July 18: The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott

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The Upright Piano Player, an exquisite first novel, opens with a horrific act of violence in sharp contrast to the quiet prose of its author, David Abbott. Henry Cage, several years into retirement, is witness to this deadly incident involving his grandson. Within a few pages, we are transported back to when Henry first left his successful career and well-ordered life, and found himself at the point where reconnection and regret go hand-in-hand.

The success Henry has achieved in his career has done nothing to prepare him for the empty hours of retirement. Dismissing overt displays of wealth, he lives in a well-built condo in an understated neighborhood and collects paintings by mid-grade artists. He can order his days to satisfaction; however, the lack of human interaction soon prompts him to reconnect with his estranged son and reach out to help his ex-wife as she becomes ill and needs help. The opening scene of the novel indicates that it is a cautionary tale, so we know Henry’s path will be fraught. On the crowded Westminster Bridge on New Year’s Eve, Henry is inadvertently shoved into an angry young man—the antithesis of Henry—who becomes obsessed with getting a twisted kind of revenge.

Reminiscent of Ian McEwan, David Abbott is adept at exposing the threats of the larger world to the safe havens we think we have created around us—how random acts of kindness can just as easily be random acts of violence, and the notion that we are the masters of our fate is a self-indulgent one, indeed.