Letting Go: A Novel

by Maria Thompson Corley

Louise Caiola, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Making of Nebraska Brown, called LETTING GO "a smart and sexy story that captures the raw essence of love. Heartfelt, haunting, tender, tough and true."

Even though she lives hundreds of miles away,
when Langston, who dreams of being a chef, meets Cecile, a Juilliard-trained pianist, he is sure that his history of being a sidekick, instead of a love interest, is finally over. Their connection is real and full of potential for a deeper bond, but the obstacles between them turn out to be greater than distance. Can these busy, complicated people be ready for each other at the same time? Does it even matter? Before they can answer these questions, each must do battle with the ultimate demon—fear.

Told in a witty combination of standard prose, letters, emails, and diary entries, LETTING GO, in the tradition of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's AMERICANAH, is a long-distance love story that also examines race, religion, and the difficult choices we make following our passions. From the Great White North to the streets of New York City to the beaches of Bermuda, LETTING GO is a journey of longing, betrayal, self-discovery and hope you will never forget.

Genres: Romance

526 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2016

About the author

Maria Thompson Corley is a Canadian pianist (MM, DMA, The Juilliard School) of Jamaican and Bermudian descent, with experience as a college professor, private piano instructor, composer, arranger and voice actor. She has contributed to Broad Street Review since 2008, and also blogs for Huffington Post. Her first novel, Choices, was published by Kensington. Her latest novel, Letting Go, was published by Createspace, along with a companion CD of solo piano performances by the author. "Malcolm," a poem about her son which she presented at the 2016 National Autism Conference, is featured periodically on the Scriggler All Stars Twitter page. "Drop Your Mask" was awarded second place in New York Literary Magazine's love poetry category and appeared in that publication's AWAKE anthology in December, 2016.

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find all my book reviews, plus fascinating author interviews, exclusive guest posts and book extracts, on my blog: https://whatcathyreadnext.wordpress.com/

In Letting Go, the reader follows the lives of two young people, Cecile and Langston. In separate story lines that converge at points, we see them navigate life, love and career over a period of more than twenty years. The author’s supreme achievement is to make Cecile and Langston seem so real that the reader cannot help feeling completely invested in their respective life journeys. In their different ways, both Cecile and Langston are searching for fulfilment. And, as so often in life, their stories are filled with missed opportunities, misunderstandings and things left unsaid.

Langston is trying to find love that goes beyond just a physical relationship. He doesn’t want a casual relationship or a series of one night stands. He’s a handsome guy; he could have plenty of those if he wanted. But Langston wants someone he can truly commit to and build a life with, someone who will share his love of food, films and books. Someone like Cecile, in fact. But life events seem destined to get in the way of that happening. Langston is someone who thinks very deeply (too deeply?) about things. He wrestles with his conscience, trying to balance his desire for freedom and independence with his feeling of responsibility for his beloved grandmother who brought him up. And underneath everything is the trauma of his parents’ drug addiction and their rejection of him and his siblings.

Cecile has her own family trauma to overcome. Furthermore, admitted to the prestigious Juilliard School, and alone in a strange city, Cecile initially struggles to overcome her shyness and form friendships with other students. Eventually she finds herself part of a group of fellow black students who can identify with her situation of being a black face in a predominantly white institution. As her life unfolds, Cecile too has inner demons to battle, struggling to balance her religious beliefs and the commitments she has made with her own happiness and fulfilment. Sometimes, it seems she is her own worst enemy: ‘Her brain had always been both a friend and an enemy, making her academic career easy and everything else difficult. Thinking, overthinking, trying not to think…’

The author’s own passion for music (and religious belief) shines through in Cecile. ‘She was amazed at the beauty of a phrase, the joy of flying through a technically difficult passage, the power of being able to create a deafening fortissimo, the delicacy of triple piano. She felt blessed beyond compare to be allowed the gift of music, so she wouldn’t give up on her talent. It would be an insult to the Giver of the gift, a surgical removal of a vital organ.’

And in a clever nod to those with musical knowledge, the book is structured to mirror the elements of a sonata: Introduction, Exposition, Codetta, Development, Recapitulation and Coda. I also liked the author’s use of letters to illustrate the development of the relationship between Cecile and Langston. I always think a shared sense of humour is a great indicator of the strength of, and likely future success of, a relationship.

