Story Behind The Book
In 2007, I wanted to write a Great American Novel that celebrated my 25 years of living in this country. Ten years later, I finally finished the book. It took another couple of years to do the audiobook version, and finally I was ready to publish in 2019. The kernel for the book was of a young woman violinist who had to leave home suddenly. It is loosely based on the story of my own violin teacher, who went to Berlin to study violin in the late 1920s.
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Reviews
<p></p> <p class="p1">“A unique, deftly scripted, and extraordinary novel by an author</p> <p class="p1">with a distinctive narrative storytelling style that will hold the</p> <p class="p1">readers dedicated attention from beginning to end, "Farewell My</p> <p class="p1">Life: Buona Notte Vita Mia" is an impressive and unreservedly</p> <p class="p1">recommended addition to both community and academic library</p> <p class="p1">Contemporary Literary Fiction collections. One of those rare</p> <p class="p1">novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after the</p> <p class="p1">book itself has been finished.”—Mid-West Book Review</p> <p class="p1">“The author knows her characters very, very well; this shows in</p> <p class="p1">the consistent and very individual way they act. This is not a</p> <p class="p1">plot-driven story; it’s character-driven. In this book, the</p> <p class="p1">characters are the jam which holds everything together. The best</p> <p class="p1">example of this is Grace, the talented violinist, who, simply,</p> <p class="p1">jumps off the page. I loved her.”—Wishing Shelf</p> <p class="p1">“This is not your typical mystery; it’s for fans of thrilling action</p> <p class="p1">and historically-inspired events…Contra to the status quo of the</p> <p class="p1">genre, the men are the romantics – though in a deranged manner</p> <p class="p1">– and the women showcased are the core strength of the</p> <p class="p1">novel.”—BookLife Prize.</p> <p class="p1">“The author…adeptly summons the era in all its manners and</p> <p class="p1">details with her descriptive prose…Her omniscient, third-person</p> <p class="p1">narrator effectively flits through the heads of various characters,</p> <p class="p1">offering momentary glimpses of their inner lives.”—Kirkus</p> <p class="p1">Reviews</p>