Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Dear readers, should you choose to step into the pages of this book and experience the stories of these characters and the journey of the beautiful 1905 ebonized Blüthner piano, you should be assured you are in the hands of a virtuoso. I can’t recall the last time I read a story that was so beautifully rendered that I felt as though I experienced every emotion from the highest C to the lowest A on the keyboard. And then there was the silence which contained some of the most profound revelations of all. I don’t know how to express my feelings about this book because, like Clara, I don’t have the music in my head and words alone seem somehow inadequate. This book deserves your time and attention and hopefully will reward you, as it did me, with a memorable reading experience
Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. I absolutely loved this story. This book has alternating timelines starting off in Russia in the 20th Century and Katya who plays the piano and. The second timeline is current times on the west coast with Clara who owns a piano that her father gave to her just days before he died and she has traveled with ever since. The way everything everything came together at the end was quite good. Each chapter kept me wanting to read more and more. The character development was strong and the symbolism of the Piano was written perfectly. I wish only the best for the future of Clara, I wish I could meet her. .
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first chapter was lovely. The rest of the book felt like it was written from a 14 year old’s perspective on how life, adulthood, and romance works.
I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway. The plot sounded interesting so I was excited when I won a copy. The first chapter quickly drew me in. There are two stories unfolding, set roughly 20-25 years apart. I was a little started when one of the main characters, described as shy and a virgin, goes home with a complete stranger and sleeps with him (I’m not ruining the story). I’m no prude, but it just happens so quickly and didn’t seem realistic. Each storyline jumps back and forth in time, yet there never really seems to be any character development. As each story progresses, each got more and more predictable and I began to lose interest in where the plot was headed. In the end, this novel just wasn’t for me.
Two families and a piano which they have at different times owned form the basis of the story. What happens to them and what happens to the piano. Despite its strong start, the book felt rushed. I found it hard to believe the actions or motivations of the characters and struggled to care about them at all.
Two stories alternate in this book. One is the story of a woman in Russia who loves her piano and has to leave it behind when she goes to live in America. The other is the story of a woman in California who hesitates to get involved with others because she was orphaned at a young age. She, too, owns a piano, given to her by her father before his death, but it is a piano she has never learned to play.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
This book felt like it must have been written collaboratively, with authors who are good writers (some of the parts about the piano) and bad writers (the parts about the relationships). Story events happened randomly and in an unbelievable way, and the final ending, which I'd held out hope for satisfaction with the disjointed parts, was especially disappointing.
I received a Goodreads message yesterday, warning me that this reader had found this book to be far short of the positive buzz it has been receiving. If only I'd received this message before I was a hundred pages in.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
This book felt like it must have been written collaboratively, with authors who are good writers (some of the parts about the piano) and bad writers (the parts about the relationships). Story events happened randomly and in an unbelievable way, and the final ending, which I'd held out hope for satisfaction with the disjointed parts, was especially disappointing.
I received a Goodreads message yesterday, warning me that this reader had found this book to be far short of the positive buzz it has been receiving. If only I'd received this message before I was a hundred pages in.
Definitely more of a strong 3.5 star. It's very good and I did enjoy my time reading it - the two main female characters have excellent stories to tell, but it was Katya's that was strongest for me. It was the ending where it fizzled out a bit. I'll admit to being taken more by Cander's [b:Whisper Hollow|22318562|Whisper Hollow|Chris Cander|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1418146298s/22318562.jpg|41711724], but still thought this one a very good read. The title is a really great one and is excellently named for it is the piano that ties the two women together and its importance of it that carries great weight for both.
emotional
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes