It seems that the legendary composer Franz Schubert is aliveโwell, sort ofโin the twenty-first century: His soul has taken up residence in the body of Brooklyn lawyer Liza Durbin. Even more astonishing, so has his prodigious gift. A mediocre pianist at best as a child, Liza can suddenly pound out concertos and compose masterly music out of the blue. But how can a brilliant male Austrian composer from the nineteenth century coexist in the everyday life of a modern American woman? And how can Liza explain whatโs happened to her without everyone thinking sheโs gone off the deep end?
Fortunately, the evidence is tangible, and Liza is soon brought into the esteemed halls of Juilliard under the tutelage of the reveredโand fearedโGreta Pretsky, a humorless woman whose only interest in Liza is her channeling of Schubert. Gretaโs greedy for her next big star, and the entire New York City press is whispering of Lizaโs brilliance as the public awaits her debut at Carnegie Hall. Even Lizaโs boyfriend, Patrick, seems more in love with her than ever.
Yet as Liza yields to Franzโs great passion, her own life and identity threaten to elude her. Why was she chosen as the vessel for this musical geniusโand when, if ever, will he leave? Their entwined souls follow a path of ecstasy, peril, and surprise as they search for the final, liberating truth.
A strikingly original novel, Sleeping with Schubert plays on years of speculation regarding Franz Schubertโs โUnfinished Symphony.โ Bonnie Marsonโs extraordinary imagination supposes that Schubert cannot truly die until the mystery is solvedโeven if it means being resurrected in the body of a deceptively ordinary woman. Filled with drama and humor, this irresistible novel explores love, genius, and identity in ways that will engage and amaze readers.