Songs of the Dead Road

by Carolyn Newton

Every note tells a story of those the world forgot. But remembrance comes at a price.

In the shadows of post-war Soviet Union, Ján Balik, a quiet composer, has spent decades gathering the stories of the missing and the broken. He weaves their grief into melodies, ensuring every composition preserves their memory.

But Ján carries his own hidden the loss of his family in Nazi-occupied Poland, the brutal years inside an orphanage and a labour camp, and the memories of the infamous "Dead Road" that refuse to let him go. For years, he has buried his pain in his music.

When Harper Burns, an ambitious reporter, arrives in search of the truth about Soviet orphanages, she believes Ján is the key to a long overdue reckoning. To help her uncover the fate of the missing children and to complete his final composition, Ján must finally confront the story he has spent a lifetime his own.

Songs of the Dead Road is a sweeping tale of memories, survival and redemption, perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Heather Morris.

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Jacqueline Moxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a moving but harrowing story. It perhaps wasn’t the best choice to read over Christmas, though, on the other hand, maybe it was? After all, what is the Christmas spirit if not love and caring? Some of the book makes for difficult reading. How can such abject cruelty exist? Yet, through it all shines the inspirational message of resilience and compassion and the driving need to care for, and help, those who are weak or in need. Jan’s prodigious talent should have brought him fame and fortune, but these were cruel times. Instead he suffered almost unbearable hardship. His kindness and humility win him the love of those he helped but he remains tormented by guilt for those, whom he feels, he failed. His music is his solace and his gift to those who suffer pain and loss. A beautiful and uplifting novel, in which good, ultimately, triumphs over evil.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an extraordinary book this is. Songs of the Dead Road, deeply researched and exquisitely written, begins in Warsaw just before the onset of World War II and ends in Russia in the mid-1990s. Viewing the endless brutality and dehumanization of authoritarianism through the eyes of a child made this a particularly emotional story to read. The barbaric treatment and cruelty of the post-war Soviet orphanages and Siberian gulags reduced me to tears frequently. It's a testament to the human spirit's endurance that anyone survived, let alone wanted to. It will be a long time before I forget the songs of Jan Balik or his capacity to love after so much pain.

"Music has always been my original language."

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

For an American author to set a novel amidst Stalin's hideous gulags must have been extremely challenging but Carolyn Newton has pulled it off with aplomb.
Starting as a bildungsroman look at Ján Balik this book soon becomes a dramatic historical novel sweeping across Poland, Germany and the vastness of the Soviet Union, and spanning decades.
The harsh intolerance of the Soviet State and its even harsher extreme weather conditions become a frightening backdrop to an incredibly poignant story that brought many tears to my eyes.
The author writes with sensitive integrity but never shys away from the tragedies inflicted by Stalin's vile regime.
An epic story full of unforgettable characters.

[Edward Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Songs of the Dead Road is delightful and enjoyable. It is a very tender and deeply moving story about a time period after the Second World War that most, like me, are not very familiar with. Horrifying conditions are encountered and overcome through beautifully composed music while the main character longs for his lost family through memories and constant challenges. The reader is held captivated by all his experiences and wishing for a memorable triumphant ending. A wonderfully written historical fiction book.

[Helen Lowry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had everything. Despair, sorrow, friendship, happiness but overall there was always music. Music was the one thing that kept our main character, Jan, going. Jan is taken away from his family in Poland and spends years in terrible conditions during the Second World War period. But he always has his music, it keeps body and soul together.
I did find it somewhat hard going at times, not much to be cheerful about. But, Jan does find happiness eventually and finds music again.
Some wonderful story telling as Jan confronts his life story.

[Yvette Salmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a harrowing and moving story . This book had every emotion possible and more . Set in a time after the war about Jan a composer that survivor of the camps and war and all that went with it. Well written and book you won’t forget.

[Deb Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Carolyn Newton’s latest novel. There’s a lovely confidence to this work paired with a deftness and elegance that few can master. Her sensitivity and respect to such a torturous time is truly remarkable. A book not to be missed!

[Thelma Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.........

.........beautiful and heartbreaking. A must read but have your tissues ready. Took me a while to get into but then I couldn't put it down.

[David Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent but emotional read. I would definitely recommend it.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Jan's story. Even though it's fiction I know he went through what a lot of children/adults went through in the Soviet Union post World War II. I know they don't exist but I kept wanting to hear the piano pieces that he wrote. Such an immersive story and I was routing for Jan the entire time.

[Rhian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jan Balik, a musically gifted child destined for great things, leaves his family in Warsaw to visit his aunt & uncle in Konigsberg. But this is 1939 and war shatters this future.
This is a haunting novel both heartbreaking and uplifting & it will stay with you a long time.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this in a few sessions as it was very thought provoking - I did get confused at times with the time jumps but this was all part of the plot and the intervening years were explained, so it all came too.
This was an unusual telling of the impact of WW2 but also on the impacts that Stalinism had on the surrounding regions. That is a tale we really hear about.