The Lost Melody

By Joanna Davidson Politano

Book Overview

"Haunting. Riveting. Filled with hope."--Michelle Griep, author of Lost in Darkness

When concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant's father dies, he leaves to her the care of a patient at Hurstwell Asylum. Vivienne had no idea the woman existed, and yet her portrait is shockingly familiar. When the asylum claims she was never a patient there, Vivienne is compelled to discover what happened to the figure she remembers from childhood dreams.

The longer she lingers in the deep shadows and forgotten towers at Hurstwell, the fuzzier the line between sanity and madness becomes. She hears music no one else does, receives strange missives with rose petals between the pages, and untangles far more than is safe for her to know.

But can she uncover the truth about the mysterious woman she seeks? And is there anyone at Hurstwell she can trust with her suspicions?

Joanna Davidson Politano casts a delightful spell with this lyrical look into the nature of women's independence and artistic expression during the Victorian era--and now.

"Darkly premised and brilliantly presented. The Lost Melody serves a pitch-perfect blend of history, romance, mystery, and faith."--Booklist starred review

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0800736915
• ISBN13: 9780800736910
• Release Date: October 2022
• Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

beautiful and haunting

"There is no such thing as hopeless cases. Only those who have lost hope." Once again, Joanna Davidson Politano captures a haunting, melodic first person voice of a concert pianist and melds it beautifully with a soulful, hurting third person voice of a doctor in a memorable tale of faith, justice, and the power of music set in a Victorian asylum of 1886 England. It is more gothic than her previous novels and the setting of an asylum is not an easy one but it's so worthwhile to read. The undercurrent of mystery woven through the book is seamless and well-done; though not a suspense or mystery, per se, the plot will definitely have you turning the pages with anticipation as pieces click into place. If you enjoy historical Victorian fiction with a dash of romance, you will absolutely love this book. Vivienne's musically-centered heart and soul were fascinating to learn from and her passion for helping the oppressed women was admirable. Mitchell's broken yet hopeful spirit was quite the drawing point for this wonderful hero. Their spiritual journey was rocky and painful, but the growth it produced was remarkable. And there were some surprises, for sure - in cameo appearances of characters from a previous book and also in the ending where we find all the answers. I received the book from the publisher via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

Haunting, touching, and beautifully written.

This was beautifully written and hard to put down. As always, it is obvious that this author has thoroughly researched the subjects she writes about and is committed to telling a story with both depth and heart. The story begins with a gothic flare as Vivienne finds she has been committed to a remote pauper's asylum for the mentally ill, under a false name and with no recollection of how she got there. As the details of her arrival unravel, the story takes a turn and becomes a more touching tale of a privileged young woman who develops empathy and compassion for the less fortunate and the mentally ill. While caring for, befriending, and even depending on the other patients to help her investigate the cause of her circumstances, she discovers the brutality and neglect that patients endure in the asylum and becomes determined to improve their circumstances. Vivienne's passion for music is woven throughout the story and is a significant part of the finale. I was most pleasantly surprised to see appearances from the characters in her last novel, A Midnight Dance, near the end. I would highly recommend this book.