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Finding Viola: A Short Story
"I could hear the music again, and somehow it seemed louder than before."
Every day, Miss Erikson hears mysterious music coming from behind a locked door at the Lang School of Fine Arts. When the strict Mrs. Borg demands she leave the door alone, Miss Erikson's curiosity propels her to uncover the secrets of the ever-closed door. As she pursues the source of the inexplicable music, she must finally face the grief of the past she has long tried to ignore.
Every day, Miss Erikson hears mysterious music coming from behind a locked door at the Lang School of Fine Arts. When the strict Mrs. Borg demands she leave the door alone, Miss Erikson's curiosity propels her to uncover the secrets of the ever-closed door. As she pursues the source of the inexplicable music, she must finally face the grief of the past she has long tried to ignore.
17 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2015
About the author
Bo Burnette
7 books21 followersBo Burnette has been writing and publishing books for more than a decade—which is long enough to know better and, apparently, not long enough to stop.
His newest book, Chronically Online is a funny, tender look at love, friendship, ambition, and the increasingly complicated business of being a person on the internet. Bo is drawn to flawed people, carefully curated lives, and the moment the version of ourselves we present to the world collides with the truth.
His previous work traverses genres, from the World War II biography Denver and the Doolittle Raid to the short story Finding Viola and the medieval adventure trilogy The Reinhold Chronicles. He has never been especially interested in staying in one lane—only in finding the next story worth telling.
He lives near Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, daughter, and their cat.
His newest book, Chronically Online is a funny, tender look at love, friendship, ambition, and the increasingly complicated business of being a person on the internet. Bo is drawn to flawed people, carefully curated lives, and the moment the version of ourselves we present to the world collides with the truth.
His previous work traverses genres, from the World War II biography Denver and the Doolittle Raid to the short story Finding Viola and the medieval adventure trilogy The Reinhold Chronicles. He has never been especially interested in staying in one lane—only in finding the next story worth telling.
He lives near Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, daughter, and their cat.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 17, 2018
Music is a gift of God, the deepest language of the soul.
A teacher’s assistant is haunted by her past. She once loved music like it was a close friend but then abandoned it all in exchange for grief. The truth she suppressed all along is finally revealed in the end and she finds comfort in music once more.
*Amazon freebie.
A teacher’s assistant is haunted by her past. She once loved music like it was a close friend but then abandoned it all in exchange for grief. The truth she suppressed all along is finally revealed in the end and she finds comfort in music once more.
*Amazon freebie.
August 14, 2017
I COULD HEAR THE MUSIC AGAIN, and somehow it seemed louder than before.
There should have been silence in the hall between the Performing Arts Wing and the Written Arts Wing, a silence so deep and dense, no sound could penetrate it. It had always been that way, for Ms. Borg loved silence with a passion. The Written Arts Wing always remained quieter than a library under her watchful guardianship.
My pace quickened as I neared the corner of the whitewashed hallway, and I almost turned into the Written Arts Wing. Something held me back.
2.5 stars, lovely story but felt a bit rushed in places.
There should have been silence in the hall between the Performing Arts Wing and the Written Arts Wing, a silence so deep and dense, no sound could penetrate it. It had always been that way, for Ms. Borg loved silence with a passion. The Written Arts Wing always remained quieter than a library under her watchful guardianship.
My pace quickened as I neared the corner of the whitewashed hallway, and I almost turned into the Written Arts Wing. Something held me back.
2.5 stars, lovely story but felt a bit rushed in places.
March 10, 2019
A short story which is beautiful, emotional, and haunting.
It is not a horror story. Yet, having read it around midnight makes me a little jumpy and scary. I am already insomniac. Goodbye, sleep.
It is not a horror story. Yet, having read it around midnight makes me a little jumpy and scary. I am already insomniac. Goodbye, sleep.
November 22, 2025
2.5 Stars
Finding Viola has a heartfelt core and I genuinely appreciated the life lessons woven throughout the story epecially its take on grief, healing, and learning to move forward. The musical elements were also a highlight for me. They kind of added warmth and emotional depth that made certain moments really stand out. I also found myself relating to parts of the story on a personal level because I lost my Mom and it hits close to home.
However, despite the meaningful themes, the writing style didn’t fully satisfy me. I found myself wanting more clarity, connection, and smoothness in the storytelling. The premise had so much potential, but the execution didn’t quite land the way I hoped.
