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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
I’m sure that this will be my favorite book of the year, and it’s only February! Cander’s storytelling is sublime. Her ability to write about many subjects - here, classical music, piano craftsmanship, Death Valley, and auto mechanics- imbues this marvelous novel with an authenticity that makes the characters and settings shine. Order his book now and set aside time in your schedule to read it. You will be compelled to follow Katya and Clara on their intertwining journeys until the very last page.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Was planning on giving this three stars when THAT happened but the ending definitely made up for it so now it gets four stars from me.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Since I've been reading dense non fiction lately, I decided to give myself a break with some good 'ol historical fiction. I was intrigued by the synopsis from the moment I read it, but after seeing that Cander was a fellow Houstonian, I had to get my hands on it. As a book polygamist, It is rare that I start and finish a book in one go. But let me say, this book was one of the rare ones.
SYNOPSIS
This masterpiece follows the multi-decade timeline of Katya and Clara, both bound -emotionally and physically- to a Blüthner piano. Katya, a Russian immigrant in the 70’s, looses her beloved Blüthner piano during the move to the U.S. and now must navigate her abusive husband and precarious situation without the one thing that gives her joy. Clara is a modern day mechanic that moves around with her Blüthner from relationship to relationship, unable to let go of the only thing her father gave her before her parents tragic death. This story shows the emotional and physical weight the piano both women are unable to load, all while navigating through, abusive relationships, overcoming loss, and coming into ones own.
VERDICT
To start, Cander decides to tell her story from the perspective of her two leading ladies: Katya and Clara by alternating between them with the chapters. I really admired this move because just as I was ending one chapter, I would be left with a cliff hanger that I had to follow through the next two chapters to resolve. This format kept the story moving and kept both her characters fresh in your mind.
Next, I have to highlight her research: A+ all across the board. Since this books story relies on the Russian language, intense knowledge about pianos, and detailed mechanic lingo, Cander had to step up to the plate. Her readers could tell if she did not do this properly. But she went above and beyond, you could tell that her - and more importantly her characters - knew exactly what they were talking about. This level of research made her story a step above the rest.
Overall this book is a breath of fresh air. Cander's story telling, intense research, and character development transformed this historical link story into a heart wrenching path of coming into ones own.
SYNOPSIS
This masterpiece follows the multi-decade timeline of Katya and Clara, both bound -emotionally and physically- to a Blüthner piano. Katya, a Russian immigrant in the 70’s, looses her beloved Blüthner piano during the move to the U.S. and now must navigate her abusive husband and precarious situation without the one thing that gives her joy. Clara is a modern day mechanic that moves around with her Blüthner from relationship to relationship, unable to let go of the only thing her father gave her before her parents tragic death. This story shows the emotional and physical weight the piano both women are unable to load, all while navigating through, abusive relationships, overcoming loss, and coming into ones own.
VERDICT
To start, Cander decides to tell her story from the perspective of her two leading ladies: Katya and Clara by alternating between them with the chapters. I really admired this move because just as I was ending one chapter, I would be left with a cliff hanger that I had to follow through the next two chapters to resolve. This format kept the story moving and kept both her characters fresh in your mind.
Next, I have to highlight her research: A+ all across the board. Since this books story relies on the Russian language, intense knowledge about pianos, and detailed mechanic lingo, Cander had to step up to the plate. Her readers could tell if she did not do this properly. But she went above and beyond, you could tell that her - and more importantly her characters - knew exactly what they were talking about. This level of research made her story a step above the rest.
Overall this book is a breath of fresh air. Cander's story telling, intense research, and character development transformed this historical link story into a heart wrenching path of coming into ones own.
The weight of a piano is, well, heavy. It isn't easy to move a piano from place to place to say nothing of country to country. Blüthner pianos are among the finest made pianos in the world. We follow this one from its beginnings as a tree in Romania to its demise in Death Valley. There are two woman who own the piano over the years, Katya is a Russian who is given the piano at age 8. Clara is a 12 y.o. American girl whose father brings home this piano as an early birthday gift. How the piano gets from Russia to the U.S., from Katya to Clara is the story. It's also the story of what music means to us.
A lovely story across time about family, love, loss, and a piano.
This was not an exactly perfect novel for me but I loved it enough, and it made enough of an emotional impact, that I will just go ahead and give it a bump to 5 stars.
While it seems on the surface that this is a book about a piano (and it is), it is really a story about grief, letting go of the past, and our choice as humans to be happy or unhappy despite our circumstances. In all of the various characters throughout the past and present timelines, there are examples of people who make different choices as it relates to their past and their grief. Some cannot deal with it, and we see the damaging effects of that. Some try to pretend it doesn't exist, which obviously doesn't work. We also see people who choose to pursue happiness in the midst of difficult circumstances, sometimes to a positive and unfortunately, sometimes to a negative end. Every story is so painfully human and the grief and love both pour off the page. There were a couple scenes that I actually felt a painful twinge deep in my chest and tears sprang to my eyes as I was drawn into deep empathy for these characters. You watch them make questionable decisions, yet you love them anyway. They all carry this weight, this burden that is so perfectly embodied by the unwieldy bulk of this piano that plays a central part in the story. The closer I got to the end of this story, the more I was in awe of the use of the piano as a character, and as a deep metaphor for the experience of grief and carrying of burdens. I'm being intentionally vague because there are some twists and turns (some a bit predictable, I felt, but still impactful) that should remain unspoiled for the most compelling reading experience.
Really I just want to say, read this book! If you love stories with family drama, read this book! If you love stories about immigration, read this book! Musicians? Read this book! Dual timelines? Read this book! Female mechanics? (how dope is that?) Read this book! Read it!
While it seems on the surface that this is a book about a piano (and it is), it is really a story about grief, letting go of the past, and our choice as humans to be happy or unhappy despite our circumstances. In all of the various characters throughout the past and present timelines, there are examples of people who make different choices as it relates to their past and their grief. Some cannot deal with it, and we see the damaging effects of that. Some try to pretend it doesn't exist, which obviously doesn't work. We also see people who choose to pursue happiness in the midst of difficult circumstances, sometimes to a positive and unfortunately, sometimes to a negative end. Every story is so painfully human and the grief and love both pour off the page. There were a couple scenes that I actually felt a painful twinge deep in my chest and tears sprang to my eyes as I was drawn into deep empathy for these characters. You watch them make questionable decisions, yet you love them anyway. They all carry this weight, this burden that is so perfectly embodied by the unwieldy bulk of this piano that plays a central part in the story. The closer I got to the end of this story, the more I was in awe of the use of the piano as a character, and as a deep metaphor for the experience of grief and carrying of burdens. I'm being intentionally vague because there are some twists and turns (some a bit predictable, I felt, but still impactful) that should remain unspoiled for the most compelling reading experience.
Really I just want to say, read this book! If you love stories with family drama, read this book! If you love stories about immigration, read this book! Musicians? Read this book! Dual timelines? Read this book! Female mechanics? (how dope is that?) Read this book! Read it!