Sonata for Miriam by Linda Olsson

ISBN-13: 9780143114703
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: February 2009
287 pgs

I was first introduced to Linda Olsson's beautiful prose after reading her debut novel, Astrid & Veronika, published two years ago. I remember I had an enjoyable reading experience with that book so when I saw Sonata for Miriam on display, I told myself I have to get it.

Like her first novel, Linda Olsson has once again explore the beauty yet complexity of human relationships. This time around, she has cleverly crafted an unforgettable story about loss and finding one's identity, using repressed memories and history the basic structure in Sonata for Miriam.

Upon discovering a discarded hair clip one day, this brings violinist Adam Anker aching memories of his daughter, Miriam, and the accident that took her away from him. Bringing back to the past, he remembers his discovery of a photograph bearing his name and the plea for information attaching to it among the documents and mementos supplied by Jewish refugees at the Holocaust Gallery in the Memorial Hall.

Traumatized by the loss of his daughter, it took him a year before he decided to pick up where he left and contact the elderly woman who had left the note beside the photograph. Thereafter it begins his journey of searching his past and he will get acquainted with two men who would be able to shed some light regarding his past as well as the truth behind his family secret through some mysterious photographs and a pile of unopened letters.

In the last quarter of this book, Linda Olsson then shift the perspective towards Miriam's mother, Cecilia, and readers will get to know more about her past relationship with Adam and how a decision made changed both their life thereafter. Initially I had question about the change of perspective but as I read further, I realized her story is interwoven with Adam's and how this will attribute to the overall of this story.

Reading Sonata for Miriam is like a roller coaster ride to me; this book is full of emotions but there is nothing too depressing about this story; the atmosphere surrounding this story is just right and I could feel Adam's grief and loss under Linda Olsson's skilful writing and the way she constructed the words like a sonata, so beautiful and alluring that I find myself lost in them.

Most memorable quote:

Memories are unreliable. I carry memories that are now so worn I can't possibly tell if they are accurate.

Other reviews:
Debbie's World of Books
S. Krishna's Books
(Let me know if I have missed yours.)