The book explores a number of other themes, including racial discrimination and the idea that black people have to try harder and be better to be successful than their white counterparts.

I really enjoyed Letting Go and I’ll admit to shedding a little tear at the end and whispering ‘Thank you’ to the author for the book’s conclusion which treads that fine line between telling you too much and leaving you out on a limb. I heartily recommend Letting Go for readers who appreciate a character-driven, authentic story that really immerses you in the lives of its characters.

I received a review copy courtesy of the author in return for an honest and unbiased review. I’d like to thank Maria for her patience in waiting much longer than originally envisaged for me to read and review her book. For me, it was well worth the wait.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've been skipping between 3 and 4 stars for a while, maybe I'll give this one 3 and a half. I usually don't do halves but I can't choose right now!
I'm not even sure yet while I post this, but maybe my choice gets clearer while I write this!

This review was first posted on BiteIntoBooks Blog

Pros
Believable story: This story felt like it could have been based on a true story (which it maybe is in some parts). Langston and Cecile felt so real to me. Their lives felt real, the way they struggle with people around them and themselves felt real, their ups and downs in life felt real. It wasn't too much of anything, it just really felt like I was reading a story based on true events. At some point those 2 people really existed for me and that's a great compliment!
I needed more in the end: When I read the last few sentences I was like: "Noooo!! I need more.. I want to KNOW. I want to be part of the journey". It's always a great feeling when you need more and want more from a book. At this point I didn't want the book to end and I wished it had 2 or 3 chapters more.

Cons
Felt long: At some point I was struggling to get through the book. That wouldn't take long and I was always able to pick up the book and keep reading. I was also craving for a part where Langston and Cecile would be together so maybe that's why I didn't like the parts where they weren't in a conversation together or when they were with other people. I also felt like this story didn't need 500 pages to be told.
I needed more in the end: So, this story is about Langston and Cecile and I really feel like I don't have closure. To need more from a book in the end is also a strong part, but it's also aching somewhere inside me to know more, to read more and I have so many questions! I felt like I needed an ending with more answers. I was kinda sad it ended where it did and not maybe a month later...

This is a beautiful story that feels so real. I like that it's zooming in on the lives of two people who both struggle with love (and life). I also enjoyed to be on a journey through the lives of Langston and Cecile from young adulthood to their late 30's. I feel really blessed for everything I have right now and the relationship I'm in. At the end of the book I felt happy but I would've liked more.

[Jacques Coulardeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I thought it was a romance with a slightly erotic dimension and I found out fast that I was wrong. So what is it?

Some might say it is a black romance. But apart from a few characters, the two main ones particularly, being black, there is little black culture or language in this book. True enough, they are West Indians, and then what? The language and the culture are not West Indian. A few anecdotic references but nothing else. But will you say they are living in Canada and for some of them working in New York City, so what? Canada is the best representative of multiculturalism and New York is one of the most diverse melting pot or salad bowl in the world. Even so there is so few black references that it could be a white romance slightly erotic, and yet it is not a romance slightly erotic, black or white. So what is it?

It is a detailed family portrait of two characters and their families. On one side Cecile from a very Christian family, at least the mother, and she is never able to step over or away from this link that becomes a chain, a pillory of exposition: she is exposed as a fundamentalist Christian who is not able to take any decision by herself without the consent of God, or at least her mother. And yet she is the erotic one who makes love with any boy available that is rather good looking. Pre-marital intercourse is a basic principle for this young lady. She does not realize her contradiction. You cannot ask God to help you all the time if you do not respect the basic principles of God’s ethics, or vice versa if you do not respect God’s fundamental ethics, you’d better not state the existence of god who has become useless for you. So she becomes humdrum to the utmost with her pangs of conscience but always when she gets out of bed from an affair that has no future, except for one she literally traps into marrying her not because she really loves him but because she needs to sanctify her lack of Christian purity, as if marrying the sinner with whom you have sinned will make him a saint and make you a mega-saint. Absurd. Something like a woman marrying the man who has forcefully made her pregnant in order to sanctify that pregnancy. Mark my cautious language.

What’s more, the most interesting side of Cecile, her musical career, is only alluded to when at school in New York City, at the Juilliard school of music. There with some other students there is a slight debate about black musicians competing for a position in the performance of classical music which is not black as opposed to performing black music. Cecile has it cheap: she plays the organ in a black church every Sunday. But once again a good deed does not turn the sinner into a saint. I understand the ambition to play all the composers and pieces of music that have been composed since the beginning of western music in Jerusalem with King David’s music school. But there is a vast catalogue, library or simply data base of black music, composed by black people in the USA, in Canada, in Africa and beyond in the rest of the world. Targeting both registers would be a very good thing to do, but she rejects anything black and she only wants to be a black pianist playing classical white music. And as soon as she starts a career the music is dropped from the novel.

The other main character is Langston. He is so black, this West Indian living in Canada, that his first girl friend is a white woman, the daughter of his Italian boss in the restaurant he works for to pay for his college studies. We know from the very first minute it will not go through because the father will refuse a black son in law, no matter how good he may be in the catering business. By accident, after the failure of this affair, he meets Cecile and is attracted, when she is on a short visit to her family in Canada. She of course gives herself as if it were a question of life or death, though at the time she is having a liaison with a certain Teddy she will eventually marry and with whom she will have two children and yet she will in the end separate from that Teddy who likes his girl-friends under age and with no attachment.

So what is that story about?

The impossibility for Cecile and Langston to establish an adult relationship. They are attracted but Cecile in a way makes the relation kind of satirical, humorous, un-serious, and Langston let it develop like that with letters, phone calls and emails that are always insignificant, superficial, derogative but humorously debunking though, in other words both are unable to just become intimate in their language, in their interests, in their aims in life. Cecile will be a hardly successful divorcee with two children unable to make her music a real project in her life, just a way to get the money she needs to survive and suddenly nostalgically attracted to Langston in her advanced maturity after 16 years of estrangement. Langston will be successful in the catering business with a West Indian restaurant catering for the standard population in Canada which is vastly white and slightly black, but, as for these black citizens, mostly from the West Indies where they were slaves at one time but had gotten out of it often before the slaves in the USA, and they were never treated as ruthlessly as they were in the USA on the model and at the instigation of a certain William Lynch. That made it easy for both Cecile and Langston to abandon their language, their culture, their everything black in them, except traditional West Indian food for Langston, but as he says, it is more trendy in Canada than cultural. And for Thanksgiving, this racist celebration of the extermination of Indians, they cook and eat a turkey with all the stuffing and side dishes.

The end then is suspended failure more than promised success. No luck, boys and girls, when you forget who and what you are you end up being fooled and flunked, bamboozled in one word. They definitely tricked their life-treks and they ended lost in some kind of tasteless, heartless, mindless deculturated wasteland. And they can even get children in that wasteland. You can imagine the children’s frustration and depravation when they realize they have been robbed of their deeper roots for the sake of just fitting in the standard white society around them.

In other words, it is a sad depiction of what multiculturalism is and could be in Canada and will some day be in the USA, when the USA have finished being trumped into racial hatred..

Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the characters in this book. I enjoyed the variety of Black people (African Americans, West Indians, Afro-Canadians) that populate this novel. How refreshing to encounter complex people who deal with racism and nonetheless dream beyond the limits of what's realistic. Unlike a lot of prime time television, Letting Go's characters defy stereotypes and earn your trust as a reader.

This is a classic novel that reminded of "Quicksand" by Nella Larsen, a Harlem Renaissance writer. In "Quicksand," Helga Crane, a young genteel Black woman, is hemmed in by racism and sexism even though she experiences class privilege. Well read, well traveled and well dressed--Helga is ahead of her time and can't fit into the narrow options available to Black women in the 1920s. Similarly, Thompson Corley's main character, Cecile, is a middle class young woman who is the only Black person in Juilliard's classical piano program. Talented and absorbed by Western classical music, Cecile like Helga Crane, is a fair-skinned beauty who attracts men who seem more interested in what she represents than who she is. Also like Helga, Cecile is also self-reflective and not quite comfortable with her sexuality. Both women also marry and bear children.

