Broken Chords

by Barbara Snow Gilbert

At seventeen, Clara Lorenzo seems to have everything--brains, beauty, and an extraordinary talent for the piano. Her parents have provided her with the finest teacher and rearranged their lives to nurture Clara's genius, and Clara has worked hard--to the point of obsession--to develop her talent. But Clara's many gifts and her obsessive practicing have hidden the truth, a truth so startling that it takes an important piano competition, the confusions of first love, and a mysterious Russian folktale for Clara to begin to understand. By the time she fully sees her predicament, events have taken on a powerful momentum of their own. Winner of the Oklahoma Book Award, Broken Chords is a romance acted out in the highly charged world of an internationally renowned piano competition. Told with suspense, artistry, and an appreciation of the ever-tightening pressures that hold Clara captive, Barbara Snow Gilbert weaves the themes of self-awareness, family bonds, and courage in a classic coming-of-age story that is as lyrical as the music at its heart.

Genres: Young Adult, Music, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

188 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 1998

About the author

Barbara Snow Gilbert is an attorney, mediator, and an award-winning author. As a political science major with a minor in art history, Ms. Gilbert studied in Florence, London, and Washington, D.C., and graduated with a B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Colorado College. She worked on various political staffs, including that of the Speaker of the House of the U.S. Representatives and the Governor of Oklahoma, then attended law school and received her Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from the University of Texas.

Ms. Gilbert is married and has two daughters. She is a lifetime student of the piano, which she studied in the University of Michigan Division of Interlochen National Music Camp, and at Colorado College. She is fourth generation Oklahoman on both sides of her family tree, and proudly claims her heritage back to territorial days. Ms. Gilbert lives in Oklahoma City.

Reviews

[ஐ♥☠Brįttåny☠♥ஐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i thought this was a good book but i didnt really like the end that much.. but i do encourage that people read it cause all in all in was a very captivating story.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clara is a teenage prodigy pianist, competing for a prestigious scholarship to Julliard. Her parents and teacher pressure her to push her skills to the limit, practicing for hours each day, digging deep inside herself for the talent and artistry needed to win. But Clara is unsure whether a career in piano is where her passion lies. She enjoys dancing in the ballet, and finds a joy in dancing that she has lost in her piano playing. However, she isn't a professional level dancer, and there is no future for her in ballet. She is intrigued by a fellow competitor, Marshall, flirting with him in her own serious way, and the two form a precarious romantic relationship based on their love of the piano.

I didn't exactly like Clara's character. I liked that she is serious, sensitive, and a deep-thinker. But she has no spark or energy. (I think she's actually depressed throughout most of the book, but she doesn't realize it until the end. There is no mention of her being depressed, but the way she coasts through her days without any joy, checking off the to-do list of her obligations to other people, sounds like high-functioning depression.)

The plot is good with some suspense about the outcome of the competition and the repercussions for Clara's future career and her relationships with her family. There is a lot of emotional tension in Clara's family, since her parents are both professional musicians and they expect a lot from her. It was wonderful to see those relationships changing as Clara develops her own identity separate from her parents expectations.

There is one thing in this book that really weirded me out. Clara has a very strange relationship with her piano teacher, a Russian pianist nicknamed Tashi. Apparently, the teacher, an elderly woman, is an old family friend who is very close with Clara's parents. So close that Clara actually goes to spend the night at her teacher's house! I mean, I don't care how close a family friend you are, that is just weird. And then the other competitor, Marshall, doesn't have anywhere to stay for the Thanksgiving holiday, and stays with Tashi at her home for the holiday. I mean, she's old enough to be his grandmother, but she's also his teacher! Where is the professional distance? That would be so awkward and inappropriate. I found it unrealistic. Music teachers do tend to work very closely with students, especially if they are preparing for a major event like a competition, but that is just ridiculous.

The best thing about this story is the way it describes musicians and how passionate they are about their music, how it feels to prepare for a performance, how musicians think and contemplate the music they play. That part was very powerful and real, but the rest of the story is just okay.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A real quick, easy read.

Unfortunately, it was nothing special.
The characters were alright. The story was alright. The writing was alright.

I guess I wish that they had gone a little bit more in depth with some of the characters and their emotions. There were times where it felt a little clunky or that a scene could have explained things a bit better.

I guess the one thing that was pretty good about this was the way the music was described... at times. Most of the time you could almost imagine the notes in your head, but others times it seemed to get a little too technical, but I suppose at those times that was the point.

The ending was also a little awkward. It seemed like they wrapped up the Marshall thing pretty quick. I don't know. Then again I guess their relationship was rather quick as well; a fitting end.

[Eileen Winfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling look at what it takes to be truly good at something. What are you without your "thing"? I might not select this book.

[Mariam]

I think it is a beautiful book and it has an exciting story

[Nanci · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA book was ok. Not great, but appropriate for teens. I read it for part of a GR challenge.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broken Chords was a fantastic YA book. I didn't expect to love it as much as I did, as I don't read a lot of YA books. The emotions that Clara feels and the amount of pressure she feels is all too common. Almost all teens feel the pressure to live up to their parents dreams for them. Barbara Snow Gilbert did a great job of bringing you a long on Clara's struggles, you not only feel her pain but it reminds you of pain you yourself have felt at one point in time, making it all the more real. It was a beautifully written book, one that I couldn't put down.


My Rating: I am giving Broken Chords a rating of Five Stars. The characters were very personable and the story line on a whole was very believable. If you have the chance I urge you to pick this one up!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clara has played the piano ever since she can remember ... it's always been her life ... far from the "normal" high school life. As she prepares for the biggest competition of her life, she begins to have doubts about her calling. Does she want the life of a concert pianist? Then she meets Marshall, another piano contestant, who has such passion and joy when she plays. Has she ever known that feeling? As Clara pushes toward an answer, she must do so with the knowledge that her conductor mother has always dreamed of Clara becoming a concert pianist. But her long time teacher, Tashi, gently guides her to an understanding of her own mind with the help of a Russian folktale.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This struck a chord (no pun intended) with me because as something of a perfectionist myself, part of me is envious of her extreme talent. Who cares if you love it, you're good at it! Life: decided. But the author did an extraordinary job of showing the character's inner conflict and making me feel sorry for the fact that she felt like she couldn't pursue her own interests for fear of disappointing others. That's very me as well.

[Kim Benouski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this YA book, although it isn't easy to get students to want to pick up a book about a pianist. The pressure from parents theme is common; however, I like that it's for something like piano, not sports. Also, the romance aspect is well done, and I love the outcome of that as it makes the book more realistic, although kids might not like it as they want happily ever after.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading this book, it's been about two years since I first picked it up. Still how I remember it. Amazing, and relatable to my own life as a musician/dancer. This book really is one of my favorites. =)

[Femmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't remember much about the story, but I do remember enjoying the description of music in it, like when the protagonist plays a classical work on the piano with a boy she has a crush on.

[Elisabeth Petty]

Interesting book for those that play the piano. I read this a while ago, but I remember really liking it.

[Umma]

I read this when I was young, dumb and innocent... Why is why I rated it so highly!