Annie has been in a very serious car accident and while she and her mother have survived, Annie has been badly hurt and now she can no longer play her precious flute. Music is her comfort and her identity. She is talented, a composer and did plan to attend a prestigious music school - but now it seems her dreams cannot come true.
Annie and her mother move to a smaller apartment because mum has lost her job - mainly because she had to spend so much time caring for Annie after the accident. Annie feels alone and displaced but one day she spies a young boy in the bushes below her building. When she investigates she discovers he is caring for a pair of blackbirds who have built a nest ready for a new clutch of eggs. The blackbirds are also rehearsing their own symphony. Noah discovers Annie's dream and he encourages her to try her music again.
The blurb hints at a tragedy and yes this does happen but that only adds that all important delicious layer of tension to the story and of course keeps readers turning the pages.
This book is a delightful discovery. It is a perfect story for a reader aged 9+ and especially for young readers who do not yet have very much reading stamina. In some ways this reads like a short story but in a single volume. It is only 97 pages with a few interspersed illustrations. It is also a book for readers who are interested and, as I am, also fascinated by birds. This is a very emotional story. I read the whole book in one short sitting.
I did enjoy an earlier book by Katya Balen - October October.
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