The Mozart Season (1991) by Virginia Euwer Wolff
A young adult novel about the struggle to win a music competition.
“Her season of discovery—of Mozart, her own roots, and the creative balance between life’s traumas and trivia—marks a fine achievement.” – Kirkus Reviews
“During [the main character’s] final performance, as she plays, she envisions her great-grandmother and feels one with her through the music. This conclusion is a truly beautiful moment. In my opinion it, is one of the most serene, most tranquil, and most heart-warming as well as heart-wrenching moments in any book I have ever read. It is simply beautiful.” – blogger Gabriel