One man, his piano and their miraculous survival.
‘Extraordinary’ Baroness Julia Neuberger
‘Powerful and gruelling … an almost unimaginable story of horror and survival’ Mail on Sunday
‘Stunning. A beautiful blend of action, poetry, thought-provoking comment and music … just brilliant’ James Ainscough OBE
‘A gripping narrative of suffering, loss and survival, with music at its heart’ Fiona Maddocks
‘A profound and beautiful book, about the power of music to carry hope and love through generations’ Julian Borger
All future, freedom and success lay ahead of young pianist Stephen de Bastion in 1930s Hungary. Life whirled headily around cocktails, romance, applause and the buzz of Budapest late into the night. Then, 1939. Stephen’s world disintegrates and this becomes a story of his brutal descent, of his time in labour camps, of Mauthausen and Gunskirchen and the unimaginable horrors he endured during the Holocaust as a man of Jewish descent. Yet, this is also a tale of extraordinary escape … and the piano, waiting for him.
The same piano that Roxanne de Bastion, his granddaughter, inherits when her father dies. It has been in the family over one hundred years but it is only when, deep in grief, she discovers a cassette recording of Stephen, that the astonishing history of the piano, the man and her family begins to unravel. Weaving together his original recordings, unpublished memoirs, letters and documents, Roxanne sings out her grandfather’s story of music and hope, lost and found. Luminous and profoundly moving, this book captures the great spirit of one man in the face of darkness and the hope that echoes down through generations.
‘Extraordinary’ Baroness Julia Neuberger
‘Powerful and gruelling … an almost unimaginable story of horror and survival’ Mail on Sunday
‘Stunning. A beautiful blend of action, poetry, thought-provoking comment and music … just brilliant’ James Ainscough OBE
‘A gripping narrative of suffering, loss and survival, with music at its heart’ Fiona Maddocks
‘A profound and beautiful book, about the power of music to carry hope and love through generations’ Julian Borger
All future, freedom and success lay ahead of young pianist Stephen de Bastion in 1930s Hungary. Life whirled headily around cocktails, romance, applause and the buzz of Budapest late into the night. Then, 1939. Stephen’s world disintegrates and this becomes a story of his brutal descent, of his time in labour camps, of Mauthausen and Gunskirchen and the unimaginable horrors he endured during the Holocaust as a man of Jewish descent. Yet, this is also a tale of extraordinary escape … and the piano, waiting for him.
The same piano that Roxanne de Bastion, his granddaughter, inherits when her father dies. It has been in the family over one hundred years but it is only when, deep in grief, she discovers a cassette recording of Stephen, that the astonishing history of the piano, the man and her family begins to unravel. Weaving together his original recordings, unpublished memoirs, letters and documents, Roxanne sings out her grandfather’s story of music and hope, lost and found. Luminous and profoundly moving, this book captures the great spirit of one man in the face of darkness and the hope that echoes down through generations.
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Reviews
'An intensely moving and lyrical account of a man's survival in the face of unthinkable hardship and horror. Roxanne de Bastion has done her grandfather proud.'
Truly remarkable ... beautifully written and completely addictive. Roxanne de Bastion finely balances her grandfather's gripping and traumatic story of survival with the vivid legacy of her family's history. The words dance off the page and it moved me to tears
Stunning. A beautiful blend of action, poetry, thought-provoking comment and music... just brilliant
'This is a profound and beautiful book, about the power of music to carry hope and love through generations, the refrain of a wistful love song echoing down the decades. The account of one man's escape across Russia's frozen hinterland is unforgettable.'
A remarkable story of survival... told with such humanity and lyricism
One of 2024's most anticipated books
Resonates for our times
Painfully moving
A gripping narrative of suffering, loss and survival, with music at its heart
Deeply moving... triumphant
I loved this [book]. I expected it to be a more gruelling read, but actually it was very emotional but also very approachable. One can hear Istvan/Stephen's voice and his grand-daughter has done him proud. An extraordinary story, and one that lingers in the mind...