Helen Plum Library

A surrealistic novel on a man who finds himself in a strange city, not knowing what he is doing there, but everyone seems to know him. What is more, he must be important because people ask him for favors. As he goes from encounter to encounter, the man discovers himself. By the author of The Remains of the Day.

Vonnegut's first novel spins the chilling tale of engineer Paul Proteus, who must find a way to live in a world dominated by a super computer and run completely by machines. His rebellion is a wildly funny, darkly satirical look at modern society

"From the author of the "original and electric" Braised Pork (Time), An Yu's enchanting and contemplative novel of music and mushrooms follows a former concert pianist searching for the truth about a vanished musician. For three years, Song Yan has filled the emptiness of her Beijing apartment with the tentative notes of her young piano students. She gave up on her own career as a concert pianist many years ago, but her husband Bowen, an executive...

"The music competition is in full swing, with both of Kosei's old rivals, the genius Takeshi Aiza and unstable prodigy Emi Igawa, energized by his return. When it's finally Kosei's turn, he lives up to his reputation, playing precisely and flawlessly at first. But before too long, the phantom of his mother reappears, casting him back in the dark, uncertain abyss"--Page 4 of cover

A memoir in which Anna Goldsworthy describes her experiences with Eleonora Sivan, the piano teacher who deeply impacted Anna's life with her encouragement and love of music

Unfolds the ongoing history and evolution of the piano and all its myriad wonders: how its very sound provides the basis for emotional expression and individual style, and why it has so powerfully entertained generation upon generation of listeners

"An intimate, revealing look at one artist's journey from self-censorship to full expression As one of the most celebrated musicians of our time, Alicia Keys has enraptured the nation with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions. Yet away from the spotlight, Alicia has grappled with private heartache-over the challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized...

"Anahera Rawiri left New Zealand at twenty-one, fleeing small-town poverty and the ghosts of her childhood with no plans to look back. But eight years later, she returns, seeking familiarity as respite from the shattered remains of her new life. And despite the changes brought on by a bump in tourism--the shiny new welcome sign at the town line and a decidedly less shiny new police presence--Golden Cove appears much as it ever was: a small settlement...

"A woman and her young son flee to a convent on a remote island off the Breton coast of France. Generations of seafarers have named the place de la Brume, or Fog Island. In a chapel high on a cliff, a tragic death occurs and a terrified child vanishes into the mist. The child's godmother, Maggie O'Shea, haunted by the violent deaths of both her husband and her best friend, has withdrawn from her life as a classical pianist. But then a recording of...