However, there's lots that's different, and I don't want to spoil any surprises. The biggest difference is that Cecile is likeable. Her emails made me laugh out loud because they were smart, funny and full of good flirty asides. She's confident in her blackness and even when she's down, she's not out. I've read Quicksand many times and can't seem to really like Helga Crane.

Still, I'd be remiss if I didn't commend Thompson Corley for giving almost equal time to Langston, a young Black man, who is decidedly more working class than Cecile. A sensitive, person with a gift for cooking and deep reflection, Langston made me want to fly to Toronto for some good food and good conversation. This book could easily be a film and I'd see it again and again. Ava Duvernay, I think you should direct this!

Finally, you classical music lovers will appreciate all of the music mentioned and may learn a thing or two about African American composers. (I know I did.) Once you pick up this novel you won't want to let it go!

[Romi || Romi Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Letting Go is a novel of more than 500 pages, not a lot of major importance happened. That’s my humble opinion. There were not many events that were drastic for the plot. The only one that had me drop my jaw to the floor was narrated after it had already happened and Cecile, the one it was about, didn’t make it seem like a big deal.

Now that I’m talking about Cecile – I didn’t really like her character. The 500+ pages of the book were mainly filled with Cecile not knowing what’s good for her and making tons of wrong choices. All the while, her perfect match was just a phone call away, but somehow she didn’t seem to notice that at all. Where I normally get to love the characters of a book of 500+ pages, I didn’t feel any connection with Cecile. Nor Langston, although I liked him best. I think I was mainly disappointed in the lack of character development of the main characters. In my eyes they didn’t seem to grow into a better/different version of their old selves. All I thought to notice, that came close to a change in personality, was that they became kind of indifferent about life. They both weren’t happy, but they didn’t seem to want to change anything about that for a really big part of the book.

Now onto the discussion about race – it was there. But that’s all it was to me. It was discussed, but I would have liked to read about how Cecile and Langston (and others) actually felt about it all. How they grew up with it. How it affected them as a person. It was all kind of superficial to me and I think there’s so much more to it.

Despite there being a lot of passages and descriptions that weren’t really necessary to the plot, I really liked the writing style. The sentences just flowed and were beautifully written. I was kind of intimidated by the book’s length, but once I started reading I just sped through the story!

* I kindly received an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review *

[Lennox Randon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has crafted something special, and fairly epic, with LETTING GO.
I could relate to the flawed characters, and to their growth process. However, what truly makes the characters stand out is the fact that I’ve never seen seen these characters before. I felt like I was getting to meet real people and not the average sketches of people who normally populate novels.
As a music lover, I loved the music references throughout. The inside look at Juilliard was particularly fascinating.
The writing was steady throughout, but in places, it was absolutely sublime. I look forward to future projects by Maria Thompson Corley.

[Marisa Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book depicting young love. I think everyone could relate to such a beautiful story. Corley does an excellent job keeping you engaged and allowing you to fall in love with the characters.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of interviewing Maria earlier in the year for a post on my blog. As a result of that interview, Maria sent me a free copy of her story in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Letting Go is essentially a romance – which is not my usual choice of book to read. However, I’m always open to reading outside my preferred genres. The story is primarily told from Cecile’s point of view, the female lead character. I really liked her. She’s driven, ambitious, and where her feelings are concerned, like most of us, confused at times. I liked her sense of humour and humour is something that can be difficult to put across – but not in this case. She’s a really well drawn character and I found I was able to identify with her from the outset.

Langston, the male lead character is also fascinating. Unfortunately, he is from the ‘wrong part of town’. So, the well-run conflict of different class is here to be explored, and Maria pulls this off. It’s hard to bring new life and energy to an issue that we are all familiar with, but Maria has done just that and at no time did I find myself thinking that I’d heard it all before.

During the course of the story there are other familiar issues that are explored, racism, family loyalty, personal ambitions. All of which are handled sensitively and the points being well, and subtly made. At no time did I feel lectured and there were moments when I did put the book down so that I could consider the issue raised. And in my view, that’s a bonus if an author can cause you to do that with a book.

Overall, I enjoyed the story immensely. The chemistry between the central characters is there and fair sizzles on the page! The narrative voice is easy and carries you along throughout. However, Maria also uses diary entries, letters and emails to tell the story. At first, I found that this caused the pace of the novel to drop, but further into the story I had stopped noticing that – my interest in the individual points of view became much more paramount. There are musical references throughout, which I found interesting but, when I got to the end I did wonder if it might have been a bit too much. My only other misgiving on reaching the end, was that I thought the book was overly long.

