Author: Lisa Genova
ISBN: 9781925685299
RRP: $32.99
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copy: Courtesy of the Publisher
Lisa Genova is the bestselling author of Still Alice which has been made into an award winning film. It is the only Genova title that I have read but she is certainly one cemented on my watch list.
Every Note Played is an in-depth and insightful exploration of the insidious ALS, the disease at the heart of the Ice Bucket Challenge; suffered by Lou Gehrig and Stephen Hawking. ALS is a disease that doesn’t discriminate, it could strike anyone.
Genova pens a heartbreaking tale of ALS when it strikes an accomplished concert pianist, whose first love has always been the piano. On tour and in the prime of his life Richard heads to the doctor for what he thinks is a bout of tendonitis, only to discover that it’s the early stages of ALS.
Less than a year later and things are progressing faster than he would like. Denial is no longer an option and Richard is watching his life slip further away, and take his independence with it.
Karina is Richard’s ex-wife and the mother of his child. The two have a volatile relationship and now that their daughter is away at college they don’t speak at all. Karina is a piano teacher and not finding it as fulfilling as she once did but she is still paralysed by excuses and fear, afraid to pursue the career path that once excited her.
Every Note Played explores ALS and the effect it has on Richard’s body, and on his mind, but it’s also a story of making peace. Karina and Richard are both holding onto more than their fair share of resentment and anger about their failed marriage and they don’t seem to own any of the responsibility for what went wrong.
Richard finds himself unable to live on his own and the only real option is for Karina to become his carer and have him move back into the house they once shared. Their relationship is still strained and there is a lot of resentment, living in such close quarters gives them endless opportunities to work through their issues and find forgiveness but will such strong willed people allow themselves to bend that far.
Genova pulls no punches in her stark and heartbreaking portrayal of ALS and the devastation it wreaks on bodies. She shines a light on the 24/7 nature of care required and gives a nod to some of the other high profile personalities living with ALS. This story is touching as well as devastating. The long road that wound down a lot quicker than expected and the long road to forgiveness for a passionate couple who were once so deeply in love.
All relationships were assessed and analysed as Richard became more and more trapped inside his head, being cut off from reliable communication leaves him introspective. Terminal illness can make or break a family and in this case, I think there was finally some progress made, but it was still a long time coming.
Karina and Richard are both characters who were drawn in great detail, who we got to know intimately as they wrestled with their issues. They held resentments from long before Richard’s disease brought them back under the same roof but once they are back in their marital home and Karina becomes his carer they start to grow new resentments.
My favourite character in the whole story is Bill, he is one of the home health aides caring for Richard and he is the absolute embodiment of compassion. If I ever need a personal care nurse I want someone just like Bill. We learn the motivations for his chosen career and we get to know him. He is empathetic but he is also more than just a nurse. He becomes a friend but he also treats more than just the challenges Richard faces, his care encompasses the family. He is invested and makes sure that he can remain one of the carers after Richard moves out of his area.
Every Note Played is a story of finding the courage to forgive and to really live, it’s about learning the peace that you can find for yourself when you offer forgiveness. It is raw, heartbreaking and sometimes hard to read but at the same time it is well worth the read. Genova has obviously done her homework, the story is well researched, beautifully written and emotional. I love that she is shining a light on tough topics and helping to bring these diseases into conversation, to make them talking points and hopefully bringing them extra attention can assist in the long term goals of treatments and cures.
Definitely well worth read, I would wholeheartedly recommend Every Note Played.
Lisa Genova can be contacted on LisaGenova.com, Twitter and Facebook.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster 30 of our Beauty and Lace Club Members will be reading Every Note Played so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
Every Note Played is published by Simon & Schuster and available now from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
This book was extraordinarily accurate in the depiction of the devastating progress of ALS and the effects on patient, carer and family /friends. Although I completed the book within 24 hours , emotionally I found it very difficult to read due to the personal experience of caring for a terminally ill mother- it brought back many memories both pleasant and unpleasant. My situation was similar to Karina, the ex wife, in that there was undigested resentment living between my mother and I. Every day closer to her death was a day of hoping for resolution. I feel grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this book as it has helped to understand and acknowledge the ups and downs of my own personal story. I would have appreciated the support this book offers during my caring trials and I believe ‘Every Note Played” would be a wonderful resource for hospice libraries or for carer support groups in general.
