The Miraculous Music Of Clara Martinelli
Our world is in peril.
What if a piece of music could save it?
When disease kills all the elders in his Himalayan monastery, Rinzen reluctantly embarks on a hazardous quest for help: failure will mean disaster for the Earth.
A world away in London, Clara Martinelli dreams that her mother will die unless she plays her harp non-stop.
In a world facing climate change and environmental destruction, this magical realism novel combines an epic adventure with a tender love story, and a spiritual journey with the search for wisdom.
Reviews:
5 stars: Hannah C.
What an adventure! An uplifting tale for our times, and a perfect read for anyone who enjoys good literary fiction with intrigue, pace, a cast of diverse and engaging characters, and a story that takes you to unexpected places. You'll be guided on a journey that twists diverse elements together to a striking conclusion, and that leaves you wanting just a little bit more - like all the best books do. In Howard you will read a skilled wordsmith who has an innate feel for story.
5 stars: Tracey S.
A beautiful book for our times. The language transported me just as Clara’s music and Rinzen’s meditation transported them. For me, it managed to be a page turner, a love story and a book that made me think about mindfulness and spirituality (in all its guises). So ambitious and so well executed.
5 stars: Robin G.
A kind of magical realism mystery, it intertwines the stories of Clara the harpist and Rinzen the Nepalese monk. I thought Clara in particular was brilliantly realised and totally original, offering increasingly deep insights into an unusual life. The book fully integrated philosophical insights into the story, allowing the reader to follow the journey on multiple levels. Thoroughly enjoyable. Reminded me of Michael Gruber, one of my favourite authors.
5 stars: Richie O'H.
Every now and again your read a book that is so outrageously imaginative and yet so thoroughly believable, that you just have to stop and wonder how the author thought they could pull it off – and then simply marvel at the fact that they have. What could a neurotic London harpist and a Tibetan monk possibly have in common? Merely the future of the planet. The absurdity of the premise is surpassed only by the thorough joy of being taken for the ride. This book is a delight.
4 stars: Honest Shopper
An unusual novel, with interesting and relevant themes, obsession, mother-daughter relationship, bereavement, love, zen meditation, inner truth/reflection, martial-arts, music composition, paths to wholeness and healing, kidnap, murder, suspense, adventure!.... for teens and adults. Characters felt solid and engaging. A very visual and enthralling read ... might make a fascinating film too :)
5 stars: Simon H.
Mysterious. Mystical. Marvellous. Howard writes with a light, lyrical and elegant touch, and manages to keep you turning the pages to discover how the stories of Rinzen's journey and Clara's musical addiction will connect, and where they will take you. It is on one level an adventure story, one which effortlessly transports you between the Himalayas and London's classical music scene, and to points between. On the other, it is a story of loss and despair, of an obsession and of a mission, of a looming disaster and of hope.