An extraordinary first novel that tells the story of a British piano tuner sent deep into Burma in the nineteenth century. In October 1886, Edgar Drake receives a strange request from the British War Office: he must leave his wife and his quiet life in London to travel to the jungles of Burma, where a rare Erard grand piano is in need of repair. The piano belongs to an army surgeon-major whose unorthodox peacemaking methods—poetry, medicine, and now music—have brought a tentative quiet to the southern Shan States but have elicited questions from his superiors. On his journey through Europe, the Red Sea, India, and into Burma, Edgar meets soldiers, mystics, bandits, and tale-spinners, as well as an enchanting woman as elusive as the surgeon-major. And at the doctor’s fort on a remote Burmese river, Edgar encounters a world more mysterious and dangerous than he ever could have imagined. Sensuous, lyrical, rich with passion and adventure, this is a hypnotic tale of myth, romance, and self-discovery: an unforgettable novel.
Download and start listening now!
"I loved this book! It draws you in with a sweet seduction. Keep aware of the beggining quote re The Lotus Eaters. Complicated and layered you will keep thinking of this book for awhile. Writing is supberb and it was written by a medical student while he was studying or interning. How is that possible?? I ask myself. The guy is brilliant and he wrote this when he was 22,23? I'm looking forward to A Far Country, another of his novels written about 4-5 years later."
— Phyllis (5 out of 5 stars)
" An interesting journey to another time and place. Was it hubris, love, or blind trust that led the protagonist to this place? "
— Christine, 2/20/2014" I enjoyed the historical component and reading about the beauty of Myramar. The ending didn't seem to fit with the rest of the novel. "
— Cally, 2/18/2014" Slow read, was pretty dissapointed with the ending. "
— Alyssa, 1/23/2014" Really enjoyed this book! It was mysterious, interesting, historical, passionate and had a very unusual premise. I thought the book may only appeal to men when I first picked it up but was wrong. Definitely recommend it. "
— Candice, 1/23/2014" Beautifully written book in Colonial Birma. The end was a bit of a deflation. Otherwise a wonderful descriptive book! "
— Mireille, 1/14/2014" I found this book quite heavy going. I wasn't particularly sure where the plot was going as it was slow moving. I finished it 12 hours ago and I'm still trying to work out exactly what it was about - colonialism, Darwinism, betrayal, misunderstanding, naievety? All of those, I suspect but written in such a way that I wasn't gripped. The historical aspect was interesting, especially the history of the piano itself, for me, but too slow to really hold my attention. "
— Sue, 1/12/2014" I read this book for both the Monterey Library Literary Circle and for another group. I loved it until the end, then was disappointed. "
— Dee, 1/12/2014" loved the setting in colonial Burma. plot reminded me of "heart of Darkness", but otherwise interesting read "
— Lauren.gavin, 1/8/2014" Oh. Well. I wanted this book to be better than it was. Mostly, I was confused and underwhelmed. It had the potential of being really good, but it wasn't. Lots of flowery descriptions but without substance or a real ending. Sigh. I seem to be going through a period of disappointing books right now. "
— Just, 12/27/2013" I'd probably rate this three and a half. I did enjoy it but sometimes felt it got a bit bogged down with detailed military manoeuvers within Burma in the 1800s. Loved the descriptions of his trip out to Burma and his impressions and reaction to the places he visited. "
— Jane, 12/19/2013" Almost didn't get through it. "
— Carol, 12/5/2013Daniel Mason is a physician and the author of several novel, which have been translated into twenty-eight languages and adapted for opera and theater. He was named the 2020 winner of the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. He is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, where he teaches courses in the humanities and medicine.
Graeme Malcolm was an actor and winning audiobook narrator who earned twelve AudioFile Earphones Awards. He has performed on Broadway as Pharaoh in Aida and as Sir Edward Ramsay in The King and I. His television appearances include Law & Order, Follow the River, and Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson (with Laurence Olivier). His film credits include A Further Gesture, The Adventures of Sebastian Cole, and Reunion.