Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Book Review: The Lost Melody, by Joanna Davidson Politano


Opening Line:

"One day in late May of the year 1886, I found myself imprisoned in the Hurstwell Pauper Lunatic Asylum. This was unconscionable - I had never been a pauper."

From line one, I needed to know more about Vivienne Mourdant.


The Lost Melody, by Joanna Davidson Politano, is a mystery, a romance, and a musical suite, all set in a tale of friendship, artistry, and healing in unexpected places.

Vivienne is a concert pianist with music in her soul. She interprets the world and those in it through melodies and harmonies. After the death of her father, she's given care of a mysterious ward - a woman locked in the Hurstwell Pauper Lunatic Asylum. Vivienne has never hard of this ward, but her picture looks like a woman she remembers from her childhood dreams. The asylum claim they've never heard of the unknown woman, which launches Vivienne on a search, which leads to our captivating opening line.

I was hooked on The Lost Melody! Even before reading more about Joanna, I knew she had to be a musician. The way she writes about music, the way Vivienne sonically interprets the world, could only be written by a musician. The plot keep me turning the pages. The historical setting was visceral and uncomfortable, in all the best ways. And I loved every character - their backstories gave depth and humanity to both the heroes and the villains.

I won't give any spoilers but make sure you read the Author's Note at the end of the book. Like all great historical fiction, The Lost Melody features a fascinating piece of real life history woven into its pages.


I highly recommend The Lost Melody!
Please enjoy this captivating novel,
and then enjoy some of the fun bonuses Joanna has created online...



To celebrate the launch of the book, Joanna created a YouTube list of all the music featured in The Lost Melody. You can find that list here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH3jiAa-UU9h6NKEcx2UaadEcJaYaCglY


Her website has an interesting blog and a free book if you sign up for her newsletter. You can find it all here:

www.jdpstories.com



Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.



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