The Song Collector - Tapa dura

Natasha Solomons crafts a symphony of words in this luminous novel of a young musician on the verge of great passion. From the very beginning, I was swept away in the music of the story. Brimming with the intertwined melodies of love, loss, and regained joy, The Song Collector soars. * Jessica Brockmole, author of Letters from Skye * This brilliant novel is infused with empathy and humour. I adored it. * Irish Examiner * Rarely does a novel capture both my heart and mind, but Natasha Solomon's new novel gripped me from the first chapter. Written in exquisite and razor sharp prose, The Song of Hartgrove Hall explores the bonds of family, the power of music, and the very nature of what it means to leave behind a legacy. I cannot recommend this novel strongly enough. It read like music itself and its beautiful and haunting notes lingered long after I finished the last page. * Alyson Richman, internationally bestselling author of The Lost Wife and The Garden of Letters * A delightful, moving, utterly believable family saga -- Kate Saunders * The Times * This charming, mesmerising story is ultimately about the triumph of the human spirit . . . Solomons has created a warm, luscious read that brims with passion and skilfully evokes a bygone era . . . It is a beautifully written tale about a woman who was left socially dead but rose again by seizing life * The Times * PRAISE FOR THE GALLERY OF VANISHED HUSBANDS: 'Captivates you with its charm, quirkiness and old-fashioned storytelling' * Daily Mail * A vivid and poignant story about hope, loss and reinvention * Psychologies * PRAISE FOR THE NOVEL IN THE VIOLA: 'A deeply touching and blissfully romantic elegy for a lost world.' * The Times * Sprinkled with a hint of magic, this debut is a delight. * Daily Mail * The light yet poignant tone makes for an unusual, richly comic novel . . . a treat of a book. * Guardian * A 'tender, lyrical novel of family and fame' -- Katherine McMahon * The Express * PRAISE FOR MR ROSENBLUM'S LIST: 'Almost irritatingly impressive . . . she strikes the perfect note with simple, evocative metaphors. I was forced to accept that this was a rare treat; a debut novel that is pretty much flawless.' * The Times * Solomons could make a bin sound beautiful; her writing is divine, and I was pleased to see a return to the style of her earlier work, The Novel in the Viola. There is an innocence about her novels which is simply lovely and a welcome foil to the outside world. Her turns of phrases are startlingly unique, comparing magnolia flowers to "fat, tarty girls in ball gowns" and memories to "dandelion clocks in the wind". -- Amy Pirt * We Love This Book * Natasha Solomons brings her characters to life with sympathy and understanding for their flaws and shortcomings . . . a profound story of love, loss and reconciliation -- Lyndsy Spence * Lady * Moving and engaging, it's a captivating story that stays with you. * Book of the Month, Choice * A tender, lyrical novel of family and fame * Katherine McMahon, Sunday Express * A delightful, moving, utterly believable family saga -- Kate Saunders * The Times *

Fox, as the celebrated composer Harry Fox-Talbot is known, wants to be left in peace. His beloved wife has died, he's unable to write a note of music, and no, he does not want to take up some blasted hobby. Then one day he discovers that his troublesome four-year-old grandson is a piano prodigy. The music returns and Fox is compelled to re-engage with life - and, ultimately, to confront an old family rift. Decades earlier, Fox and his brothers return to Hartgrove Hall after the war, determined to save their once grand home from ruin. But on the last night of 1946, the arrival of beautiful wartime singer Edie Rose tangles the threads of love and duty, which leads to a shattering betrayal. With poignancy, lyricism and humour, Natasha Solomons tells a captivating tale of passion and music, of roots, ancient songs and nostalgia for the old ways, of the ties that bind us to family and home and the ones we are prepared to sever. Here is the story of a man who discovers joy and creative renewal in the aftermath of grief and learns that it is never too late to seek forgiveness.