My review:
This is the second book I have read of Lisa Genova's. The first was Still Alice, which I read twice and watched the movie. Both of these books share a first hand experience of living with a devastating disease.
In the book Every Note Played, Richard a concert pianist is diagnosed with ALS. The book shows how Richard has to live with the fast progressing disease and also how it effects his ex-wife Karina and his family. Every note played is not just about ALS it is also a story of a broken family struggling to get past the hurt and help each other through a very difficult time. When I started reading Every Note Played I thought I knew about ALS. But, thanks to Lisa Genova this book has taught me there is so much more to learn.
This book would make a great Book club selection and I hope to see it in a movie soon. I look forward to reading the other books by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.
Amazon.com summary of the book:
From neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice comes a powerful exploration of regret, forgiveness, freedom, and what it means to be alive.
An accomplished concert pianist, Richard received standing ovations from audiences all over the world in awe of his rare combination of emotional resonance and flawless technique. Every finger of his hands was a finely calibrated instrument, dancing across the keys and striking each note with exacting precision. That was eight months ago.
Richard now has ALS, and his entire right arm is paralyzed. His fingers are impotent, still, devoid of possibility. The loss of his hand feels like a death, a loss of true love, a divorce—his divorce.
He knows his left arm will go next.
Three years ago, Karina removed their framed wedding picture from the living room wall and hung a mirror there instead. But she still hasn’t moved on. Karina is paralyzed by excuses and fear, stuck in an unfulfilling life as a piano teacher, afraid to pursue the path she abandoned as a young woman, blaming Richard and their failed marriage for all of it.
When Richard becomes increasingly paralyzed and is no longer able to live on his own, Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. As Richard’s muscles, voice, and breath fade, both he and Karina try to reconcile their past before it’s too late.
Poignant and powerful, Every Note Played is a masterful exploration of redemption and what it means to find peace inside of forgiveness.
N.