Despite the minor gripes above, I think this is great book, entertaining, thought-provoking and a thoroughly enjoyable read and it has certainly earned its star rating.

[J.L. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure and privilege of partaking of this amazing story in which I remained invested to the very end of the story. I was jumpy and excited throughout the story. I finished this morning and I'm still coming down from the high. So, with that being said, here goes...

I've been waiting for a love story like this, a tale that actually reflects the world and how it diverse it truly is, a work which illustrates how the relationships often really operate. More often than not, both parties, much like Cecile and Langston, make difficult decisions concerning the merging of partnership and passion.


These two hit snags to say the least and Corley demonstrates this well in the form of narrative, journals, and dialogue. I enjoyed the dialogue especially. The witty banter from in-person conversations and otherwise revealed so much more about these two characters more than any description ever would. I laughed a few times, saying to myself, “No wonder they like each other. They fit so well.”

At the same time, Corley made it clear that these were two similar yet different people. One of my favorite aspects of a book is dialogue. I love it when I can picture not only the happenings of a story but the character from the words used in any given situation.

Within the trimmings of cultural idioms, clever discussion, and language as beautiful and fluid as if played on piano keys, Corley created characters that you as the reader can absolutely love, hate, and with which you can identify. Adding to that, the journalistic format gave off a sense of personal involvement, as if I was reading someone’s personal letters about their life and taking the journey right along with them day by day.

In closing, Letting Go, at its core, is a story about love, discovery, and sacrifice; all three in various forms. It's a true journey of ups and downs.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letting Go is a story of self-discovery told through the eyes of the main character Cecile through diary entries, letter correspondence and dialogue. It is a unique love story. The story spans decades from teenage years through middle adulthood and as the reader, we are privy to Cecile's inside thoughts and experiences through detailed diary entries. I found this writing style intriguing as well as a fantastic way to continue to move the story along such a substantial time frame.

The story begins with Cecile falling in love with a young man, Teddy and continues through the evolution of their relationship. Through infidelity and other relationship issues, we bear witness to the internal struggled survived by Cecile. It is only with Langston, her true confidant and best friend, that she navigates her feelings and shares intimate details of her relationship struggles with Teddy. As the reader, we must come to terms with her decisions while still hoping for her long-term happiness. Letting Go leaves you fulfilled as well as hopeful by the stories end. A great read with the depth and intrigue that readers enjoy in a love story and with the right mix of self-discovery and self-reliance. 5-stars!

[Nadja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: A review galley of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Now with this book I honestly had my ups and downs.

At first it looked promising to me regarding women's rights and maybe diving into the racial discrimination topic. As much potential I saw there it didn't happen at all. It was roughly mentioned but we didn't really saw it becoming a topic in this book which I personally found disappointing.


The whole Teddy and Cecile storyline was not really enjoyable to read for me. It moved so slow and right from the start I knew how it would end. Through that part I also lost my liking of Cecile's character, which thankfully came back a little towards the end of the novel, but overall that part wasn't really my thing.


Langstons storyline on the other hand was very enjoyable to read. He was very sarcastic which even mad sad moments light. Overall his part didn't seem as dark and depressing as Ceciles'


I really enjoyed to read the interaction between Cecile and Teddy where Cecile suddenly became a whole other person, which I actually liked a lot.


So if this novel would have had a little bit less of Cecile's and Teddys storyline and a little bit more Langston and Cecile I Oulu have appreciated that a lot. However if this would have been two separate books I would have definitely picked Langstons story over Ceciles'.

Cecile seems overall to be mostly stuck and her character needed a long time to show some developement, whereas Langston really tried to find himself and follow his interests.


It is definitely an interesting read, but since I struggled so much with major parts of it I gave it 3 out of 5 stars (so right in the middle).

for a more indepth review please check out my blog (link in my profile).

[Leila Tualla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in parts of Canada that I will never visit, and part of New York that I can only dream of, this book, along with the 'will they/won't they' story line, this story is already wonderful. I love the humor, the wit, the charm of both Langston and Cecile. I could feel the energy emanating from the pages when they first met.

