Love, secrecy, passion and devotion...

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee takes place in Hong Kong during two time periods, 1941-42 and 1952-1953. The reader gets a glimpse of pre-occupation Hong Kong through Will’s eyes and follows his story through the Japanese occupation. The reader then follows Claire, the young British piano teacher, as she teaches young Locket, the daughter of the wealthy Mr. and Mrs. Chen in the 1950s. The story glides back and forth between the two decades revealing Will’s life along with the Chen’s and other characters. The connections among several of the characters unfold as the book progresses.

The story is well written and the characters believable. Love, secrecy, passion and devotion are brought up through the various characters’ stories. The reader is challenged to determine how far one would go under stressful situations to survive and /or hold on to your integrity. What does bring happiness? What is love?

To find this book in the library, go to our website at www.newberglibrary.org

Reviewed by Denise