Liszt's Kiss
by
Susanne Dunlap
The romantic story of a
young female pianist in
cholera-ravaged Paris of 1832, whose
own tragedy leaves her susceptible
to the passions and scandals of the
composer Franz Liszt
At the height of the Romantic era
in Paris, there was no bigger
celebrity than the composer and
pianist Franz Liszt. A fiery and
gorgeous Hungarian, he made women
swoon at soirees and left a trail of
broken hearts behind him. Anne, a
countess and talented young pianist
whose mother has just died of
cholera, hears Franz Liszt in
concert and is swept up in his
allure. The enigmatic Marie d'Agoult,
a friend of Anne's late mother,
takes her under her wing and
introduces her to the artistic world
-- despite the objections of Anne's
sullen and sorrowful father.
Anne soon finds herself in the
midst of dangerous intrigues,
discovering a family secret so
shocking that her father will go to
any lengths to protect it.
With the ominous presence of
Paris's most deadly epidemic looming
over every turbulent event,
Liszt's Kiss is a rich evocation
of a remarkable period as seen
through the eyes of a sensitive
young artist.
Reviews:
From
Booklist
Set in Paris in 1832 during a deadly
cholera outbreak, Dunlap's novel
revolves around young Anne de
Barbier-Chouant, who has just lost
her mother to the disease. Living in
solitude with her stern father, Anne
is a gifted pianist who longs to
make her way in the musical world
her mother was so enchanted by.
Opportunity knocks in the form of
the elegant Marie d'Agoult, a friend
of her mother's who chaperones Anne
to her first concert. There Anne
first lays eyes on the handsome,
impassioned Franz Liszt and falls
under his spell. Liszt, who has
decided to pursue the married Marie,
offers to teach Anne and hone her
skills. Forced to work around Anne's
exacting father, Marie enlists the
help of a handsome young doctor who
is taken with Anne to find out the
secrets the girl's father is
keeping. Dunlap immerses readers in
the sights, smells, and feel of
Romantic-era Paris, making her
engrossing novel perfect escapist
fare. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library
Association. All rights reserved
About the Author:
Susanne Dunlap
has had a varied career, writing
advertising copy for agencies in New
York and London, serving as marketing
director for arts organizations, and
most recently serving as Director of
Development for Connecticut Opera.
After graduating
from Smith
College in 1976,
Susanne moved to
London, where she
lived for ten years.
She returned to New
York with her
children in 1986,
and soon after that
started graduate
school.
A lifelong writer, Susanne turned to
historical fiction after finishing her
PhD in music history at Yale
University in 1999. She saw it as a
way to bring her deep love of music and
history to a wider public. Susanne is
the mother of two wonderful, adult
daughters, and has lived with her
significant other in Northampton, MA for
the past seventeen years.
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