Blurb:
Past and present collide when an Alzheimer’s patient’s fragile memory holds the key to solving mysteries dating back to World War II—including a long lost secret love affair.
Music professor Gus LeGarde is just doing a favor for a friend when he agrees to play piano for church services at a local nursing home. He doesn’t expect to be drawn into a new friendship with an elderly Alzheimer’s patient dubbed “the music man” or to stumble across a decades-old mystery locked inside the man’s mind.
Octogenarian Kip Sterling doesn’t know his own name—but he speaks Gus’s language, spouting jazz terms like “cadence” and “interlude” and “riff.” He’s also obsessed with “his Bella,” but nobody knows who she is.
When Kip is given a new drug called Memorphyl, he starts to remember bits and pieces of his life. Gus learns Bella was Kip’s first and only love, but their relationship was shrouded in scandal. Intrigued, Gus agrees to help search for her. Could she still be alive?
Horrified when the miracle drug suddenly stops working and patients begin to backslide, Gus panics. Can he help Kip find his beloved Bella before all the memories disappear?
Music professor Gus LeGarde is just doing a favor for a friend when he agrees to play piano for church services at a local nursing home. He doesn’t expect to be drawn into a new friendship with an elderly Alzheimer’s patient dubbed “the music man” or to stumble across a decades-old mystery locked inside the man’s mind.
Octogenarian Kip Sterling doesn’t know his own name—but he speaks Gus’s language, spouting jazz terms like “cadence” and “interlude” and “riff.” He’s also obsessed with “his Bella,” but nobody knows who she is.
When Kip is given a new drug called Memorphyl, he starts to remember bits and pieces of his life. Gus learns Bella was Kip’s first and only love, but their relationship was shrouded in scandal. Intrigued, Gus agrees to help search for her. Could she still be alive?
Horrified when the miracle drug suddenly stops working and patients begin to backslide, Gus panics. Can he help Kip find his beloved Bella before all the memories disappear?
My review:
I wanted to read this book based solely on what I read from the summary. I love music of all genres and the blues happens to be a favorite. I am also a history buff by nature and to mix all of this into a book...well win-win for me. Mr. Lazar does a fine job of mixing mysteries within this book.
First you read about Kip Sterling who was a musician who worked under Glenn Miller. Mr. Sterling has been through several VA hospitals since 1944 not remembering who he is or how he has managed to get there. However, he does remember his beautiful love but not her name. Gus Legarde is immersed into his history and helps he recover his memories as the new drug for Alzheimer's patients "wakes" him up.
Intertwined is the story of Lily, a young woman in her 40's that has just lost her home to a fire, a brother who supposedly took care of her and learns of tragedy surrounding her arrival in the U.S.
All the while she is taken care of by Gus LeGarde's family and friends, including the very loving, Siegfried who has fallen in love with her.
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This entire book was one big mystery from beginning to end and I loved it. Some things seems too incredible but still felt very real. I was drawn into the characters that Mr. Lazar had created. I simply could not get enough of "the music man", Kip Sterling. I wanted to know him personally and root for him as he came to know things again. Mr. Lazar made that happen for me.
The only thing I was confused with intially was the seemingly seperate story of Lily and her history. Do not get me wrong, I loved how her story unfolded, I just did not get what it had to do with Kip Sterling.
However, Mr. Lazar managed to even tie that up and I understood the underlying message of love conquers all.
This book is without a doubt 5 stars and I highly recommend!
Where to find the author:
Disclosure: I received a Kindle copy of this book for my open and honest review. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may be different from your own. This review is a part of the Innovative Online Blog Tours.
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