Lev's Violin

Utterly enthralling - a beautifully written voyage of discovery that takes us deep into the heart of music-making. – Deborah Moggach * author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel *
A beguiling quest that draws its author from the Italian heartland of the violin to the edge of Asiatic Russia, told with a passion that is at once gentle and compelling. – Colin Thubron * author of To a Mountain in Tibet *
Elegant and ambitious … Attlee pursues her story with honesty, diligence and open-mindedness … An original and refreshingly unorthodox approach to history * Guardian *
Attlee’s love and unbounded enthusiasm for Italy shine through the pages … She writes with zest about her sleuthing odyssey, her investigations into the art of lutherie and the dynasties dedicated to the crafting of these delightful objects. Whether it be a distant family history, the timber forests of the Dolomites or a momentary encounter, Attlee captures it in firm, fresh prose. – Graham Elliot * Spectator *
Attlee writes with rare beauty and sensitivity about music, and her love of Italian culture positively sings from the pages … Deeply absorbing – Kate Wakeling * BBC Music Magazine *
In limpid, searching prose, Helena Attlee shows us how music can cast spells but also bridge the distance of centuries. – Marina Benjamin * author of The Middlepause *
Charming and original … Attlee has the natural storyteller’s gift. – Stephen Walsh * author of Debussy *
Charming … Attlee tells the story in easy, luminous prose, infused with a deep understanding for the way human value accrues mysteriously in things, and in the act of making them * Telegraph *
Reading Lev’s Violin is like listening to a fine instrument: thoroughly relaxing but also exciting, fun yet deeply serious … with constant surprises and charms – Tobias Jones * author of The Dark Heart of Italy *
Illuminating, engrossing … a wide-ranging exploration of the history and cultural significance of the Italian violin * TLS *

Helena Attlee is the author of the award-winning Sunday Times bestseller The Land Where Lemons Grow. She has worked in Italy for much of her life, and it has been the inspiration for many of her books.

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