Every Note Played by Lisa Genova

An accomplished concert pianist, Richard received standing ovations from audiences all over the world in awe of his rare combination of emotional resonance and flawless technique. Every finger of his hands was a finely calibrated instrument, dancing across the keys and striking each note with exacting precision. That was eight months ago. Richard now has ALS, and his entire right arm is paralyzed. His fingers are impotent, still, devoid of possibility. The loss of his hand feels like a death, a loss of true love, a divorce—his divorce. He knows his left arm will go next. Three years ago, Karina removed their framed wedding picture from the living room wall and hung a mirror there instead. But she still hasn’t moved on. Karina is paralyzed by excuses and fear, stuck in an unfulfilling life as a piano teacher, afraid to pursue the path she abandoned as a young woman, blaming Richard and their failed marriage for all of it. When Richard becomes increasingly paralyzed and is no longer able to live on his own, Karina becomes his reluctant caretaker. As Richard’s muscles, voice, and breath fade, both he and Karina try to reconcile their past before it’s too late. This was a hard book to read for me. Not because it was bad but just because of the subject matter. While my father din't have ALS but had several bad strokes, it still felt too close to home for me. I could feel the emotions of him losing the ability to use his body, which was particularly hard for a world renowned pianist. The emotions of the people around him felt very real as well. The frustrations and helplessness of seeing someone you love becoming more and more dependent on you. Yes the book did follow the authors usual pattern but was one of her better stories. If you haven't heard the piano pieces mentioned throughout the book, please look them up on Youtube as they are amazing. I could never play Rachmaninov in my playing days so am always impressed by people who can. Apparently, he had strangely large hands which made it possible for him to stretch his fingers wider than the average person, hence allowing him to play and compose his pieces. Particularly look up Ravel's Piano Concerto for the left hand  and watch the full video. It is an amazing work of art.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJTUUKAdZDU&t=2s