Symphony of Secrets
By Brendan Slocumb
424 pages
What’s it about?
When Bern Hendricks gets a call to authenticate a piece of long lost music by his idol he is overwhelmed. After all he is just a new assistant professor at UVA and he is not expecting the call. Bern believes he knows everything there is to know about Frederic Delaney but when he delves into the project he encounters more to the music than meets the eye. Going back and forth in time from 1920’s New York to the present day we delve into a mystery involving race, music, and genius.What did it make me think about?
All the talent that has been overlooked.Should I read it?
This was good mystery with lots of interesting tidbits about the music industry in the 1920’s. It handles the flashbacks in time really well. Since the author is a talented musician as well as a talented author the storyline and focus on music composition was very realistic. My two small complaints- I found the mystery a little predictable and the bad guys were almost caricatures. Having said that, I really enjoyed the two main characters and the novel did a nice job of highlighting the brutalities of racism- both then and now. I think most readers would enjoy this novel.Quote-
” ‘Every so often, however, we discover another portion of the greater story, another section that was left out. We learn- not everything- but a little more. And because we learn more, the world is a little brighter. Our understanding is a little clearer. I’d like to think our capacity for empathy, for caring, is a little stronger, too.’ “What’s it about?
When Bern Hendricks gets a call to authenticate a piece of long lost music by his idol he is overwhelmed. After all he is just a new assistant professor at UVA and he is not expecting the call. Bern believes he knows everything there is to know about Frederic Delaney but when he delves into the project he encounters more to the music than meets the eye. Going back and forth in time from 1920’s New York to the present day we delve into a mystery involving race, music, and genius.
What did it make me think about?
All the talent that has been overlooked.
Should I read it?
This was good mystery with lots of interesting tidbits about the music industry in the 1920’s. It handles the flashbacks in time really well. Since the author is a talented musician as well as a talented author the storyline and focus on music composition was very realistic. My two small complaints- I found the mystery a little predictable and the bad guys were almost caricatures. Having said that, I really enjoyed the two main characters and the novel did a nice job of highlighting the brutalities of racism- both then and now. I think most readers would enjoy this novel.
Quote-
” ‘Every so often, however, we discover another portion of the greater story, another section that was left out. We learn- not everything- but a little more. And because we learn more, the world is a little brighter. Our understanding is a little clearer. I’d like to think our capacity for empathy, for caring, is a little stronger, too.’ “
