I found this novel on a stroll through Borders Books. After reading the preview on the back cover, I was initially intrigued because it is written by an accomplished violinist.
It was about a violinist at the start of World War II. His job was to play in the hospitals for wounded German soldiers. One day, he was whisked away to play for an experimental group of prisoners at a prison camp. There is a lot of psychological warfare within the main character's conscience. Before the war, his best friend and his girlfriend were both Jewish, a fact he now had to hide away to secure his own safety. While in the prison camp, the Kommandant messes with him even more. Let me tell you, the last 40 pages or so get crazy. I don't want to ruin it, but man. I couldn't put the book down.
I'll say this as well: I completely agree with the reviews on the back cover. They make mention of Drucker's language in relation to music. As a violinist writing about his trade, there is a lot of passion in his words about the pieces mentioned in the novel, as well as an unmatched eloquence in the descriptions. The music's place in the experiment the book is based on is also quite interesting to think about. After killing the experimental group on the inside, the Kommandant wanted to see if they could be brought back to life by music.
As a musician myself, I have felt and seen it done. There is certainly a magic to it. That being said, I would strongly recommend this to people with a musical background, but it would be a great read for anyone. 4 stars.
*another interesting note is that the main character is based on the author's father, his experiences, and some of his friends. This is a fact that isn't revealed until the very end.
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