An Ode to Joy (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798250122405)

When pianist Marjorie Durkheim arrives in New York on a prestigious fellowship, she carries with her the ghosts of a Parisian childhood shaped by loss, discipline, and the relentless pursuit of perfection. Music has always been her refuge-her language, her armor, her inheritance. But in a new city, far from the shadow of her great-aunt and mentor, she finds herself searching for something she has never truly known: a life of her own.

Violinist Ross McCreary never expected to find a kindred spirit in the whirlwind of Carnegie Hall. Raised in a small Iowa town and shaped by a turbulent home, he has fought for every inch of his place in the orchestra. Music saved him once, and it continues to steady him-until Marjorie steps into his life and unsettles him in ways he never anticipated.

What begins as professional admiration soon deepens into something neither of them can ignore. Through quiet dinners, late-night conversations, and the unspoken intimacy of shared performance, Ross and Marjorie discover a connection that feels as natural as breathing-and as fragile as a held note.

But as Europe trembles on the brink of war and old loyalties pull at Marjorie's heart, the world around them begins to shift. Their bond, forged in music and tenderness, must withstand forces far greater than either of them imagined.

A sweeping, emotionally rich novel set against the cultural brilliance of 1930s New York, An Ode to Joy is a story of love, loss, and the courage it takes to choose one's own path. For readers who cherish character-driven historical fiction, intimate romance, and the transformative power of art, this is a tale that lingers long after the final page.