Summary

The novel opens with an epigraph from the poet Rumi: “Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?”

In the Prologue, concert pianist Richard Evans plays to a sold-out audience. He loves the energy of a crowd, but while his playing remains technically flawless, he remains disconnected from the music. This feeling reminds him that his ex-wife, Karina, once told him “being married is more than wearing a ring” (2). As he bows before the audience, he reflects that he is loved by his audiences, but truly loved by no one.

One year later, Karina is on her way to a party, reflecting on the inevitability of her life. She grew up in Zabrze, Poland, and took piano lessons—which she loved from the first moment—from the local teacher instead of being groomed for the ballet or...