Melanie is a talented violinist with a valuable Grancino violin. The instrument has a mystery to it that haunts Melanie as she studies and performs around the world.
In 1725, Antonio Vivaldi wrote the music for The Four Seasons. He penned a poem for each of the four seasons: summer, fall, winter, and spring. Each season has its reason, its significance, its purpose, its own symbolism. Life is like the four seasons. Spring is Melanie Harris's story. She is a talented young violinist with a valuable Grancino violin. There is a secret inside her violin, a secret only she and her mother should know, but somehow others have found out. The story follows a journey of Melanie's growth as a musician, the people she meets, the friends she makes, the losses she suffers. Vivaldi's music is the cornerstone of Melanie's musical career as well as her life, as she takes her instrument and her music around the world. Each stage of Melanie's life progresses like a season of the year, a musical/p;oetic symobl., as in Vivaldi's music. Melanie is the music she loves best, The Four Seasons. For more information, check out the author's website at: www3.sympatico.ca/mistymo
Professional Reviews
A Truly Enjoyable Read
The exceptionally talented Melanie Harris has a secret inside her treasured violin: the hidden image of a butterfly, a symbol to Melanie of the beauty of her music and the blessing of her talent. But someone else knows her secret, and will go to the ends of the earth to get their hands on the valuable instrument.
"Spring" is the story of a passionate young violinist who rises from her modest small town upbringing to become a respected and revered classical musician. Her devoted mother, tragically widowed with a young child, instills in her daughter a strong sense of self-discipline, moral fortitude, and devout faith. These attributes serve her well as she travels the globe for her musical training and personal growth. A mysterious stranger repeatedly sends her roses, with anonymous notes hinting to the butterfly in the Grancino violin, a priceless family heirloom passed down to Melanie, leaving the young woman both puzzled and frightened.
Emily-Jane Hills Orford has created a very sweet story in "Spring", with an endearing heroine and an interesting cast of characters surrounding her. The author's love of classical music comes through clearly, and her knowledge of the many years of hard work is a testament to her obvious familiarity with the subject. Set in and around the 1980's, the book has the feel of a much more romantic bygone era, a rare trait for a modern novel, and pleasantly refreshing. The repeated references to Vivaldi's The Four Seasons leaves this reviewer wondering if perhaps the author intends to write 3 more novels, representing the remaining seasons. I certainly hope she does, as there are other character's, particularly that of her childhood friend Jane, that surface occasionally here, hinting of another interesting story waiting to be told.
Emily-Jane Hills Orford is a well-trained musician herself, having studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. When she isn't writing, she is teaching music privately, and taking care of her family in Ontario, Canada.
A truly enjoyable read for anyone who appreciates classical music, with a little mystery thrown in for good measure! Reviewer: Nancy Morris, Allbooks Review.
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