The thing that I will always gravitate to are stories with faith in its pages, and people that we may never relate to but they have the same testimonies and fears as us.
There are very few books that I've come across that I think, "aha, that's me!" I'm not a huntress. I'm not a seducer. I'm not even that nerdy for some hot guy to stumble into me. But aside from the immense musical talent, of which I do not possess one iota of, I saw myself in Cecile. (Also, I'm a total sloucher, and beauty is subjective no matter who you are, but this is less about physicality and more about people's motives, and personality). I could see the cracks in her Type A personality. I can remember the need to please God, but then remembering the pleasures of sin, and forgetting God just for a little bit.

I still remember accepting that my life, as it is, isn't a punishment from God.

I loved peering into Cecile's diary. I could see her naive faith grow and transform throughout the book.

I appreciate that Maria Corley took anxiety and guilt, and weave them in so slowly throughout the book. Society often depicts anxious depressed people in dark rooms, and clad in black. But, people with high functioning anxiety are always misunderstood as people pleasers, perfectionists, strong, emotionless, OCD...I could go on and on......

Ms. Corley, thank you, for this well written novel seemingly about two people doomed to be in the "star cross lovers" category. It was more than I thought it was. It was more than love. More than a book about faith, and music, and family. More than witnessing a broken soul.......it was about taking hold of all that we are: our faults, our sins, in being loved by God no matter what, and our anxieties, and trusting in our self, our place in the Universe,........and Letting go.

Take a bow, honey. This was a lovely read. *I received this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts, and opinions are my own.

[TDCbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Letting Go by Maria Thompson Corley

Genre: Romance

About the book: Boy meets girl. There are sparks and those sparks turn into a deeper connection. But complications turn up at every angle. Can they make it work?

Review: This story draws you in and you begin to feel a connection with the characters who seem so life-like. The story was straightforward but also kept you on your toes. I appreciated that it was written in a mashup of different styles which made for a more pleasant read.

Author Page/Website: http://www.mariacorley.com

Link where you can purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Letting-Go-Mar...

Overall Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4 out of 5 stars

[Linda Brendle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letting Go was a pleasure to read, from the great opening that draws the reader into the story immediately to the last page that leaves you smiling with satisfaction but still wanting more. Corley weaves together the lives of several young adults as they learn to deal with the conflicts between the expectations of their families and of society with their dreams and their ambitions. The story, however, focuses on Cecile who struggles when the morality she learned at home is at odds with her own desires. Throughout her life, she discovers that she must let go of what she thought she wanted in order to attain the life she wants for herself and her children.

Corley uses an unusual combination narrative, letters, journal entries, and emails to put the reader into the mind of characters that will come to life on the pages. Her sensual descriptions allow the reader to hear the music Cecile creates as she sits down at the piano, to smell and taste the delicious offerings Langston creates in the kitchen, to see the rolling waves and feel the sand as Cecile walks on the beach in Bermuda.

This is one of those books that keeps you turning pages but makes you sad when you come to the end. Hopefully, Corley will write again soon to let us know what happens next. Read Letting Go now so you’ll be ready for the sequel.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Certain scenes from this novel linger in my mind. With a sad marriage and a difficult love story at its heart, it moves through the life of its main character with sympathy and depth. The author refuses to neatly tie up the plot, and the ending defies expectations but is even more satisfying because of that.

[Kyleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book A LOT more than I expected to. It's not only a sweet slow burn romance, but it's hilarious and eye opening to cultures other than my own.
I would highly recommend this to those who love romance novels or those who are looking for a book with diverse characters.

