Author: Chris Cander
# of Pages: 336 (ebook)
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: In 1962, in the Soviet Union, eight-year-old Katya is bequeathed what will become the love of her life: a Blüthner piano, built at the turn of the century in Germany, on which she discovers everything that she herself can do with music and what music, in turn, does for her. Yet after marrying, she emigrates with her young family from Russia to America, at her husband's frantic insistence, and her piano is lost in the shuffle. In 2012, in Bakersfield, California, twenty-six-year-old Clara Lundy loses another boyfriend and again has to find a new apartment, which is complicated by the gift her father had given her for her twelfth birthday, shortly before he and her mother died in a fire that burned their house down: a Blüthner upright she has never learned to play. Orphaned, she was raised by her aunt and uncle, who in his car-repair shop trained her to become a first-rate mechanic, much to the surprise of her subsequent customers. But this work, her true mainstay in a scattered life, is put on hold when her hand gets broken while the piano's being moved--and in sudden frustration she chooses to sell it. And what becomes crucial is who the most interested party turns out to be...
Review: I received an advanced copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. This story was much more complex than I thought it was going to be.
The Weight of a Piano tells two stories; one of Katya in the Soviet Union in 1962 and the other of Clara in 2012. Although their stories take place during different times, Katya and Clara are connected through a collection of complicated relationships, each revolving around music and a piano.
This story is told in third person, and each chapter alternates between Katya's and Clara's POV. For this story, I think it's appropriate. It felt like peeling two onions at the same time. There's some overlap in the telling of these two stories which is necessary since these stories are happening at different times with different people but is still a bit bothersome for the reader.
My biggest complaint for this book is Clara's romantic life. She's a mess, which is probably on purpose for the sake of the rest of the story. But she's so all over the place, it makes it hard for me to like her and how she treats those around her. Her journey is very much focused on her own healing, without much care for how this process is effecting others.
Overall, it was a good read. It's quick and entertaining, so I'd definitely recommend it!
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