Catching Mozart

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Friends JC, Manny, and Larry have worked together for the last ten years in a landscaping company they jointly own, but things aren’t going as well as they would like. However, when they get a job in Paradise Valley, they hope things will improve. There’s only one problem. The street where Mary Ann, their new client, lives is cursed, and no one believes they will be able to improve the garden. At the same time, JC takes his grandmother to the opera, where he falls in love with Mozart’s music as well as a soprano he meets there. His enthusiasm for this new music, and the Mozart effect, just might change his life and the lives of those around him.

Somehow, I knew right from the first page that this was going to be a fun story. JC, Manny, and Larry were likable, sympathetic, true friends who could joke and tell each other hard truths when needed. I couldn’t help but get totally absorbed in this story and immediately drawn into their problems. In fact, the author created such excellent dialogue and issues within the story that I could forget what was going on in my life for a while and enjoy living through his characters. I loved the addition of the three children, Karla, Joey, and Xavier. Their antics made me chuckle more than once.

What makes this such a fantastic read is that it goes a bit deeper than just the relationships between the friends. It was very much a dual tale that allowed me to appreciate the effect of music on our lives. I really enjoyed that the author provided lots of background information about Mozart and his life. And yes, I did find myself having to put on a little music while reading. It was simply impossible not to.

I loved the way Benjamin Laskin used the Mozart effect to illustrate how JC and the others were inspired and able to change their lives, especially when the odds seemed stacked against them. I also think it will inspire others to listen to a little Mozart and understand how something uplifting can inspire creativity and hope in the future. Catching Mozart is one of those stories that will stay with me for a while. The ability to weave the ideas of friendship and creativity into this satisfying story is just one of the reasons I hope to be able to read more by this author in the future.


Reviewed By:

Author Benjamin Laskin
Star Count /5
Format eBook
Page Count 342 pages
Publisher Self-published
Publish Date 07-Nov-2021
ISBN B09L6XZH68
Bookshop.org Buy this Book
Issue November 2021
Category Popular Fiction
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