The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me is about an opera singer, Sally, and her journey from singing only hidden in her wardrobe to attending opera school and singing in major opera houses. Sally and her cousin, Fiona a ballet dancer, are best of friends and live together in a flat in London. Sally has low confidence and works in the wardrobe department of the theatre. She accompanies Fiona, Barry from Barry Island (also a ballet dancer) and Bea, a wealthy Italian who works in the costume department, to America for a season of ballet performances. After the ballet season is over, they decide to stay on in the USA and return to New York to work in the theatre there. Sally meets and falls in love with a half American, half British man names Julian. That summer changes all of their lives forever.
A year later, Sally is not talking to her family. Barry has taken over Fiona's room in Sally's flat, and there is no mention of Bea. And most of all, Sally is due to start at the opera school. She desperately wans to cancel; she knows her parents won't approve of Sally doing something to draw attention to herself. Despite meeting the mad and crazy Jan Borsos on her first day, and her new best friend, Helen, Sally s still not sure that she deserves a place at such a prestigious opera school and is desperate to leave.
Review
I bought this book on a whim, probably because it was on offer. I had never heard of the author before and opera is not something I either know about or have an interest in. In all honesty, the cover is a typical chick-lit drawing but of a woman in a bath, which has absolutely nothing to do with the storyline whatsoever.
I read the book within a couple of days. The story develops quickly. It flips back and to between London and New York which explains why Sally has suddenly changed her mind and is now attending an opera school when she previously would only sing in her wardrobe. I would have enjoyed a slightly longer conclusion to the novel, though. But, on the whole, an excellent book.
