EVERY NOTE PLAYED

by Lisa Genova
 
I think Lisa Genova is a fascinating author. With a PhD in neuroscience, she writes novels with characters who suffer from some form of brain disease.  Her breakthrough novel was Still Alice, and if you haven’t read it (even if you have seen the movie), I highly recommend that you read it.  That novel brilliantly tells the story of a Harvard professor who discovers she has early onset Alzheimer’s Disease.  It is beautiful and poignant as she describes how the woman and her husband navigate the treacherous waters of that disease.
 
Every Note Played, Genova’s fifth novel, is about a concert pianist who discovers he has ALS.  Knowing in advance that the novel deals with such a downbeat theme might turn off some readers.  But Genova once again does a masterful job of exploring how such a life-threatening disease affects a person and the people around him.   Also, Genova’s characters are so realistic and believable that although you feel empathy, you realize the complexity of the situation.  No one is saintly or noble in this book.  People have to work through their well-founded feelings of remorse and anger and regret.  In the end, each character strives for a way to forgive and be forgiven.
 
Every Note Played is not a light read because of its subject matter.  But Genova’s prose and well-crafted characters will draw you in and touch your soul.  I recommend this book – probably not as much as Still Alice, but it’s a solid,  worthwhile read.  (Liz)