[Kitty Igaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I loved the musician aspect! You don’t come across many books, at I least I haven’t, about classically trained musicians. The author was even kind enough to provide self recorded pieces that correlated with the story! An awesome treat for an ex musician. I enjoyed the parts about Julliard, the practice rooms in particular. I know how competitive the pianists were, they also had the best practice rooms at my school, and I remember the long hours spent in little boxes praying to get better with way too much music to learn…
Characterization was also good. Cecile and Langston both had demons to overcome whether they were parental, religious, bad choices made, or class related. It made the characters seem more real and down to Earth. The other romance that I read the characters were all so unbelievable, perfect this and perfect that, it was nice to see people who had struggles beyond a hair out of place. The side characters were fun and well thought out too, but the musicians were by far my favorite group, hey I could seriously relate to them!
The other cool part was the coming of age aspect of both main characters. You didn’t get a year or two with them like most stories. You got most of their life! From the end of high school to well into adulthood, we get to follow Cecile and Langston. We get to be the angel/demon on their shoulder as they go through life, and Cecil’s diary sections were a great glimpse into her true, unabridged thoughts.
It was a decent read so why three paws? A few things, first the sex stuff was a bit much for me. The book opens with Cecil being with a guy for the first time then struggling with him never calling her again and how much it will destroy her relationship with her parents if they ever found out. It was shocking for me, again I don’t read Romance, it was probably pretty tame compared to most in the genre but… Every time such scenes came up it threw me out of the book for a bit because I wasn’t expecting it, and frankly didn’t want to know.
Secondly, Cecil was incredibly apathetic about being accepted and attending Julliard. Conservatories are notoriously hard to get into, it is a big no matter what your focus is, and the teachers are no laughing matter. Her attitude at eighteen was horrible for a musician, it honestly doesn’t sound like someone who has studied with a private teacher for any length of time. Cecil doesn’t sound proud of her accomplishments, she also doesn’t sound like she wants to put in the work to be a musician; everyone plays etudes, students study them, pros warm up with them. She’s whining about being given a technical exercise that shouldn’t take more than ten minutes or so every time she sits down at the piano. Again, maybe I just need to suspend my disbelief more but I was a musician for many years, I did study music performance at Uni, four hours of practicing was nothing, crying while playing happened, not seeing the sun during winter happened! We were all freaking vampires, and only the singers seemed to have any sort of social life, the rest of us were locked in practice rooms.
Finally, it was hard to read at times because the characters could be so anti everything except for their own unique genetic makeup. Even Cecil was an outlier because she was “yellow” black, and Langston’s grandma hated that he worked as a busboy for a “white man” but I was under the impression the restaurant owner was of Italian or Mediterranean decent. You can’t lump every single person with “lighter” skin into one big ball of horribleness, it comes across as really hateful, seriously skewed, and made for an uncomfortable read at times. Characters were also seen as less because of what they wanted to do with their education. There is a scene near the beginning where Cecil’s new group of friends criticize one of the male singer’s of the group because he wants to sing opera on famous stages with famous conductors, i.e. Europe. The catch is, all or nearly all, classical (Medieval, Baroque, Romantic, Classical, etc) music is written by white guys. If you want to be a classical musician this is what you study and perform, if you want to sing opera you sing dead white dudes for the most part. This choice should not bring shame, and it was horrible to read that this kid’s friends would belittle him for not wanting to sing only “black” works. Musicians have a hard enough time with the backstabbing and pressure to always be better, they don’t need that kind of crap from “friends”.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letting Go: A Novel by Maria Thompson Corley Review

Rarely does a book capture the mind and heart in such a griping fashion as it does in Maria Thompson Corley's Letting Go: A Novel. A book filled
with tragedy, heartbreak, passion and hope, this wonderful novel explores themes of racism, drug abuse, toxic relationships and how the events
of our childhood can shape who we are as people. Here is the official synopsis:

Louise Caiola, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Making of Nebraska Brown, called LETTING GO "a smart and sexy story that captures the raw
essence of love. Heartfelt, haunting, tender, tough and true."

Even though she lives hundreds of miles away,
when Langston, who dreams of being a chef, meets Cecile, a Julliard-trained pianist, he is sure that his history of being a sidekick, instead
of a love interest, is finally over. Their connection is real and full of potential for a deeper bond, but the obstacles between them turn out
to be greater than distance. Can these busy, complicated people be ready for each other at the same time? Does it even matter? Before they can
answer these questions, each must do battle with the ultimate demon—fear.

Told in a witty combination of standard prose, letters, emails, and diary entries, LETTING GO, in the tradition of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's
AMERICANAH, is a long-distance love story that also examines race, religion, and the difficult choices we make following our passions. From the
Great White North to the streets of New York City to the beaches of Bermuda, LETTING GO is a journey of longing, betrayal, self-discovery and
hope you will never forget.

