Sonata in Wax

by Edward Hamlin

THE MYSTERY OF A LOST MASTERPIECE UNFOLDS IN PAST AND PRESENT

As the Great War rages, a French pianist sits down to play a breathtakingly original sonata—a piece so strange and inspired that it could change the course of classical music. The moment is captured on wax cylinders, the recording medium of the day. But in the tumult of war the fragile cylinders vanish, and with them the identity of the brilliant composer and the virtuoso pianist.

A century later, five timeworn wax cylinders land on the desk of Ben Weil, a revered classical music producer. From the moment he first plays them in his Chicago studio, Ben knows he’s in the presence of genius. The dazzling piece is years ahead of its time, more Coltrane than Debussy—how could it be?

Brought low by a painful divorce, Ben throws himself into unlocking the sonata’s mysteries. But when a renowned pianist stumbles upon the work and takes credit for unearthing it, he’s swept into a lie that could shatter his reputation and his private life at a stroke. Somehow Ben must find a way to tell the truth—a dangerous quest that will lead him not only to the sonata’s surprising origins, but to his own.

Genres: Fiction

422 pages, Hardcover

Published April 2, 2024

Reviews

[Rachel Swearingen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sonata in Wax is pitch perfect. Through tender characterization and elegant prose, Edward Hamlin weaves together two seemingly disparate time periods--contemporary Chicago and WWI-era New England. Like the mysterious musical composition at its heart, the novel twists and plumbs towards a tumultuous and satisfying finish. Part homage and part elegy, Sonata in Wax celebrates musical heritage, and honors the unsung heroes whose ingenuity and sacrifice help art and humanity survive.

[Lars Gingery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hamlin crafts a beautiful little world in the pressure cooker of contemporary classical music performance and through an immigrant family struggling to create beauty and life amidst a war and pandemic. The humane stories behind the delicious mystery of an atemporal piano sonata are heartbreakingly narrated and draw so beautifully on their Boston and Chicago locations. Extremely satisfying setup, story, and resolution. Loved it.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a good time reading this book. The writing is beautiful, and I really got sucked into the characters' lives and joys and problems... I found myself staying up way later than I should every night to find out what was going to happen and agonizing over the outcome... in a good way! Highly recommend!

[Enchanted Prose · Rating 5 out of 5]

The genius of music as a soulful storyteller of history, moods, and emotions (Chicago, 2018/2019 and Boston/Winchester, Massachusetts 1917/1919): “Music is a fold in time.” What an exquisite, mysterious opening line in Edward Hamlin’s exquisite, mysterious Sonata in Wax. Six familiar words, yet woven together take on an unfamiliar mystique.

The next two lines continue to draw us in. To the atmosphere and moods of a sensational, lengthy piece of classical music, a sonata, that’s fallen into the lap of the protagonist, Ben Weil, “among the best in his business.” A celebrated music producer at a Chicago studio with the best acoustics bar none, a music town where Hamlin spent impressionable years:

“Given just a few piano notes – the quiet opening phrase, say, hovering like smoke – Ben is transported straight to the moment of discovery, every detail of time and place. The muted, undersea lighting of the Studio A control booth where he’s sat beside Itzhak Perlman and David Barenboim and so many other brilliant players over the years, listening to breathtaking music recorded moments before.”

The “tender and untouchable” sonata wasn’t recorded moments earlier, but a century ago. An antiques dealer in Maine, Willa, sent the extraordinary composition to him, accompanied by a letter that informed him it had been recorded in 1917 at a mansion, Aigremont, located in Winchester, Massachusetts, not far from Boston, bought by Oren Sanborn, James’ son as in the Chase & Sanborn Coffee Company. Oren’s socialite wife Rena and their daughter Helen are fully-fleshed characters. Willa also identifies the unknown pianist of the sonata as J. Garnier. Ben has never heard of him, neither has anyone today. His daughter, Elisabeth, connects the two families.

The Sanborn and Garnier family dramas connect, key to deciphering the strange and arresting sonata. The historical timeframe is one of extreme wealth in the hands of the few versus the struggling, and beset with the misery of wartime and diseases. The disparity resonates loudly today, one reason Ben’s quiet soul appeals to us, contributing to the timelessness of music the reader feels.

Ben would have guessed the music was composed in the early-twentieth century anyway, around the time of the Great War, because of the blue (and black) wax cylinder recording technology used back them: Edison Gold Moulded Records. Yes, the Edison, inventor of many things.

