This is the second post in my “Authors I admire” series. And this time, I am happy and honored to introduce Susan Dormady Eisenberg and her wonderful debut novel THE VOICE I JUST HEARD. If you like stories about music and love, you will enjoy her work. She is an experienced writer and has a background in singing and her novel about the struggle of a young singer to fulfill her dream touched me deeply.

Here is a brief bio of the author:
Susan Dormady Eisenberg is a journalist and author of a novel, The Voice I Just Heard. Eisenberg has written an upcoming article about the late Broadway-opera baritone, Bruce Yarnell, which will appear in Classical Singer Magazine this fall, and frequently writes about the arts, TV & travel for Huffington Post and Open Salon. She’s drafted a second novel about the drive to be a mother, Lucky For You, which she is now editing, and she’s researching a third novel about American sharpshooter, Annie Oakley. Her web site is www.susandormadyeisenberg.net. 

THE VOICE I JUST HEARD

Blurb: The Voice I Just Heard depicts a summer in the life of a young soprano who yearns to perform on Broadway, never imagining she has the talent to sing opera. It also features a backstage romance that may or may not evolve into love.

Nora Costello battles self-doubt and parental disapproval, problems that seem insurmountable when her brother Liam dies in Vietnam. Though she meets an unlikely mentor who supports her vocal ambitions, Nora wonders if she’ll survive the loss of Liam, much less find the strength to compete in a business known for heartbreak.

This haunting debut novel poses a universal question: How far will you go to chase a dream? As Nora searches for the answer, she finds she must heed the most important voice of all, the whisper of her own heart.

My thoughts on THE VOICE I JUST HEARD:

My mother was a singer, not a professional one, but she sang all the time–at home while cleaning, in church, and community choirs. Our home was filled with her lovely voice, so when I read the blurb about THE VOICE I JUST HEARD by Susan Dormady Eisenbeg, I knew it was a book for me. And I was not disappointed.

This is the story of a young girl whose passion is to become a professional singer. Full of yearning and self-doubt, with the shadows of a dead brother, a family breaking apart, and parents opposed to her vocation looming over her, Nora nevertheless pursues her dream. Bart, somewhat older but equally confused, struggles to get his career in singing back on its feet and clean up his family life. They fall in love but the obstacles in their lives and their own hang-ups sabotage their early relationship. Only as more mature people, secure in themselves, would they have a chance to make it work.

This beautifully told and carefully researched and crafted novel is full of vivid and sensual details. The characters–flawed, self-absorbed, yet loving and generous–are convincing and their development as artists and human beings feels real. A lovely book I can highly recommend.

Links to THE VOICE I JUST HEARD:

Amazon.com

HAPPY READING!