Martha Anne Toll — Duet for One - with Anne Midgette

<p></p><p>Haunted by his youthful romance with Dara, gifted and sensitive violinist Adam must confront his past to find a way forward. At the Philadelphia graveside of his mother, Adele Pearl, wife and partner in a celebrated two-piano team, his father, Victor, mourns the loss of both his wife and musical career. As Adam reflects on their relationship, he realizes his mother was absent in ways that truly mattered. Struggling with the emptiness left by a series of failed relationships with talented women, Adam grapples with his connection to Dara, an English professor burdened by her own divorce and blind to what she lost in him. Martha Anne Toll's <em><strong>Duet for One</strong></em> weaves a poignant narrative of loss, connection, and the enduring hope that love can be found where life resides, following her acclaimed debut, <em>Three Muses</em>.</p><p><br /></p><p>PURCHASE BOOK HERE: https://politics-prose.com/book/9781646036004?ic_referral=u-44WbGLg_JFaFJpqw_xfJ1cEJJbPA0XVGdLyvWy_a8wM2pCo9K3rPKRlHyUq9uJTzIwJx1Ulq89A1UaYparQOtX9I9kzYcTbVzlV3mhhYh4xrPIB3K4S5oJ6YBm6s3XVQcP6A</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Martha Anne Toll</strong>'s debut novel, <em>Three Muses</em>, was shortlisted for the Gotham Book Prize and won the Petrichor Prize for Finely Crafted Fiction. A book critic for NPR and <em>The Washington Post</em>, among others, Toll had a career in social justice after training as a classical viola player. She serves on PEN/Faulkner Foundation's board and lives in Washington, DC with her husband. They are the lucky parents of two adult daughters. <em>Duet for One</em> is Toll's second novel. </p><p>Toll is in conversation with <strong>Anne Midgette</strong>, former classical music critic of <em>The Washington Post, </em>where she was a leading voice in her field. She has also written for <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>, <em>Opera News</em>, <em>The Los Angeles Times</em>, <em>Town &amp; Country</em>, <em>ARTnews,</em> and others. She is working on a historical novel about the woman who built pianos for Beethoven.</p><p>This event features a violin performance by violinist <strong> Kimberly Galva</strong>, who played with the highly selective Civic Orchestra under conductors Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Mstislav Rostropovich, Pinchas Zukerman, and John Adams. Kimberly was a fellow with the Chicago Sinfonietta where she performed outreach concerts and played in the violin section. She now plays with orchestras across the DMV and has also given performances in Central America and Europe. Kimberly maintains a home studio of violin students and serves on the faculty at the Levine School of Music.</p><p>*recorded 5/6/2025</p>