The Lost Encore

This historical romance embodies family memoirs and chronicles the journeys of the Konrad family through the life of Angele. Her love for singing classical numbers makes the novel a delightful find for any reader who recognizes the arias named or is curious about what a professional singing career entails. In addition, the detailed portrayals of various cultural markers or religious denominations-such as the Mennonites with their languages, customary habits and tastes, and common personality traits-are intriguing. Lastly, the novel also endeavours to capture the reality of grief over the death of a loved one, causing the reader to meditate on how one mourns over time and how one rises from life altering challenges.

When Katherine Konova, a radiant and talented Russian redhead, forsakes her figure skating medals for a career as a concert pianist, she falls for a charismatic but married conservatory professor in a life-changing relationship that will haunt her for years to come. From a family of poor factory workers, Katherine rises far above her station in life and moves to the United States with her successful-though-controlling husband, yet knowing in her heart that her soul mate is still out there. The Last Encore is an erotic tale of unspeakable passion, a sophisticated, timeless-but-modern romance laced with mysterious interconnections of love, conspiracy and fate.

This historical romance embodies family memoirs and chronicles the journeys of the Konrad family through the life of Angele. Her love for singing classical numbers makes the novel a delightful find for any reader who recognizes the arias named or is curious about what a professional singing career entails. In addition, the detailed portrayals of various cultural markers or religious denominations—such as the Mennonites with their languages, customary habits and tastes, and common personality traits—are intriguing. Lastly, the novel also endeavours to capture the reality of grief over the death of a loved one, causing the reader to meditate on how one mourns over time and how one rises from life altering challenges.

In this “heartrending, passionate, and surprisingly humorous account of the conjunction between art and death” (Andrew Solomon, New York Times bestselling author), acclaimed opera singer Charity Tillemann-Dick recounts her remarkable journey from struggling to draw a single breath to singing at the most prestigious venues in the world after receiving not one but two double lung transplants. Charity Tillemann-Dick was a vivacious young American soprano studying at the celebrated Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest when she received devastating news: her lungs were failing, her heart was three and a half sizes too big, and she would die within five years. Medical experts advised Charity to abandon her musical dreams, but if her time was running out, she wanted to spend it doing what she loved. In just three years, she endured two double lung transplants and had to slowly learn to breathe, walk, talk, eat, and sing again. With new lungs and fierce determination, she eventually fell in love, rebuilt her career, and reclaimed her life. More than a decade after her diagnosis, she has a chart-topping album, performs around the globe, and is a leading voice for organ donation. Weaving Charity’s extraordinary tale of triumph with those of opera’s greatest heroines, The Encore illuminates the indomitable human spirit and is “an uplifting story of overcoming significant odds to fulfill a dream” (Kirkus Reviews).