The Forgotten Sonata
This story opens in the hallowed halls of Cambridge, where history scholar Oliver Beale receives a battered journal from his aunt, tempting him to discover what happened to their ancestor, a British officer who disappeared in the War of 1812. He becomes obsessed with solving the mystery, putting his own studies in jeopardy. Meanwhile, flashbacks introduce Lieutenant William Beale as he composes letters to the woman he longs to marry and experiences the terrors and tedium of war. At the surrender of Fort Detroit, William encounters a former schoolmate who is not only spying for the enemy, but also harboring a deadly grudge. As present-day Oliver struggles with the ups and downs of his relationship with fellow scholar Sara Nakashima, they hunt down military records, letters and an unpublished sonata dedicated to the elusive W, which sets them on the trail of William and his nemesis.
This novel richly details the daily lives of soldiers, the role of indigenous tribes in the War of 1812, and the confusion felt by fighters on both sides as they encountered former schoolmates at the end of their bayonets. It also explores the challenges of graduate study at Cambridge, as Oliver struggles with the temptations and pitfalls of pursuing his passion while meeting rigorous academic standards. The author’s talent for weaving a mountain of facts into a compelling story makes academic research feel as fascinating as a police procedural, while also touching on issues such as academic ethics and women’s continuing struggle for recognition.
Perhaps future volumes of this trilogy will allow readers more of a front row seat at the scenes and events that inspire the characters’ passion and devotion, breathing a little more life into the well-written, but slightly distancing, narratives playing out inside their heads.
