Available:*
Material Type | Library | Call Number | Suggested Age | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book | Searching... Hamlin Public Library | POL | Adult | Searching... Unknown |
| Book | Searching... Milton Public Library | POL | Adult | Searching... Unknown |
| Book | Searching... Milton Public Library | POL | Adult | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
When concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant's father dies, he leaves to her the care of a patient at Hurstwell Asylum. Vivienne had no idea the woman existed, and yet her portrait is shockingly familiar. When the asylum claims she was never a patient there, Vivienne is compelled to discover what happened to the figure she remembers from childhood dreams.
The longer she lingers in the deep shadows and forgotten towers at Hurstwell, the fuzzier the line between sanity and madness becomes. She hears music no one else does, receives strange missives with rose petals between the pages, and untangles far more than is safe for her to know.
But can she uncover the truth about the mysterious woman she seeks? And is there anyone at Hurstwell she can trust with her suspicions?
Joanna Davidson Politano casts a delightful spell with this lyrical look into the nature of women's independence and artistic expression during the Victorian era--and now.
Reviews (1)
Booklist Review
In a life of perpetual submission, concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant finds freedom in her music, a freedom she longs to give other women in the grip of oppression. Her controlling father's death promises a new beginning, but secrets connecting him to the local asylum take her on a search for the song and the certain someone haunting her dreams. Shockingly, Vivienne finds herself trapped in the asylum as a patient and in more danger than she realizes. Struggling to keep a hold on reality over delusions, Vivienne fights for answers about her past and the song no one else can hear. In an evocative pivot from A Midnight Dance (2021), Politano takes readers into the raw and oftentimes disturbing world of a Victorian asylum in a story about the power of music and one woman's fight for sanity and humanity. Darkly premised and brilliantly presented, this fascinating tale focuses on the early use of music therapy in mental-health treatments and explores themes of freedom and captivity in relation to body, mind, and vocation. From chilling encounters inside patient wards to deeply compassionate moments of lucidity and connection, The Lost Melody serves a pitch-perfect blend of history, romance, mystery, and faith.
