Story Summary
An Unexpected Song is a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, featuring a different sort of Darcy—one who frequently wears white tie and tails, who has long, sensitive fingers and a touch of artistic temperament, and who knows the difference between Schubert and Schumann.
An internationally-renowned concert pianist, William Darcy meets Elizabeth Bennet, singer and voice teacher, at the wedding of her sister Jane to his best friend, Charles Bingley. The story moves between New York and San Francisco as William and Elizabeth overcome obstacles rooted in the past while growing closer together, bonded by their love for music—and for one another.
Some aspects of William’s career are loosely based on the career of Van Cliburn, a pianist who achieved an unprecedented level of popularity for a classical musician. He won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition, a prestigious piano competition in the (then) Soviet Union, in 1958, at the height of the Cold War. Cliburn is the only classical musician ever to be honored by a tickertape parade in New York City. To read more about Van Cliburn, visit the Cliburn Foundation web site.
About the author
Rika is a college professor and amateur singer/pianist living in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. She is a former resident of the San Francisco Bay area.
Copyright © 2008 by the author
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