He also recognized the soothing movements as resembling the music of the French classical pianists Debussy, Ravel, and Satie. And yet, “It’s like no piece of period music he’s ever heard.” In fact, “The playing doesn’t seem humanly possible.” What to make of the “seven-beat rest”? The avant-garde jazzy chords, reminiscent of Herbie Hancock or Bill Evans. Jazz, Ben’s go-to musical genre when he needs to mellow out. He’s never played musical detective, but he feels the sonata is a rare “transmission of a vision.”

Ben can’t get the electrifying, seductive sonata out of his head and heart, “ahead of its time” by some fifty years. It “haunts him like a missing child.” A haunting evoked in spectacular prose that takes it time, rises, races, and falls echoing the tempo of the wide-ranging, soulful sonata. Turning the novel into something grander than even a musical mystery, capturing the wide-range and depth of emotionality. Themes of nostalgia, grief, sorrow, honor, beauty, and anguish are all here. As the ending reaches clarity and closure, prepare to be astonished. Not once, twice, but three times by my count. “It’s a lot to absorb,” says Willa.

You may find yourself wondering if the impassioned sonata and prose mirrors Hamlin’s intention to offer music as a vehicle for a dispirited nation seeking comfort and escape. Another thread to today’s warring world and so important to Ben is kindness. “Fame has never impressed him as much as kindness.” Wish I noted how many times kindness is mentioned. The kindness of his always-there-for-him cousin Nikki, pointedly when he was going through a painful divorce from Robin, ending a twenty-year marriage to an international cellist, Robin, blessed with “musical intuitions.” The music, then, arrives at a particularly vulnerable time in Ben’s life. So, he greatly appreciates and admires the kindness (and family life) of his next door neighbor. The kindness of the high-society coffee heiress. The kindness of a Maestro he’ll never forget as Ben’s dilemma threatens all that he’s achieved. The plot morphs from mysterious to thrilling.

Short chapters strike the right pace as each provokes contemplation in this serious, 400+ page literary work. Organized by five movements in musical terms – Prélude, Andante, Allegro, Adagio, Appassionato – the rhythmic flow of the prose seems to emulate the characteristics of these musical styles.

Hamlin has received multiple awards for his short stories, and also composes music for the acoustical guitar. He knows his way around acoustical engineering and musical composition. Sonata in Wax shows he’s tuned into both the soundscapes of music and creative writing.

The early timeline chapters take us into the world of the Garnier family, mostly through Elisabeth, an only, reserved child doted on by her parents. By the time we meet her, her mother has died, underfoot her piano-playing father who never quite finished his sonata. One of Ben’s tasks in order to determine its musical contribution – Willa’s request of him. (First, he must re-record it with state-of-the art technologies.)

“I’m not a lair,” Ben says. Truth-telling and trusting, he’s guileless. The reader perceives way before him that his character will be mightily tested despite his sensing, “the music seems to have a plan for him.” He’s so caught up in the music he doesn’t see what’s coming from “one of the world’s foremost interpreters of French piano music,” whose “intimacy” with Debussy’s music is why he gave up wanting to be a classical pianist. Honest with himself too, he couldn’t bare his soul in front of an audience back then. If he had to, could he know?

How Hamlin pulls all the threads together is a virtuosic literary performance.

[Bailey Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sonata In Wax is a stunning, immersive, captivating, spellbounding, intricate, and delightful read! This mystery is unlike any mystery I have ever read before. It is a beautiful blend of history, personal struggles, betrayal, and music. I have never read such a lovely ode to music and the hidden artistic geniuses of the world. Written with lyrical prose this book immerses the read fully in art. I could not love the focus on art more.......but the storytelling also gripped me. I was not expecting a story about a lost sonata to be full of so much drama! Finding out who originated the sonata is truly a fantastic mystery!

[Julie Goldstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully braided novel. What seem to be two completely separate stories approach each other by degrees, and all the threads are pulled together by the end. I literally experienced the movie version (let’s hope!) in my head while I was reading- such rich textures, music, settings, characters. That Hamlin has drawn from his own family history and then created stories and characters, some real, some fictitious, makes the book all the more delicious. It’s hard to believe this is Hamlin’s first published novel. Can’t wait for the next one!

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautifully written, the music ‘comes alive’ - I don’t know how else to say it. The ending wraps everything up a little too neatly? Maybe? AND it is a great story told very, VERY well.

[Elizabeth Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4

Great read! The story was captivating with suspense and I really loved the musical descriptions! The characters were complex and interesting.

[Abigail Monti · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who grew up in the musical world (classical choral music, not classical piano), this book was fascinating. To write any novel is ambitious, but to write a novel that centers completely around describing sound—that’s another challenge entirely. And yet, Hamlin proves himself to the task.

