Saskia has returned home after her mother’s death, faced with memories and fears that she buried a long time ago. But now that he mother’s house has been left to a man that she has a history with, she has to face what happened all those years ago. Her pay as a piano prodigy, a girl who never fit in, who constantly struggled with her relationship with her mother, and the complicated history with an abuser all combine to question the depths of feminism, and how far someone will go to prove herself.

I had complicated feelings about this book. Described as My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen’s Gambit, the relationships with men and her love/hate relationship with her talent are very clear. There are for sure trigger warnings for sexual abuse of a minor, grooming, and a dark predatory overall theme. But there was also lightness interspersed with the fairy tales her mother had written from a feminist perspective that also made me smile. I have some unanswered questions as well. I believe there’s more than one predator of the story, and I feel bad for Saskia’s constant abuse coming from many directions, at childhood and as an adult. 

Overall, I’d give it a 3.5, and I’d recommend it for fans of My Dark Vanessa that can handle the tough dark themes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book is so well done. While the beginning was a wee bit slow, keep going and you will be rewarded exponentially! The plot was well thought out. Back stories were excellently sprinkled through the novel, and the characters were very well developed. I highly recommend this book. It is one of few books that I could not manage to figure out what was going to happen.