The Second Ending - by Michelle Hoffman (Paperback)

About the Book

"A former prodigy refuses to believe her best years are behind her in this sparkling debut about second chances, unexpected joys, and the miraculous healing power of art and connection. It's a lot of pressure being compared to Mozart. Especially when you're only five. Prudence Childs was once the most famous kindergartner on the planet. She played at the White House, appeared on talk shows, and inspired a generation of children to take up piano. But as adolescence closed in, Prudence began to see that she was just another exploited child star, pushed to unnatural limits by her attention-hungry grandmother. Convinced that her "genius" was mostly a scam, Prudence ran away-both from performing and from her greedy handlers-as soon as she was old enough to vote. This one act of rebellion came with a cost-soon, Prudence was flat broke and utterly alone. Desperate for cash, she took a job writing commercial jingles, which earned her a fortune, but left her creatively adrift. Now forty-eight, after decades of questioning her talent, Prudence is determined to prove she's never lost her musical genius by competing on a wildly popular TV show. Her on-air rival is virtuoso pianist Alexei Petrov, a stunning young Internet sensation with a massive audience and a dreamy Russian accent. But Alexei's many charms are near the end of Prudence's long list of problems. The biggest threat to her comeback-aside from her own wavering confidence-is her terrible ex-husband, Bobby, who has evidence that she plagiarized her first and most iconic commercial jingle. If Prudence doesn't give Bobby the money he wants, he swears he'll use her new spotlight to take her down for good. But throughout the course of this novel brimming with quirky magic, humor, and emotional depth, Prudence might just defy the breathtaking odds and her overwhelming self-doubt-and find that her star still burns bright"--

Book Synopsis

A former prodigy who refuses to believe her best years are behind her and a young virtuoso searching for his passion both get an unlikely shot at their dreams in this sparkling debut about second chances, unexpected joys, and the miraculous power of music.

Prudence Childs was once the most famous kindergartner on the planet. After teaching herself to play piano at age three, she performed at the White House, appeared on talk shows, and inspired a generation to take up lessons. But as adolescence closed in, Prudence realized that she was being exploited and pushed into fame by her cruel grandmother, so she ran away. Broke and alone, she took a job writing commercial jingles, which earned her a fortune but left her creatively adrift.

Now forty-eight, with her daughters away at school, Prudence agrees to compete on a wildly popular dueling pianos TV show to reconnect with her inner artist. Unfortunately, her new spotlight captures the attention of her terrible ex-husband, Bobby, who uses the opportunity to blackmail her over a long-buried secret. If she doesn't win, she won't just be a musical failure; she'll also be bankrupt and exposed in front of millions.

Her on-air rival, virtuoso Alexei Petrov, a young internet sensation with a massive audience and a dreamy Russian accent, has problems of his own. His demanding parents made him a technically flawless pianist but left him without friends, hobbies, or any kind of life outside his music.

As they prepare to face off onstage, the retired prodigy and the exhausted wunderkind realize that the competition is their chance to prove to their bad exes, tyrannical family members, and, most important, themselves that it's never too late to write a new ending.

Review Quotes

"The heartwarming, feel-good debut of the year."--J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of The Lager Queen of Minnesota

"To say I loved it would be an understatement; this was quite unlike anything I've read. The one-liners had me laughing nearly every page, and I found it so moving."--Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary

"Captivates the heart, right from the opening notes . . . thoroughly enjoyable, top-class entertainment."--Sarah Haywood, New York Times bestselling author of The Cactus

"Wild, witty, and bright. This is the novel for anyone who has ever wished they could reinvent their lives. I loved every page."--Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters

About the Author

Michelle Hoffman is a former arts and entertainment writer for The Arizona Republic. She began formal piano lessons at the age of five and now lives in Arizona with her husband, two spoiled Shih Tzus, and a very large piano.