A deeply immersing read, both intelligent and highly compassionate.
Lisa has done a wonderful job of blending the stark physical realities of living with a degenerative physical illness with the emotions of the sufferer and their loved ones. Richard and Karina are very human, with flaws and guilt as well as being characters I wept with and over. The secondary characters in particular daughter Grace and Bill (God Bless Bill) were beautiful. If I’m ever in need of a carer, I want Bill.
Absolutely glorious – how anyone can make something as devastating and distressing as ALS, the disease that claimed Stephen Hawkins, inspirational and beautiful reading, as Lisa Genova has, in “Every Note Played” is something I can’t understand but she has. I’m not going to pretend that this was easy reading. There was one stage when I wasn’t sure I’d be able to continue but I set the book aside for a few hours, took deep breaths and was able to continue, ending feeling so wrung out but inspired and thankful.
“Still Alice” is one of my all time favourite books – also by Lisa Genova and “Every Note Played” is just as brilliant. Lisa Genova has detailed this devastating disease in such detail but also explored in a very real way the characters and the way they relate to each other so that once reading is finished the beauty of the individuals and the way forgiveness triumphs is inspirational. You can feel and identify with each one, the unbelievable realisation of a gifted concert pianist losing his ability to play and eventually his ability to do anything for himself and the way the other wonderful characters respond.
It is beautifully summed up in the first few lines of the back cover – “From the best selling author of Still Alice comes a powerful and heartbreakingly moving exploration of regret, forgiveness. freedom – and what it means to be alive.” Richard’s story and the acceptance and love of the other characters will stay with me for a long time. I’m planning on sharing this book but only with those I know will return it to me. It is one of the most brilliant books I’ve read. I can’t thank Beauty and Lace and Simon and Schuster enough for the opportunity.
Every Note Play is a raw, honest, no sugar coating account of what it is like to be diagnosed with ALS (the fatal motor neuron disease) and how it impacts those around the sufferer. I kept hoping for a happy ending or that the book was going to be less depressing, however as my hubby pointed out there is no happy ending in these sorts of situations. For life to be taken away from anyone to soon and in such a debilitating way is not fair any way you look at it.
I have studied and worked in the Disability field this isn’t something I was naive about. I have seen first hand how disabilities and illness can affect all those involve. Something that I have all fingers and toes crossed and hope no one I hold near and dear would have to endure.
The main character Richard an esteemed Pianist, dedicated his life to his work. Confident and talented however his private life was a shambles. A marriage turn sour, a daughter he hardly knows, resentment, and blame; he harboured lots of hatred. With the disease that was slowly taking his life he was left face these demons and the need to find courage and forgiveness. His estranged wife and daughter too face this with him. The book is a journey of their experience and the devastating realities.
I give this book 5 stars, while It’s still a very confronting read I appreciate that author Genova wants to create awareness to ALS/MND and find a cure to this horrid disease. Thank you to Beauty and Lace Book Club and Simon and Schuster Australia for the reading/reviewing opportunity.
At the beginning of the story, we are introduced to Richard Evans, a world-renowned concert pianist who has been diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) in recent months, and has lost the use of his right arm entirely.
Karina is a Polish immigrant and was once married to Richard. Together, they have one daughter, Grace.
Like Richard, Karina is a talented pianist, but she gave up her career to support his, and to raise Grace.
The two separated after Richard was unfaithful on numerous occasions; their relationship has been strained ever since.
Karina is now a piano teacher, too afraid to return to the journey she began as a young woman, holding herself back, and living with regret.
As the story unravels, Richard’s condition goes from bad to worse, and as he begins to lose the use of his muscles and voice, he realises that he is unable to manage on his own.
Richard moves in with Karina, and although she is reluctant at first to help, she soon becomes a great support to him.
We are taken on an emotional rollercoaster as the pair try to reconcile their past before time runs out.
