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A taut, sultry new novel of obsession and rivalry set in the concert halls and ballet theaters of 1950s France.
Max Kitson is a world-renowned pianist, and his twin sister, Natasha, is his manager and minder. But when, in 1957, at age 20, the former prodigy begins making uncharacteristic mistakes, he abruptly cancels his latest world tour. Without consulting Natasha, Max arranges to stay in the home of an enigmatic French patron, never realizing that Henri has been his sister's lover.
Over the course of one summer, Natasha's long-simmering resentments and Max's deep insecurities drive the siblings apart as each vie for Henri's attentions. But neither twin can have their host entirely to themselves, because while, during the day, Henri woos Natasha with lavish gifts and trips to the ballet, it's Max's music that draws Henri from bed each night.
Gorgeously and grippingly written, Crescendo is an unforgettable escape with the pacing of a thriller and the depths of a family saga.
"A bittersweet tale of a love triangle in 1950s Paris...Those who enjoy a romance with a caustic edge will take to this searing work." —Publishers Weekly
"Healey depicts the decadence of late 1950s Paris in cinematic prose...Recommend to fans of evocative, atmospheric historical fiction like Yael van der Wouden's The Safekeep." —Booklist
"This stylish, passionate novel transports you to the gilded salons and concert halls of 1950s Paris, with two gorgeous twins, a count, and a dancer who make each big moves and mistakes for love. But the book's greatest question revolves around genius-how to grow it, to keep it, to not lose everything for its sake-and every page in Crescendo builds to its haunting and resounding answer." ―Maria Hummel, author of Still Lives and Goldenseal
"An enthralling literary symphony of ambition, desire, and obsession, Jane Healey's Crescendo captures the creative and destructive power of art with prose so immersive you'll feel like you're watching an Oscar-worthy film play in your head." ―Layne Fargo, bestselling author of The Favorites and They Never Learn
This information about Crescendo was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jane Healey has a BA (Hons) from Warwick University, an MSc in Literature & Modernity from Edinburgh University, and studied on the MFA Fiction course at CUNY Brooklyn College. Her short stories have been shortlisted for the Costa Short Story Award, the Bristol Prize, and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. She lives in London, and previously wrote Historical Debut Novel Award winner The Animals at Lockwood Manor and The Ophelia Girls.
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