A DEFINITIVE PIECE OF LITERARY FICTION, Tallis’ Third Tune evaluates life, death and what’s in between and beyond.
Alice Martin discovers herself in a quaint English shop. Iconic historical figures appear no sooner than she thinks of them; they come and go, offering advice – always unwanted, but always interesting. Alice learns that she can change definitive moments in her history, to correct mistakes made in two important relationships: with her first love, Quinn Radcliffe, a sensitive classical musician destined for the concert halls of the world, and with Donovan Trist, a charming archeologist with New England blue-blood and expensive scotch in his veins. Each has a hold on Alice – what she is compelled to do about this begins a breathtaking, humorous and sometimes painful journey. Throughout her travels, Alice is linked to love by a melody, the luminous and evocative Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. As she seeks answers and happiness, Alice knows one thing is for certain – this is not a trip to Wonderland, but deep into her heart and soul.
“Ellen Ekstrom has turned a basic story of first love and heartbreak into a sparkling piece of literary fiction. The protagonist’s name, Alice, is aptly chosen, since her journey is rather like the one into the rabbit hole (or through the looking glass). Right off the bat, Alice finds herself in what might be the afterlife, whimsically populated by famous dead people who like to do crosswords, drop enigmatic advice, and serve her Diet Pepsi and cheesecake in a cute village shop overseen by a strict Proprietress (in a form resembling Helen Mirren playing Queen Elizabeth II). But Alice can’t merely lounge and chat: she keeps getting thrown back into scenes from her life, in out-of-sequence order, to remind her of the important moments and–evidently–to give her a chance to change a few details and recapture a lost happiness.
I was greatly impressed by the way in which Ekstrom presented a life in random sequence in a way that still made sense as a whole, yet kept me guessing and hoping till the end on the most important questions. I completely related to the ache of looking back on your losses and errors and difficult moments–anyone would. And most of all, I loved her writing style, which was crisp and gorgeous throughout, scintillating with sensory details (oh, the colors, the tastes, the music!). Here’s hoping we all get a quasi-afterlife village like the one Ekstrom has created.” MJ Winter, Author
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