Every Note Played is the story of an accomplished concert pianist,
Richard Evans, who at the height of his career is diagnosed with ALS. By the time we meet him, his right hand is dead and he can no longer perform. He is in denial, of course--sure that it will not get any worse--but it does. In a short space of time Richard no longer has the use of his hands or arms; he can no longer eat solid food. Quickly after that he can no longer live on his own and his former wife, Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. Threaded through the telling of Richard's decline is the equally sad telling of an unhappy childhood, a marriage that went horribly wrong and the alienation of Richard and Karina's child, Grace. Richard knows he is running out of time and he desperately wants to makes things right but after all this time, how does he come up with the words (when he is almost unable to speak!)to tell so many he is sorry for what he has done and that he loves them--and could it make a difference?
This story is haunting. The rapid onset of symptoms--literally something new and horrific with every page--is very scary. The handling of this sad story from so many angles is beautiful. Excellent book.
No comments:
Post a Comment