Daughters of Song

In this debut novel, rich in the beauty of music, a young piano prodigy struggles to understand Beethoven and her own life. At a conservatory in Baltimore, Sylvia studies piano with the venerable Cornelius Toft, whose disapproval of her efforts to play Beethoven’s Opus 111 seems somehow related to her inability to grow up, both as an artist and a human being. In Daughters of Song, Paula Huston weaves together Sylvia’s story with the stories of Toft’s other students: the famous Moon Ja Koh, a world-class concert pianist who is all too aware of the detrimental effects of success on her personal life; Peter, classically trained yet drawn more to the beat of jazz; Jan, who loves the romantic music of Franz Liszt; and Brandon, handsome, accomplished, and Toft’s favorite. Sylvia is sustained by her genuine passion for the piano, the counsel of teacher Katerina Haupt, and the aggravating but loyal companionship of her Ukrainian roommate, Marushka.

Recognition and Awards

Paula Huston is not a musician. Her sister, pianist Christina Dahl, acted as technical advisor during the writing of this book, which was nominated for the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco’s Gold Medal for Best First Novel, selected by the Music Book Society and Performing Arts Book Club, and chosen for the Christian Science Monitor’s original "Novelist’s Debut" review.

Read an excerpt or browse the reviews.