lives of Southern Californians, particularly those who spent hours commuting on gridlocked LA and Orange County freeways. News, weather, traffic, sports (Dodgers, Lakers, Bruins and Trojans!), and the saccharin sounds of Top 40 music created a distinct soundtrack.
Radio helped establish the vibe. Competition for listeners was intense. DJ personalities were large and influential. Gimmicks, giveaways and contests were as common as the sound of the region’s two legendary sports broadcasters, Vin Scully of the Dodgers and Chick Hearn of the Lakers.
In The Mighty Six-Ninety (690), Alexander Hamilton Cherin brings time and place to life for a cast of working-class characters who become obsessed with a radio contest, a $50,000 giveaway to the listener who figures out a series of clues leading to the location of the buried dough. Each character has a different motivation for participating; the money is a way out, a new start, a clean slate or a way to impress.
The novel moves at a brisk clip, with short, punchy chapters and energetic prose. While the California dream is a bit faded and somewhat tarnished, there’s still nothing like a Malibu sunset or the hum around Dodger Stadium on game day. Cherin nails the atmosphere and I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for this bygone era.
