Rebekah Carrington has the talent and class of a master violinist but there is one problem—she is a female in 1871 Nashville, Tennessee, where women are considered far too delicate for the rigors of an orchestra. After a tense situation causes Rebekah to leave home, she attempts to audition for the Nashville Philharmonic to earn money, only to discover that the new conductor, Nathaniel Tate Whitcomb, agrees with the public’s opinion of female musicians. Meanwhile, Tate is focused on completing his symphony before a deadline, attempting to concentrate his attention on music despite his father’s health rapidly declining. He is initially frustrated by Rebekah’s tenacity, but then he finds himself drawn to her quiet strength. As Tate and Rebekah are forced to work together on a project, Tate tries to earn Rebekah’s trust despite her animosity towards his traditional views on orchestra players.
It is easy to fall in love with Tamera Alexander’s stories because she crafts such rich depth to her characters. I absolutely adored Rebekah in this novel. She is tenacious, she is resilient, she is strong, she has gumption—she has a quiet strength that allows her to pick up the pieces of her broken past and forge ahead, throwing her entire being into her passion for music despite society’s limitations. I could feel the emotions of the characters in the pages and almost hear the impact of the music among the storyline. I loved the surprising twists in the novel and the realistic hardships that the characters had to overcome. It is difficult to book the book down, as every part of the plot is engaging and fascinating. It is definitely a must read and I highly recommend it!
I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
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