Gone: A Girl, a Violin, a Life Unstrung

Description

The spellbinding, deeply moving story of a child prodigy and the loss of her soulmate 'All my life my Stradivarius had been waiting for me, as I had been waiting for her . . .' The thing you live for- Gone. At twenty-one, violinist prodigy Min Kym found the one - a 1696 Stradivarius. At last she had found her true voice. Together they toured the world, playing to rapt audiences. But in 2010 Min's violin was stolen at a train station - and suddenly her world collapsed. Unable to play, with little hope of ever finding the instrument that was now an extension of herself, she could see no future. Yet Min knew that the music was still inside her - if only she could rediscover what she had lost, she might just find herself . . .

South Korean born and raised in the UK, Min Kym began playing the violin at the age of six. At seven she was accepted as the youngest ever pupil at the Purcell School of Music; at 16 she was the youngest ever foundation scholar at the Royal College of Music. The legendary conductor George Solti said she had 'exceptional natural talent, mature musicality and mastery of the violin'. In 2010 she recorded the Brahms Violin Concerto with Sir Andrew Davis and the Philharmonia Orchestra. She was the first ever recipient of the Heifetz Prize, and is a goodwill ambassador for the city of Seoul.

I loved Gone. It will stay with me for a long time -- Cerys Matthews A remarkable and original memoir . . . thrilling -- Barbara Ellen * Observer * Intense, elegiac and completely mesmerizing ... a beautifully pitched memoir which hits many different registers * The Bookseller (Book of the Month) * Riveting . . . her story of bereavement and resilience, and the determination to pursue one's art no matter what obstacles stand in one's way, is as enchanting as Kym's recording of a Brahms concerto * Glamour * A remarkable story of love and loss . . . Also a gripping thriller that contains a hint of scandal, as well as money, villains and a secret -- Helen Davies * Sunday Times * Fascinating . . . a tragic musical love affair . . . told in admirably lucid and uncluttered prose -- Adam Sweeting * The Arts Desk * Riveting . . . her story of bereavement and resilience, and the determination to pursue one's art no matter what obstacles stand in one's way, is as enchanting as Kym's recording of a Brahms concerto * Harper's Bazaar * A movingly uncertain memoir of obsession, love and loss . . . Kym has an easy, elegant way of describing music * Financial Times * Deeply moving -- Sarah Foot * Daily Mail * This book makes for a devastating but ultimately redemptive read. It is much more than a story about a lost violin: it is about who we are, how we love, how we grieve -- Clemency Burton-Hill * Mail on Sunday * Gone is an extraordinary memoir of violinist and child prodigy Min Kym as she grows to understand her gift * Good Housekeeping * A story to pluck at your heartstrings * The Times * Swiftly, skilfully drawn * Spectator * The memoir is both intensely raw- Kym's agony is at times so vivid it is hard to read on- and beautifully crafted * The Lady * An incredibly moving story * Radio 3 In Tune *