The Upright Piano Player - by David Abbott (Paperback)

About the Book

As Henry faces retirement, his well-ordered life begins to unravel. His ex-wife is ill, his relationship with his son is strained to the point of estrangement, and on the eve of the new millennium he is the victim of a random violent act which soon escalates into harassment.

Book Synopsis

Henry Cage seems to have it all: a successful career, money, a beautiful home, and a reputation for being a just and principled man. But public virtues can conceal private failings, and as Henry faces retirement, his well-ordered life begins to unravel. His ex-wife is ill, his relationship with his son is strained to the point of estrangement, and on the eve of the new millennium he is the victim of a random violent act which soon escalates into a prolonged and mysterious harassment. Who is doing this? And why?

Full of exceptional grace and emotional power, The Upright Piano Player is a wise and acutely observed novel about the myriad ways in which life tests us--no matter how carefully we have constructed our own little fortresses.

Review Quotes

"[A] gripping novel, a reminder of how little control we have over our lives." --Los Angeles Times

"Wise and moving. . . . An accomplished novel of quiet depths and resonant shadows." --John Burnham Schwartz, author of The Commoner

"Stirring. . . . Abbott has created a memorable book, and readers will ache along with the principal characters." --San Francisco Chronicle

"Gracefully constructed and wholly consuming." --Associated Press

"Elegant, rich, and gratifying." --The Independent (London)

"The menace simmering beneath the surface of [The Upright Piano Player's] prose is compelling." --Daily Mail

"A powerful and well-written portrayal of loss and grieving." --Library Journal (starred review)

"A concise, haunting work, a short, brilliantly observed novel. . . . Fluid and elegiac, filled with somber, serious tones, the author's writing is reminiscent of the great Ian McEwan." --Curled Up With a Good Book

"Masterful." --The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)

"A beautifully constructed debut." --The Guardian (London)

About the Author

DAVID ABBOTT worked for forty years in the advertising industry as a copywriter and creative director. He was a founding partner of Abbott Mead Vickers, Britain's largest advertising agency. This is his first novel, and he is at work on his second.