A Note Yet Unsung
By Tamera Alexander
Baker Publishing Group, 2017
In desperate need of work after returning home to Nashville after ten years of study in Vienna, talented musician Rebekah Carrington wrangles an audition with the new maestro at the Nashville Philharmonic and is promptly turned down – not because she lacks talent, but because she is a woman. Providence leads her to employment teaching violin to the daughter of the wealthy, influential Adelicia Cheatham, a most formidable woman in business and society. Not the job she wanted, but better than being a waitress or maid.
Nathaniel Tate Whitcomb is sorry to have to pass on such an incredible talent, but he is fully aware of the opinion the Philharmonic’s top donors would have if he were to allow a woman in his orchestra. But when he finds himself in need of a competent assistant in order to finish the symphony he must have composed by the grand opening of the new opera house, he is forced to ask Rebekah Carrington, who is not inclined to accept the position, given his abrupt and dismissive reaction to her audition.
Mrs. Cheatham makes it plain that she wishes for Rebekah to assist the maestro she is funding, and Rebekah begrudgingly obliges. She and Tate butt heads at every turn, but neither can deny that the other is talented. They form a tentative truce and things are looking up, until Rebekah begins to notice odd behavior from Tate. Will she be able to get to the bottom of his secret before both of their careers are demolished?
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I loved this book. The End.
No seriously, I loved it. I couldn’t put it down. An unlikely romance, set against the backdrop of a southern city struggling to repair the damage inflicted by the Civil War, A Note Yet Unsung addresses issues ranging from women’s suffrage to the importance of family loyalty, to the eternal truth that God is always good, even when you are walking through circumstances that feel unfair.
Tamera Alexander is one of my favorite authors. She puts so much detail into the different historical settings her novels take place in, and she portrays emotions so beautifully and realistically; I always think “That is exactly what I would be feeling in that situation, too.” I even came close to shedding a tear in chapter 30, which is highly unusual for my unemotional self.
Readers with musical experience will especially appreciate this book, though I believe it would be accessible to anyone who just enjoys historical fiction. I loved that the story took turns and the characters physically went to places that I wasn’t expecting, and the story culminated with a satisfying combination of worlds and dreams. This book is currently #1 on my floating list of best books of 2017, so pick up (or download) a copy and read it for yourself! Unless you are my oboe-loving mother, and in which case you can expect a copy to be gifted to you in the near future…