Clinkerstone

by Michael Kearns

Sean Gallagher, a talented musician, leaves his remote fishing village in Ireland to find work in Chicago. But as circumstances conspire against him, he ends up busking on the streets, whereupon his violin is stolen, triggering an attack of epilepsy that lands him in hospital. Here he encounters Charles Peccatte, an imbalanced, pianist/composer with a brain tumor. What follows is an extraordinary meeting of minds -this culminating when Sean helps him to complete the final movement of a piano sonata. Following Charles's death, Sean is compelled to find the rest of the sonata, a journey that leads him into the American south and to Marion Landray -while threatening to unlock a momentous episode from his own formative years.

214 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 9, 2015

Reviews

[Mari LivTollefsonCarlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Their paths converge when an epileptic seizure lands a violinist in the hospital beside a dying pianist. The violinist's search for his new friend's composition manuscript becomes a search into both their pasts, with an eye toward a better future. Parents and siblings lost in war, missing instruments, love gone awry, and checkered careers make this a non-stop adventure, with gardening and recuperation respites. Follow fate along the Mississippi, from Chicago to the deep South and immerse yourself in the pursuit of artistry as life lived large.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift from a musician friend. The writing is good, and superb in places, but the author's skill in maintaining the reader's interest is what struck me as outstanding. There was always more that I wanted to know, urging me to continue reading long past my bedtime. There were plenty of unexpected twists as well, and some skillful interweaving of story lines. Well worth reading for the sheer enjoyment of a good story!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Great story line. Full of fresh ideas.

[John Burrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Music, gardening, and life

This is a good story, and I wished it was longer. It would appeal particularly to anyone with an interesting in violins piano music and or gardens.