Gone: A Girl, a Violin, a Life Unstrung - Softcover

Kym, Min

Softcover

ISBN 10: 024197741X ISBN 13: 9780241977415

Publisher: Penguin, 2018

Synopsis

'All my life my Stradivarius had been waiting for me, as I had been waiting for her . . .'

At 7 years old Min Kym was a prodigy, the youngest ever pupil at the Purcell School of Music. At 11 she won her first international prize. She worked with many violins, waiting for the day she would play 'the one'. At 21 she found it: a rare 1696 Stradivarius, perfectly suited to her build and temperament. Her career soared. She recorded the Brahms concerto and a world tour was planned.

Then, in a train station café, her violin was stolen. In an instant her world collapsed. She descended into a terrifying limbo land, unable to play another note.

This is Min's extraordinary story - of a young woman staring into the void, wondering who she was, who she had been. It is a story of isolation and dependence, of love, loss and betrayal, and the intense, almost human bond that a musician has with their instrument. Above all it's a story of hope through a journey back to music.

'The hours fell away as I read this spellbinding tale of love, loss and above all devotion to art' - Susan Cain, author of international bestseller Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

About this title

Review:

I loved Gone. It will stay with me for a long time (Cerys Matthews)

A remarkable and original memoir . . . thrilling (Barbara Ellen Observer)

Intense, elegiac and completely mesmerizing ... a beautifully pitched memoir which hits many different registers (The Bookseller (Book of the Month))

Riveting . . . her story of bereavement and resilience, and the determination to pursue one's art no matter what obstacles stand in one's way, is as enchanting as Kym's recording of a Brahms concerto (Glamour)

A remarkable story of love and loss . . . Also a gripping thriller that contains a hint of scandal, as well as money, villains and a secret (Helen Davies Sunday Times)

Fascinating . . . a tragic musical love affair . . . told in admirably lucid and uncluttered prose (Adam Sweeting The Arts Desk)

Riveting . . . her story of bereavement and resilience, and the determination to pursue one's art no matter what obstacles stand in one's way, is as enchanting as Kym's recording of a Brahms concerto (Harper's Bazaar)

A movingly uncertain memoir of obsession, love and loss . . . Kym has an easy, elegant way of describing music (Financial Times)

Deeply moving (Sarah Foot Daily Mail)

This book makes for a devastating but ultimately redemptive read. It is much more than a story about a lost violin: it is about who we are, how we love, how we grieve (Clemency Burton-Hill Mail on Sunday)

About the Author:

South Korean born and raised in the UK, Min Kym began playing the violin at the age of six. At seven she was accepted as the youngest ever pupil at the Purcell School of Music; at 16 she was the youngest ever foundation scholar at the Royal College of Music. The legendary conductor George Solti said she had 'exceptional natural talent, mature musicality and mastery of the violin'. In 2010 she recorded the Brahms Violin Concerto with Sir Andrew Davis and the Philharmonia Orchestra. She was the first ever recipient of the Heifetz Prize, and is a goodwill ambassador for the city of Seoul.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 024197741X
• ISBN 13: 9780241977415
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256