I love Alicia's Gift, it's a wonderful novel that deserves to be better known, a modern equivalent of Noel Streafield's fabulous Apple Bough (about a boy who becomes a concert pianist and how that affects his family who have to trail around after him, and the toll that the peripatetic life takes on him too) which I adored as a child. But I've never heard of the other two boks that Kadiatu cites, so thanks for pointing me towards them. I agree that her own book is as much a really good example of a personal memoir as it is an explanation of how her children came to be the remarkable musicians that they are. I loved the early bits about her childhood in South Wales too. But it also does a really good job of answering all the questions I had about the practicalities of managing lessons and practice time for seven musical children.
I've not read Apple Bough – going straight on the tbr list! Thanks for the recommendation. Glad that you've been inspired to read the other two books that Kadiatu mentions, and totally agree that Alicia's Gift should be better know.
I love Alicia's Gift, it's a wonderful novel that deserves to be better known, a modern equivalent of Noel Streafield's fabulous Apple Bough (about a boy who becomes a concert pianist and how that affects his family who have to trail around after him, and the toll that the peripatetic life takes on him too) which I adored as a child. But I've never heard of the other two boks that Kadiatu cites, so thanks for pointing me towards them. I agree that her own book is as much a really good example of a personal memoir as it is an explanation of how her children came to be the remarkable musicians that they are. I loved the early bits about her childhood in South Wales too. But it also does a really good job of answering all the questions I had about the practicalities of managing lessons and practice time for seven musical children.
I've not read Apple Bough – going straight on the tbr list! Thanks for the recommendation. Glad that you've been inspired to read the other two books that Kadiatu mentions, and totally agree that Alicia's Gift should be better know.
Love this conversation and new books to read. Thank you so much 🤗
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it and found some reading inspiration.
Fascinating thank you. I’d heard about the family, so interesting to learn more.
Thanks for reading, Agnes. If any of their programmes are still on iPlayer, highly recommend them for some musical brilliance and joy.
Ooh great thank you, will definitely being searching them up.