Written in a lyrical, almost poetic style, Conroy relates the life of a child prodigy pianist from his impovershed beginnings to the height of his career as a wunderkind. But as the child becomes a man, he must face the dichotomy of his two worlds--upscale, post WW II New York where he is in demand as an oddity versus his own roots in poverty and neglect. As Claude Rawlings reaches adulthood, he attempts to build a bridge between both worlds with his music.
Conroy creates fully-realized characters, communicating his love of music simply but with powerful resonance. A great read.
