Stradivarius, Amati, Guarneri – de ei clar mai auzisem. De Thomas Perry, insa, cu siguranta, nu. De Niccolo Paganini cine nu a auzit? De Eva Mudocci, insa?…

Atunci cand scriam despre cartea anterioara a lui Evie Woods, asteptam deja aparitia, in luna februarie 2026, a noii sale carti, „The Violin Maker’s Secret”. Si iata ca se nimereste sa fiu in Londra chiar in perioada respectiva, asa ca din prima librarie Waterstones in care intru, in Piccadilly, cea mai mare librarie din Europa, ies victorioasa cu volumul respectiv, desi suntem in 20 februarie iar cartea este anuntata a se lansa de-abia in data de 24 – nu era inca la vanzare, vanzatoarea amabila mi-a adus-o insa direct din depozit. (Aveam sa o gasesc mai tarziu, dupa data de 24, la o oferta de genul cumperi una si a doua carte aflata si ea la oferta e cu 50% reducere; m-am ofticat putin, dar asta e).

Nu pot sa nu incep de data asta cu coperta. Pentru ca am descoperit pe Instragram filmat procesul prin care a fost realizata coperta – ceea ce vezi nu este un desen sau ceva AI. Este fotografia unei miniaturi reale, in forma de vioara, a unei cladiri avand la parter un magazin de instrumente muzicale. Fiecare caramida de pe fatada a fost pusa manual la locul ei si tot manual colorata, fiecare obiect in parte… Eu am regasit filmarea dand cautare dupa „the making of the cover of the violin maker’s secret” – dati cautare, e uimitor.

Cartea este acelasi amestec de real cu magic ca si celelalte scrieri ale autoarei si nu avea cum sa nu ma duca cu gandul, din nou, la filmul „Vioara rosie” si, de data aceasta, la cartea „Defaimarea lui Paganini” de Anatoli Vinogradov, carte citita in adolescenta, care m-a marcat.

Actiunea se petrece de aceasta data in Londra, cu iesiri in Irlanda natala a autoarei si respectiv in Milano si Cremona, leaganul atator lutieri celebri.

Nu stiusem ca si in Irlanda au existat fauritori celebri de instrumente muzicale si nici ca a existat o violonista celebra, asociata cu Edvard Munch, Eva Mudocci.

Povestea va va purta si prin Berlin, Paris, Moscova, Istanbul, in decursul secolelor.

O poveste complexa, care va va vorbi si despre sensul vietii, ambitie, despre visarile/ conditionarile copilariei, povara trecutului si frica de viitor, singuratate, a doua sansa, despre statutul femeii artist.

„Life was not about getting ahead, proving yourself, acquiring a nice house, a family, a job, taking the odd holiday. All of those things had you chasing after some kind of future happiness that really never arrived. The happiness everyone sought was here, now… It really didn’t matter what you did or didn’t do in this life. The point was just to experience it, to witness it all through your own unique perspective.”

„Death had come, and now he could see the real meaning of life. It wasn’t about making a good name for yourself or earning a decent salary. It was about fun, silliness, touching other people’s lives in some way, and letting them touch yours. Letting yourself be blown about and shaped by experience. Being curious rather than scared all of the time. Living in dread of the future – that seemed to be the common thread that kept everyone tied in knots, weighted down with painful memories of the past. Yet Walter found the more his thoughts stayed in the present, the simpler everything became.”

„How many of them felt as though they were in the wrong life, struggling against their reality for a childhood dream that promissed a happy ever after? How many of them were blind to the wondeful life they’ve created, their gaze permanently caught in the rear-view mirror?”