The Gift of Goodbye

Anna Louise Armstrong dreams of becoming a professional pianist. After years of abuse from her mother, she is finally free to live in New York and learn to play. Life in New York leads to one opportunity after another — from becoming friends with budding newspaperman Chase Monroe, to being hired by Mr. Cutler to work at the Piano Emporium, to taking music lessons at The School of Musical Arts.  Her best friend’s brother Blake introduces her to the world of a professional pianist. With so much going for her, the call to return home seems like a disaster. Anna Louise is no longer alone, however; perhaps she can find not only success, but love as well.

A contemporary story of love and music, “The Gift of Goodbye” holds a ton of potential, with action and emotional situations that could resonate with many readers. Unfortunately, the book has many problems. It is mostly told instead of shown, often repeating entire scenes multiple times when one character would relate an event to another. Most of the plot was conveyed through endless dialogue, and the romance felt forced on one side and flat on the other. The conflict is never fully explored, as the issues Anna Louise had with her mother occur prior to the first scenes and Anna’s dreams are never really explained. Still, there are exciting moments of action, and some nice side stories. "The Gift of Goodbye" has a promising plot that, with a thorough edit, could play out well.

Sarah E Bradley