Duet

By: Elise Broach, Ziyue Chen

Narrated by: Caroline Hewitt

A musically gifted bird, a piano-playing boy, and a real-life mystery involving three artistic geniuses

Welcome to the world of Mirabelle, a young goldfinch who loves to sing and dreams of becoming a musical star. She lives with her family in the backyard of a piano teacher, and she is quickly intrigued by Mr. Starek's newest pupil. Michael Jin is an eleven-year-old keyboard sensation, but lesson after lesson, he refuses to play. With the prestigious Chopin Festival looming at summer’s end, how will he be ready in time? Mirabelle is responsible for Michael’s breakthrough—to her own astonishment, she sings the Chopin piece he is beginning to play at the piano. It is their first duet.

Thus begins a secret adventure that will take Mirabelle and Michael further than they ever imagined—in music, in friendship, and in solving the mystery of a lost piano that could be worth millions. A house full of treasures holds the clues. There, Mirabelle, Michael, and their friend Emily will make an important discovery that links the great composer Frederic Chopin, the trailblazing author George Sand, and the French Romantic painter Eugene Delacroix.

A fast-paced, history-rich mystery will have young readers hooked as they root for boy and bird in this beautifully told novel, full of emotion and suspense.

Reading,piano music and research combined!

This was a sweet story about a young piano prodigy finding joy in his talent with the help of a bird. I loved learning about Chopin and finding and listening to his works on Spotify as I read this intriguing story.

Just Lovely!

What a sweet book. I felt myself smiling at the story, at the lessons being learned. There are not many books where I want to simply be in the location of the book and watch what is happening, up close. The narrator made it possible for me to feel that I was as close as I could be... or actually there!

The creativity of a Goldfinch narrating a story.

I liked the diversity of information: learning about: goldfinches; Chopin; the importance of showing up for the work that is necessary to achieve something; the importance of loving others; the beauty of ideas; and getting outside our own little box of thinking.

I would have liked having some Chopin music played in places during the story, and not only at the end, and what was played was not designated as to which piece it was.

Delightful

What a lovely, informative, entertaining book for adults and kids to enjoy. Learning about birds, music, love while being caught up in a great story replete with mysteries. Loved it.