Overall **** Story **** Performance ***** —- Review By Rox Burkey
SUMMARY
Clive Serkin, a teenage piano prodigy, seeks victory at the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow and enlists the help of world-renowned pianist Clare Cardiff. She becomes his mentor and teacher, and even though she is more than twice his age, Clive finds himself falling in love with her. After Clare is diagnosed with early-onset dementia, Clare’s estranged husband Nero takes her away from Clive to pursue further medical testing. Clive faces the challenge of traveling to Moscow and performing at the competition without his beloved mentor. Ultimately, he must discover if the music they share is enough to keep them together.
‘A Minor’ is a poignant story that intertwines the lives of two piano prodigies, one young and one at the height of her success. Clive Serkin’s father has conducted musical performances throughout the world. Clare Cardiff finds herself at a life crossroads and takes a break from her grueling piano performance schedule. She moves into the same town as her sister and decides to teach, with Clive as her first pupil. Their relationship blossoms as she guides him through his musical journey, while also imparting life lessons learned throughout her extensive career, such as the importance of perseverance, the value of patience, and the beauty of self-expression. The novel explores themes of music, memory, and the deep emotional connections that arise from artistic expression.
REVIEW
Margaret Ann Philbrick leverages beautifully crafted prose, although portions seemed repetitive of several interactions between Clare and Clive in the transitions between sections. Listeners will enjoy ‘A Minor’ as it delves into the complexities of human interactions in the face of success and defeat. Clare’s character portrayal vividly illustrates the details of her life and music through the highlights of her accomplishments and dialogue. Clive learns how to pour his heart and soul when he plays pieces under Clare’s tutelage. Those who may not have a strong interest in music will enjoy following Clive’s journey, filled with personal triumphs and heart-wrenching moments.
The flawless audio performance by Adam Blamford brings to life the story and characters. The audiobook features renowned piano pieces, such as Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’ and Chopin’s ‘Nocturne in E-flat Major’, interspersed within the narration, making it a unique experience. There were no issues with the audio version.
Overall, ‘A Minor’ weaves engaging plotlines, good characters, and familiar musical references and will appeal to a broad audience, particularly resonating with music lovers. Purchase of the novel benefits research into young adult memory loss. From this perspective, ‘A Minor’ serves as a celebration of the transformative power of music, illustrating how it can bridge gaps and foster understanding among individuals facing various struggles.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Margaret Ann Philbrick is an award-winning novelist and an award-winning poet. She lives into her calling as a writer and life-long gardener to plant seeds in hearts. John Ruskin’s view that the “greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something and tell what it saw in a plain way,” is a core motivation of her work in photography, poetry, painting, writing and music. Her latest release House of Honor- the Heist of Caravaggio’s Nativity was named to the Kirkus Top 100 Books of 2024 list. Her critically acclaimed first novel, A Minor: A Novel of Love, Music, and Memory explores the relationship between music and dementia and releases as an audiobook with EMBEDDED classical music in Spring of 2025, from Audible. Margaret writes across all genre and has essays in Christianity Today, Relevant, The Redbud Hyphen, and Patheos. Her Christmas book, Back to the Manger, lovingly illustrated by her mother in oil paintings, has become a holiday classic. Margaret is a founding member of the Redbud Writers Guild NFP and is the contributing editor of the Guild’s collection of essays and poetry for women, Everbloom. She read English at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, focused on the modernist poets and Shakespeare. She has a B.A. in English Literature from Trinity University in San Antonio TX and a Masters (M.A.T.) from National Louis University. Margaret is a member of the Redbud Writers Guild, ACFW, Wedgewood Circle and the Door County Published Author Collective. You can find Margaret digging in the dirt or wandering in a forest. Please connect with her via her website, margaretphilbrick. Her poetry and photographs are available on Instagram and TikTok at seasonedpoetess.
ABOUT THE NARRATOR
Dive into your story with Adam Blanford, the solo voice artist who brings books and podcasts to life! Specializing in fantasy, sci-fi, horror, mystery, and thrillers, Adam collaborates closely with authors and creators to nail the perfect performance. Make your characters unforgettable with Adam’s versatile voice.
Adam Blanford is from Denver, Colorado, known for his engaging, intriguing, and charismatic voice. He offers voice-over services for audiobooks, explainer videos, podcasts, video games, and animated shows, ensuring a captivating listening experience.
I’m an audiobook narrator with 40 titles to my name, including “House of Honor: The Heist of Caravaggio’s Nativity” by Margaret Philbrick.