This book does a wonderful job of exploring the complicated process of growing up and experiencing life. Thoughtfully navigating the important
moments in a person's life, from the loss of their virginity to leaving home to further their education and the sometimes painful process of
falling in love, (or in some people's cases, difficulty falling in love). On a personal note, I found myself relating to the story of Cecile
especially. Without getting into spoiler territory, I have people close to me who I have witnessed going through similar relationship struggles
as Cecile, and this story really touched my heart and brought my emotions right to the surface, a feat books rarely accomplish for me.

One of the great things about this book is that the author, Maria Thompson Corley, is also a musician. One of the most ambitious and wonderful
things about this project is the classical music album that accompanies the book, and when combined together, it makes the story flow that
much more. Tracks such as Bach Fugue MASTER, Beethoven MM1 or Chopin MASTER help bring this book to life more.

The beautiful way this book is written, mixed with the important themes presented and the emotional impact of the characters, Letting Go: A Novel
is a wonderful read written by an amazing author who commands the written word with precision and grace. The story is culturally and emotionally
relevant to audiences of all ages. This is a thought provoking work of art, accompanied by beautifully played classical music that compliments
the book amazingly, and this is a book that deserves to be read. Be sure to pick up your copy of Letting Go: A Novel by Maria Thompson Corley
today!

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[Books Laid Bare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this was more than I was anticipating and slightly more of a directive than I thought, what I can’t deny is the fact that as far as a body of work goes this is as good as any I have read in a very long time.
The story revolves around Cecile, an immensely talented woman, studying in the primarily white domain that is the Classical piano program at the world-famous Juilliard. Now this is no place for someone with little expectation, and Cecile certainly doesn’t lack in either talent or aspiration because she is far from your run of the mill pianist, from a staunchly middle class background, she is not only witty but has more than enough sass to not only stand her ground but to also stand out.
I loved the fact the author was able to use a palette of diversity in the story, she didn’t allow ethnicity to be a determining factor, she injected enough characterisation into the story that the nationality of the character quickly became irrelevant ( well to me it did.) but she also creatively gave due respect to the day to day effects that the scourge of racism has, not only on the individual but also on society, she didn’t sugar coat things but kept the story at settings very real and that in turn allowed for the reactions to be realistic.
I thought that is style of writing meant that I was able to get a rounded view of those involved and as such I was able to form my own informed opinions and make up my own mind as to whether or not the characters were ones that I could not only take on board but trust.
As fabulous as Cecile was, the author didn’t just create one stand out character in this story, no she also gave us Langston and while he may have been slightly more subdued that Cecile, a little more reflective I found him completely fascinating, I think I would like to read his story.
Full of classical annotations and peppered with musical mentions, this is an intellectually stimulating read in so many way.
A cleverly engaging read which shows not only the characters but also the author in the best possible light.

[Stuart Aken · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters in this lengthy romance lead full and interesting lives. They’re an ethnically diverse group with a couple of the lead protagonists being West Indian. The narrative is set largely in New York and Canada and there are cultural references to these two countries that mean little to a UK reader who’s never visited those lands, but that’s not at all unusual.
It took me a long time to read this book, partly because I was engaged for much of the time in editing my own novel and used this romance as a way of leaving that intense world for a while.
I expected some different voices, but discovered only that the characters were described physically: I found little in the way of cultural, ethnic or socially historical reference to their backgrounds. Though the pervading air of ‘being different’ did seep through the text.
For me, engaging with characters is crucial to my enjoyment of a novel. In this work, though it’s well written and has an underlying good story, I was unable to engage with any of the people in its pages. I can’t fully explain why that should be the case; except that I was unable to feel with them, I was not involved.
There’s a good deal here for New Yorkers, for those in education and for those who dwell in the world of music.
The author has a lot to offer. I wondered if a more ruthless edit, some cutting of what seemed to me unnecessary description, might help the pace. It’s a long novel and would lose little by such reduction.
I’m sure many readers will thoroughly enjoy this book. I’m a little saddened I’m not one of them.

[Tinted Edges]

Check out my full review at: https://tintededges.com/2018/02/02/le...