Overall, it delivers beautiful insights about loss and resilience, but the writing style kept it from being as engaging as it could have been.
Finding Viola has a heartfelt core and I genuinely appreciated the life lessons woven throughout the story epecially its take on grief, healing, and learning to move forward. The musical elements were also a highlight for me. They kind of added warmth and emotional depth that made certain moments really stand out. I also found myself relating to parts of the story on a personal level because I lost my Mom and it hits close to home.
However, despite the meaningful themes, the writing style didn’t fully satisfy me. I found myself wanting more clarity, connection, and smoothness in the storytelling. The premise had so much potential, but the execution didn’t quite land the way I hoped.
Overall, it delivers beautiful insights about loss and resilience, but the writing style kept it from being as engaging as it could have been.
February 2, 2019
Good book for fans of short stories. The book cover and synopsis are mysterious and compelling. The ending wasn't very clear, but it was still a beautiful ending. Overall a good short read.
August 18, 2017
I loved this story. The story was hauntingly beautiful. I nearly cried at the end of it because of how much the story touched my soul.
May 25, 2015
"Finding Viola" by Bo Burnette is a short story, only availiable on e-book, and is published by Tabbystone press. It can be found on amazon.com for Kindle.
This is a really short story, only estimated at 17 pages, but it's certainly worth the price. "Finding Viola" is about a girl who, while at school, hears mysterious music coming from a long-locked door in an abandoned hall. I can't say much more about the plot without giving it all away, but I can say that the writing style was great, although the characters' dialogue and vocabulary didn't seem realistic because it was sophisticated and I didn't know the character's ages. Of course, the characters and setting were not explored in detail due to the length of the story, so overall I did not think it detracted from the story. This story flowed together smoothly, which only made it feel shorter! Of course, that's a good thing.
Thank you so much to the author for providing me with an electronic copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and were not required to be positive.
This is a really short story, only estimated at 17 pages, but it's certainly worth the price. "Finding Viola" is about a girl who, while at school, hears mysterious music coming from a long-locked door in an abandoned hall. I can't say much more about the plot without giving it all away, but I can say that the writing style was great, although the characters' dialogue and vocabulary didn't seem realistic because it was sophisticated and I didn't know the character's ages. Of course, the characters and setting were not explored in detail due to the length of the story, so overall I did not think it detracted from the story. This story flowed together smoothly, which only made it feel shorter! Of course, that's a good thing.
Thank you so much to the author for providing me with an electronic copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and were not required to be positive.
December 9, 2015
Wow,, I enjoyed reading Finding Viola. It was a short story with great writing. Usually short stories just speed through things, but with this one I was really sucked into the story line. Wondering who's the mysterious music player.
In the end I was left with a couple of questions but i think that this book can be interpreted in different ways. At least that's how I feel. There's a meaning behind this story. I think that's great.
In the end I was left with a couple of questions but i think that this book can be interpreted in different ways. At least that's how I feel. There's a meaning behind this story. I think that's great.
September 19, 2019
Music has a way of speaking to people in ways that standard speech can't in Bo Burnette's Finding Viola: A Short Story.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
From behind a locked door at the school she attends, Miss Erikson hears music emanating from it every day, growing louder as time passes. Though her classmates and the teacher she's assisting, Mrs. Borg, deny hearing music, Miss Erikson is convinced it has to be real and attempts to open the door. Reprimanded by Mrs. Borg and instructed to leave the door alone, Miss Erikson is even more determined to figure out the secret of the door, ready to face the consequences of her actions, which includes her grief-filled past that she's been suppressing.
Containing some well-depicted moments, this short story is touching with sentiments of acceptance and moving on from highly emotionally straining situations; however, the narrative is a little too brief to explore the character's emotional growth to a satisfying degree. A decent option for a quite quick read that could provoke a bit of thought, this story has a slight touch of mystery to it, though its potential could be better realized if it were to be developed a bit further to allow for a clearer progression of the scenario and character growth through the course of the narrative.
Overall, I'd give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
From behind a locked door at the school she attends, Miss Erikson hears music emanating from it every day, growing louder as time passes. Though her classmates and the teacher she's assisting, Mrs. Borg, deny hearing music, Miss Erikson is convinced it has to be real and attempts to open the door. Reprimanded by Mrs. Borg and instructed to leave the door alone, Miss Erikson is even more determined to figure out the secret of the door, ready to face the consequences of her actions, which includes her grief-filled past that she's been suppressing.