Sonata in Wax hinges on the reader understanding that the sonata in question is, without a doubt, revolutionary. And in sweeping passages of metaphor and creativity and emotion, Hamlin drives that understanding home. Technically speaking, I’ve never heard the sonata, but in some ways, I feel I have.

It is, perhaps, worth noting that if extensive musical description is not your cup of tea, then neither is this novel. There are multiple scenes dedicated to this singular pursuit to the point of recursion. Which, on occasion, left me yearning for more conflict or stakes or the traditional arcs I’ve come to associate with novels, but also made me challenge my perception of character building. Much of Ben’s development is shown through his relationship with the sonata and music as a whole.

However, what surprised me most about this novel was the dual-timeline perspective left completely unmentioned in the book description. Ben Weil is only one protagonist—Elizabeth Garnier, circa 1918, splits 50% of the narration. At times, her chapters were my favorite. She was a wonderfully fleshed-out character, and the description of WWI America was fascinating. So many Great War books focus on the men in Europe, not the battles the women were fighting against disease at home.

My only gripe with Elizabeth’s chapters is that the stakes were not as clearly established as with Ben. Her life was interesting to read about and provided needed context to the sonata’s conception, but it often felt like we just were witnessing things happen to her. She didn’t have concrete goals that the reader could become invested in.

But the non-linear structure went far beyond the dual-timelines: between flashing back and forth from 1918 to 2018, Ben and Elizabeth’s own narrations are non-sequential. In one chapter, we might experience this week, last week, and two weeks from now—in that order. Luckily, Sonata in Wax is a slow-building book; if you rushed through it, you’d miss plenty.

In all, I would recommend Sonata in Wax to any reader with an appreciation of classic arts or curiosity of Great War America. The ending was triumphant, the characters were realized, and the writing was beautiful.

[Daniel Lerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is just stunningly good. I'm kind of at a loss to describe how deeply it affected me, other than to say it moved me from start to finish. I was just constantly amazed at the author's ability to dig into the inner lives of his characters. I was rooting for all of them.

And the language...OMG. Some of the writing is really poetic, especially when he's writing about music, but it's balanced by great dialog and this kind of brisk "Chicago" writing style I associate with Bellow, Algren etc. It reads fast even when it's going deep. Not easy to pull off.

Also...I didn't know much about a lot of the subject matter (classical music, sound recording, WW1 etc), so I really enjoyed all the book taught me. If you like books that take you into a different world and show you how it works, this is a great choice. I can only imagine the research that must have gone into it, though the research never gets in the way of the story.

I really recommend this novel. So readable and entertaining. I kept stealing little moments to get back to it and was really sorry when it ended. Looking forward to the movie...it would make a great one. I want to hear what that mysterious sonata sounds like.

[Jane Adamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite. There is so much going on in this novel, from a sweeping intergenerational family story to a deep dive into the pleasures of music, with a really edgy exploration of the psychology/ethics of lying thrown in. The plotting is fast-paced, the prose is gorgeous, the story is full of unexpected twists and turns...what's not to like? I found it hard to put down.

So, now my husband's buried in it...good...but I want to read it again. This one definitely deserves a second read. It's coming to the beach with me in June.

One note to mention: although the story takes place in the world of classical music, you don't need to know anything about that (or even like classical) to enjoy the book. The story is about more than just the music; it's more like the music is the setting. I don't know a lot about the subject but there were only a couple of times when I really puzzled over something. Usually the author would come to my aid a sentence or two later with a clarifying bit of dialog or narrative.

In fact I learned a bit about French piano music in reading it, and that was one of the pleasures of the novel. I can imagine that this novel would be absolutely engrossing for someone who really does love classical music.

[Pascal Evert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so many books in one. It's a fast-paced mystery with enough twists to keep you on your toes. It's definitely a love letter to the world of piano music. It's the story of a twenty-year marriage that hits the wall. It's a reflection on mortality and art. And all of it is well-written and interesting, really true to life. This is a very perceptive writer (a very perceptive human being) with a lot to say about what makes people tick.

But where I really locked in and couldn't put it down was when one of the characters told a lie (by omission, unwittingly) that quickly got way out of control. I'm not going to spoil it, but this is when the book starts to go really deep. The character is a fundamentally decent person, so s/he wants to take it back or make it right somehow, but as the consequences spin out of control it gets way too complicated for a simple confession. The writer plays all this out brilliantly; you can feel the walls closing in on the character and their desperation to undo it all. I can't really think of a novel that tackles lying head on like this. I thought it was really gutsy.