One of my favourite characters in Every Note Played is Richard’s carer, Bill. His personality is as bright and colourful as a firework, and he treats Richard with dignity and humanity. He brings so much to the story; his tenderness and compassion bought me to tears more than once. I adored him. H is the book character you want as your real life friend.
Lisa has described the medical facts in great detail without it being disproportionate to the overall story line, and I learnt a lot about what a person with ALS would go through.
I read Every Note Played within a few days, and even after I finished it, I kept thinking of the book. I made a donation to MND Australia as I felt compelled to help in some small way.
I thought that this was a brilliant book. Lisa brings characters to life so well; they became more than just characters for me. I felt so sorry for Richard and for his family too.
It is quite simply a beautiful novel that I won’t forget in a hurry.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Beauty & Lace Book Club for the opportunity to read Every Note Played.
This book made me feel a whirlwind of emotions while I read it. One of them was confusion because I didn’t understand all of the musical references, as I’m sure was the same for many readers. But that doesn’t take away from the amazing story line.
It’s very hard to accurately describe how dealing with an illness like this changed not only the person but he family. Genova does this well. Which only makes me love her more as an author.
Overall I’d give the book 4.5 Stars
I loved the book ‘Still Alice’ so when I received ‘Every Note Played’ by the same Author I was really keen to get reading. Lisa Genova writes with a true understanding and compassion of her subject matter.
Every Note Played takes us into the life of Richard who is a much accomplished Concert Pianist. He has devoted his life to his music and that single focus has taken its toll in other areas of his life such has his marriage and his relationship with his daughter. When Richard is diagnosed with ALS one of the hardest things to deal with initially is the fact that he can no longer play his beloved piano. As time goes by Richard has to deal with the loss of more and more areas of his life that we all just take for granted. Losing independence is a hard thing to deal with but there is no other choice and Richard is forced to re-evaluate what the important things are in life. His health battles leave him with a lot of time to ponder his life.
Karina, Richards ex-wife has her own battles to deal with when she decides that she will be the one to step in and care for Richard. I understood exactly where Karina was coming from when she made this decision. When you love someone enough to marry them and have children with them then just because something goes wrong and you both move in different directions it doesnt mean you no longer cares what happens to that person. She did what she knew was right for her even though it was hard and her life became no longer hers.
I was in hospital when my copy of this book arrived and although I tried to get reading it didnt quite work out but as soon as I was better and home I jumped into my copy and loved it. This book gives you understanding of what those who are battling ALS and those who are caring for loved with ALS have to deal with. I found it sad but at the same time loving and very real.
Every Note Played is a must read . It is one of the saddest books I have ever read but needs to be read. The ex wife put her life on hold to care for her husband. It would have been extremely hard to watch someone slowly die and know you can’t help. It is
Wonderful that there are people like BILL in this world and it gives everyone an insight into this dreadful disease.
Thankyou Beauty and Lace for selecting me to read Every Note Played written by Lisa Genova
Lisa is the author of Still Alice and all I can say is she has done it again
Richard is a world renowned pianist who develops ALS, the disease is taking over his body and ability to play the piano and also his independence with normal daily activities,
He is divorced from Karina they also have a daughter, Karina is a talented piano player herself,
Karina makes the decision to look after Richard
My favourite character in the book was Bill, Richards carer
This book really gave me an insight into ALS which to be honest I knew nothing about,
I found this book to be quite sad and I pray in my life I never have to deal with this disease
Lisa Genova has delivered again with her latest novel Every Last Note. Her stories are educational, insightful, gut wrenching and capable of sustaining your interest to the very last word. Unlike Inside the O’Briens where the story is around a fully functioning family unit, this time she makes us think about what our options would be if our circumstances were different and not so functional. Who really can we rely on for support when we have fractured those most important relationships and what are the consequences of that?
I really enjoyed this read, and this author (having read all of her work so far) and appreciate learning so much about the diseases she places into the limelight through her work (this time ALS), without any real effort as the stories and lives of the sufferers are so engrossing. Would definitely recommend and thanks to Simon & Schuster and Beauty & Lace for the read.