Gone

October 1, 2017

By her first or second lesson, Kym knew playing the violin "was not simply for me, but it was me." Asthma attacks caused by the bow's rosin couldn't deter her. A prodigy by seven, Kym hopped among countries, teachers, and instruments until she found her "soulmate" at 21 in her 1696 Stradivarius--which enabled her, she's convinced, to achieve solo recordings, worldwide bookings, and international acclaim. When her Strad was stolen from a London cafe, the thieves took not only her instrument, but her voice, even her sanity. She spent years "unstrung," until she finally believes what a pianist friend insists: that she is the artist, not the violin. Listeners who recall Kym's appearances on the news might find Rebecca Yeo's younger-sounding voice somewhat jarring in comparison to the deeper-toned Kym. More disconcerting is Yeo's unfamiliarity with Korean, evidenced by mispronunciations of Korean words peppered throughout British Korean Kym's story. VERDICT For audiences previously unaware of Kym's experiences, Yeo's narration proves serviceable; for music or language aficionados, print might prove preferable.--Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC

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