I highly recommend this novel. I loved every minute of it, truly. I'm recommending it to everyone I know.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm captivated by this book! Hamlin's vivid storytelling pulls you into this family saga, pulls you in a historical period, engages all the senses. A then and now mystery you watch as clues from the World War I era emerge slowly into a complex present. The book is difficult to put down but also enjoyable to savor slowly as you get to know the characters, care about them, and ride along on their roller coaster of discovery. They are real, flawed, struggling and shining. My knowledge and appreciation of classical piano music has grown along with my reading of this book! I want to know more! Historical fiction has never been a genre I've enjoyed until Hamlin's work. I want to know more! I love a read that expands my own world, that piques my curiosity and one written with such passion and elegance, such deft use of words has left we wanting more from Hamlin. Please keep writing!

[Joseph Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like classical music (or are just classical-curious :)), you need to read this book. I read a lot of books about music, both fiction and nonfiction, and I have never encountered such nuanced writing about the actual lived experience of listening to a piece of good music. It's brilliantly done.

So is the story itself - I really zeroed in on the music because I have that background, but it's just one strand. There are a couple of very relatable love stories in the book, and a rich evocation of the WW1 era (as well as of present-day Chicago). I learned a ton about sound recording, the influenza pandemic, French piano music, you name it. Very absorbing.

The book is a feast on every level. I adored it.

[R.L. Maizes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sonata In Wax is Edward Hamlin’s marvelous debut novel set in two time periods, present day and early Twentieth Century. His well-drawn characters and intriguing plots in both story lines kept me reading long after other obligations called. Though not a music aficionado, I loved spending time in these characters’ musical worlds. I adored Hamlin’s Iowa award-winning story collection, and the writing in his debut novel is no less gorgeous. Looking forward to whatever this accomplished writer has in store for us next.

[Lars Gingery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hamlin crafts a beautiful little world in the pressure cooker of contemporary classical music performance and through an immigrant family struggling to create beauty and life amidst a war and pandemic. The humane stories behind the delicious mystery of an atemporal piano sonata are heartbreakingly narrated and draw so beautifully on their Boston and Chicago locations. Extremely satisfying setup, story, and resolution. Loved it.

[Paul W Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the beauty and build of great classical music, SONATA IN WAX interweaves a modern-day mystery with a World War I-era drama to create a novel unlike any I've read. Hamlin's characters resonate with vitality, their struggles with poignancy and danger. When the threads finally entwine and the crescendo arrives, it does so with symphonic force. SONATA IN WAX is a bravura performance from a writer at the top of his game.

[Monica Palme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sonata in Wax is a beautifully researched novel ultimately linking events 100 years apart. The prose is beautiful while still keeping the story going at a fast pace. The characters are very well-developed, and you find yourself crying or laughing or hoping or problem solving with them. Having some understanding of music is helpful but not essential. I couldn't put this book down (and I usually read non-fiction).

[Maggie McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edward Hamlin is masterful with his plot development, engaging descriptions of scenes and characters and blending another artistic medium - Music - seamlessly into this narrative. One becomes instantly drawn in and eager for the unfolding of the story. I particularly enjoyed the story's long timeline leaving room for the unpredictable twists and turns of life to emerge.

One can see his skill as a writer in this work and in his short story collection Night in Erg Chebbi

[Chriscb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much and found it so engrossing I ordered the Kindle version so I could easily take it on a trip rather than interrupt my reading for a few days. Don't feel like this book isn't for you if you don't know classical music. The origins of a mystery sonata as well as the lives of the characters pull you along until the last page. A great read.

[Ellen Rosenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dearly loved this unique novel! Edward Hamlin lovingly intertwines the lives of intriguing modern-day and historical characters. The author's elegant, sensual prose drew me in deeply and wouldn't let me go--Sonata in Wax masterfully held my attention through complex plot lines across time to the final suspenseful pages.

[Sherry R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This combination of historical and contemporary fiction is brought together brilliantly in a story about family, immigration, music, legacy, and so much more. The characters are lifelike to the point that sometimes you want to scream at them and other times hug them. The prose is beautiful and the story unforgettable. Highly recommended.

[Eric Flanagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edward Hamlin’s “Sonata in Wax” is a fantastic read. He provides a vibrant back story, incredible musical detail, and beautifully developed characters. It is at once a truly literary novel and a very enjoyable read!

[Ron Bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story line blending facts and fiction. Beautiful writing. The musicology is a bit much for a lay person. But the character and story development compensate. Started to feel a bit drawn out but then the story revelations engulf.

[Nanci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, interesting premise, part historical fiction (with fascinating details and characters) part contemporary (seamless dual timelines) with a mystery thrown in. Loved this book.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a marvelous read…

[Andy Sneed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Great characters and really well written, the two narratives (early 20th century and and near-present-day) intertwine and come together pretty brilliantly at the end. Nice historical details too!