Published by Blackwater Press
Signed books:
The Maestro and Her Protégé
From the moment in 1959 when ten-year old Hannah Schaeffer meets the famously unyielding Nadia Boulanger at the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau, she is destined to live a life steeped in music. Forty-eight years later, the glass-ceiling-smashing conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic learns her contract may not be renewed. And as if losing her long-sought podium isn’t enough to end her world, the once prolific composer can’t seem to write a single note.
Seeking solace, inspiration and some career advice, Hannah returns to Paris to consult with her most important teacher. She reclaims Mademoiselle Boulanger’s grave garden, joins a small corps of locals who feed the feral cemetery cats, reconnects with her aging quintet coach, and meets a trumpet-playing police detective who leads an orchestra of wayward teens. Teasing the intertwining threads of ambition, identity, love and resilience, award-winning memoirist Kate Whouley delivers a debut novel peopled with real-life musical icons and set in a world you might never want to leave.
Praise
“A masterful symphony of words. Highly recommended.”
—Historical Novel Society, Editor’s Choice (Read full review)
“What an intricate, inspiring, and rewarding novel Kate Whouley has written…The Maestro and Her Protege is a dazzling debut.”
—Margot Livesey, author of The Road from Belhaven
“I loved Kate Whouley’s latest, a story of art, ambition, and music, inspired by the real-life luminary, Nadia Boulanger… The Maestro and her Protégé is the perfect novel for readers who love music, Paris, and delving deeply into both.”
—Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times-bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick, The Jetsetters
“Kate Whouley’s deep dive into the world of classical music is a joy to read… a refreshingly original story about artistry, identity, and the struggle to break barriers while staying true to oneself.”
—Mira T. Lee, author of Everything Here is Beautiful
“With her seemingly boundless knowledge of music and her elegant, witty prose, Kate Whouley depicts the toil of mastery, personal sacrifice, and personal growth… Whether or not you’re a music lover, you’ll find much to enjoy in this soulful, satisfying novel.”
—Daphne Kalotay, author of The Archivists
“In her lyrical and emotionally resonant debut novel, Kate Whouley delivers a poignantly charged portrait of a woman at the pinnacle of her career…set against a richly drawn backdrop of music and memory.”
—David R. Gillham, New York Times-bestselling author of City of Women
“This warm, deeply engaging novel…is a thoughtful, lively look at what it means to devote yourself to art—what it costs, what it asks of you, and the rare, powerful rewards it can offer in return.”
—Rosie Sultan, author of Helen Keller in Love
“In The Maestro and Her Protégé, readers enter a magical world where musicians are made…The book reads like a favorite movie to watch over and over. Kate Whouley is The Maestro of Storytelling.”
—Karol Jackowski, author of Sister Karol’s Book of Spells, Blessings, and Folk Magic