Containing some well-depicted moments, this short story is touching with sentiments of acceptance and moving on from highly emotionally straining situations; however, the narrative is a little too brief to explore the character's emotional growth to a satisfying degree. A decent option for a quite quick read that could provoke a bit of thought, this story has a slight touch of mystery to it, though its potential could be better realized if it were to be developed a bit further to allow for a clearer progression of the scenario and character growth through the course of the narrative.
Overall, I'd give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars.
December 29, 2024
“Why does this music in your head trouble you?”
Muffled string music is mysteriously playing in the Lang School of Fine Arts.
Miss Erikson, the narrative main character, is curious as to the music’s origin. An assistant English teacher, she is only two years older than her pupils.
The ghostly tunes emanate from a wing of the school that has remain unused. And the door to the mystery wing is locked.
Ms. Borg, Erikson’s boss, is a tyrant.
Interesting word choices. This author is either very well read, or he has a handy thesaurus. Either way, much appreciated. 👏🏻
Erikson’s memories of her father…
Hansen, and the other clues…
A touching tale of grief, loss, faith, joy, and rediscovering happiness.
“But you have left me broken. I am lifeless.”
“There is life all around you. But you have stopped your ears to it.”
Muffled string music is mysteriously playing in the Lang School of Fine Arts.
Miss Erikson, the narrative main character, is curious as to the music’s origin. An assistant English teacher, she is only two years older than her pupils.
The ghostly tunes emanate from a wing of the school that has remain unused. And the door to the mystery wing is locked.
Ms. Borg, Erikson’s boss, is a tyrant.
Interesting word choices. This author is either very well read, or he has a handy thesaurus. Either way, much appreciated. 👏🏻
Erikson’s memories of her father…
Hansen, and the other clues…
A touching tale of grief, loss, faith, joy, and rediscovering happiness.
“But you have left me broken. I am lifeless.”
“There is life all around you. But you have stopped your ears to it.”
October 12, 2017
I'm always excited to find a new southern author,
Especially one from GA. I liked this short story, and thought that it was well-crafted and positive. Being in love with grief is something we've possibly experienced, becoming so invested in missing someone that we forget how much we loved that person when they were alive. I found the dialogue a bit stilted and unnatural, but perhaps the story is set in an earlier time than I realized. I have the author's St. Simon's book, and look forward to enjoying it soon.
Especially one from GA. I liked this short story, and thought that it was well-crafted and positive. Being in love with grief is something we've possibly experienced, becoming so invested in missing someone that we forget how much we loved that person when they were alive. I found the dialogue a bit stilted and unnatural, but perhaps the story is set in an earlier time than I realized. I have the author's St. Simon's book, and look forward to enjoying it soon.
February 4, 2025
Very good short story!
Could be triggering for some, imho--there is suicidal ideation. However, that aside, it's very short and for someone like me, who views music as essential as breathing, it's an excellent story and an excellent example of how people can feel without music in their lives. There are some beautiful quotes and great statements about music and how some of us cherish it like others cherish cars, money, etc... it's surprising how quickly the author got to the point without losing the integrity of the tale.
Could be triggering for some, imho--there is suicidal ideation. However, that aside, it's very short and for someone like me, who views music as essential as breathing, it's an excellent story and an excellent example of how people can feel without music in their lives. There are some beautiful quotes and great statements about music and how some of us cherish it like others cherish cars, money, etc... it's surprising how quickly the author got to the point without losing the integrity of the tale.
August 28, 2017
Impeccable writing! In a such a short story I felt everything that Viola felt when she heard the music. Everything that she felt when she was at a loss cut down when she was curious. And elated when she came to the conclusion of fulfillment. " Music is a gift of God, the deepest language of the soul.”
December 31, 2017
A hauntingly beautiful story of the grief of Viola’s father. Well written and emotional.
December 15, 2018
Love this book.
Trying to read more short stories and so glad found this one. The story itself is a beautiful one. I plan on reading more of author’s the works.
Trying to read more short stories and so glad found this one. The story itself is a beautiful one. I plan on reading more of author’s the works.
March 13, 2019
Great book
January 4, 2020
Its a sweet and wonderful short story. I really liked it and the way written by Author.
May 31, 2026
This was just okay for me.
September 19, 2018
Good, yet brief, story where the main character has a revelation. I enjoyed this.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews