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mbladams 's review for:
Symphony of Secrets
by Brendan Slocumb
Brendan Slocumb's first book, The Violin Conspiracy, was one of my favorite books of last year. He doesn't disappoint with his second book, Symphony of Secrets.
Dr. Bern Hendricks is a professor of music and a former Delaney Foundation Kid. He adores the music of Frederick Delaney, and feels he owes the Delaney Foundation so much for helping him and kids like him, from disadvantaged backgrounds, to experience music, take lessons, and be successful.
When the Delaney Foundation contacts Bern and asks him to work on a secret project, he jumps at the opportunity. He is given an office and access to the lost score to RED, the final opera in Delaney's Ring Quintet. He can't believe his luck. He recruits an old friend, Eboni, to handle the computer analysis of the scores. Bern and Eboni discover some Delaney Doodles on the score, and try to figure out why they appear. Soon, they're investigating Delaney and his relationship with a Josephine Reed, a colored woman who worked in his office and lived in the same townhouse as he did.
But the Foundation isn't happy when they find out about their research and the trunk of Doodles they found in North Carolina with Reed's descendants. Will the true story ever be told?
Like in his first book, Slocumb illuminates the mistreatment of black people both in the past, during Delaney's time, and in the present, in Bern's time. There are parts of this book that are hard to read, mostly because it is all too easy to believe that this is exactly what would happen in real life. But his characters live in hope, and find a way to persevere and succeed. Slocumb's musical background shines through in his descriptions of the music written and performed.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.
Dr. Bern Hendricks is a professor of music and a former Delaney Foundation Kid. He adores the music of Frederick Delaney, and feels he owes the Delaney Foundation so much for helping him and kids like him, from disadvantaged backgrounds, to experience music, take lessons, and be successful.
When the Delaney Foundation contacts Bern and asks him to work on a secret project, he jumps at the opportunity. He is given an office and access to the lost score to RED, the final opera in Delaney's Ring Quintet. He can't believe his luck. He recruits an old friend, Eboni, to handle the computer analysis of the scores. Bern and Eboni discover some Delaney Doodles on the score, and try to figure out why they appear. Soon, they're investigating Delaney and his relationship with a Josephine Reed, a colored woman who worked in his office and lived in the same townhouse as he did.
But the Foundation isn't happy when they find out about their research and the trunk of Doodles they found in North Carolina with Reed's descendants. Will the true story ever be told?
Like in his first book, Slocumb illuminates the mistreatment of black people both in the past, during Delaney's time, and in the present, in Bern's time. There are parts of this book that are hard to read, mostly because it is all too easy to believe that this is exactly what would happen in real life. But his characters live in hope, and find a way to persevere and succeed. Slocumb's musical background shines through in his descriptions of the music written and performed.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.