Richard Evans hasn’t exactly been the best husband and father. He sacrificed his wife and daughter for his art. In their place, the piano became his lover and his child. There is no room for imperfection and regrets. Until now.
When he first was diagnosed with ALS, he refused to believe that fate could be so cruel. He’s far too young to lose both his music and his life. Now all he can hope for is that he can finally gain absolution from those he so carelessly cast aside.

“He sits back at his bench, readying to play it again. He positions his left hand on the keys, but instead of hearing the orchestra begin in his mind’s ear, he hears only the oppressive silence of his empty apartment and a voice in his head, an arrogant naysayer stealing his confidence, talking him out of this pathetic plan.
Richard lifts his left arm straight out in front of him. It begins to tremor just below shoulder height. He tries to will it higher, recruiting every muscle fiber he can conjure to the job, but his arm won’t budge any farther. Exhausted, he lowers his hand back onto the piano keys.
Instead of beginning his solo, in opposition to the overbearing silence and the voice in his head, he plays a single note, D, with his pinkie. He holds the key and the foot pedal down, listening to the singular sound, bold and three-dimensional at first, then drifting, dispersing, fragile, decaying. He inhales. The smell of coffee lingers. He listens. The note is gone.
Every note played is a life and death.
Maybe the disease will stay in his shoulder. The voice in his head knows better and insists on another peek down the rabbit hole. No hands.
Richard leaves the piano. He retreats to his bedroom, undresses, and crawls back into bed. He does not call his agent. He lies on his back, staring at the ceiling, wishing he could stop time, hiding from his future, knowing without any doubt or hope that someday soon he won’t simply be peeking down that rabbit hole.
He’s going to live and die in there.”

Karina left her native Poland because she wanted so much more from life than just being a wife and a mother. She wanted to explore music and find her own path. But that is exactly what she became when she fell in love with Richard.

Her career and aspirations always took a backseat to his and after the birth of their daughter Grace, she completely forgot who she was. Their divorce was a strange mercy, but with a tragic blow from destiny, they are forced to come face to face with the frailties of love and healing power of forgiveness.

“And she could blame Richard and his affairs for holding her back. He was wrong and bad, and she was right and good, and she could resent him for her unfulfilled dreams of playing jazz, and this was the perfect excuse, the brilliant smoke screen deflecting anyone who might inspect the situation for the truth. The truth is, she was terrified of failing, of not making it, of never being as recognized and loved as an artist as Richard is.
But then she got divorced and Grace went to college, her excuses literally out the door. With seemingly no one left to blame, she pointed her finger at the hands of time. Too much had passed. Her chance had passed. It was too late.”

I thought I knew what I was in for when I started reading Every Note Played, but I never expected how beautifully Lisa Genova could make me ache with only words.

With characters that are both flawed and at times, needlessly cruel, she skillfully makes their longing and regret so tangible that I found myself experiencing all of the emotions right along with them.

It’s heartbreaking in its honesty about all of the things taken for granted, clinical in its design and desperate in its search for mercy. And it will open your eyes to the fragile power of love…

What I loved most about this book was the dynamics between Richard and his family. While I was saddened by Richard’s physical decline my heart was warmed by Richard’s desire to put his relationships in order before he looses the chance.

This book was very good. I read it in 2 days. Love the Author. Only gets better. Run...to buy this book. Highly recommend!!!

"Some nights the music is well played and applauded, and other nights, the music is transcendent. He lives for those transcendent nights."

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a terrible, awful waste of human life. And author Lisa Genova writes this gut wrenching story about one man that has it.

Richard Evans is a world renowned concert pianist. He has devoted his entire life to his piano playing, letting it be all consuming and ruining his marriage and his relationship with his daughter.

So what happens when he can't play any more?

"The keys want to be caressed, the relationship ready and available to him, but he can’t respond, and this is suddenly the cruelest moment of his life. He stares in horror at his dead hand on the beautiful keys."

This book is written from mostly Richard's point of view, allowing the reader glimpses into his life as this disease steals pieces of him away, a bit at a time. There are no punches pulled in this book. Every heartbreak and indignity is shown on the pages of this story.

This is also written from his ex-wife's point of view as she takes over caregiving for him. It is a story of regret and forgiveness along with details of the disease.

I read Genova's book STILL ALICE not long after it was released and can still remember the tears I shed as I read about Alice's losing battle with Alzheimer's disease. It was gut wrenching too (I've had quite a few family members with Alzheimer's) but I think ALS might even be worse. With Alzheimer's the patient eventually doesn't realize what's happening to them. It's still horrible for caregivers but the patient is oblivious.

With ALS the patient's mind is clear up to the very end, knowing everything that happens to them.

Both diseases are horrible and Genova writes brilliantly. If you want to read a true "horror" book, read this or STILL ALICE.

I received this book from Gallery Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

I finished Lisa Genova's newest novel Every Note Played with tears rolling down my cheeks, but I've found that is par for the course after reading three of her previous novels: Still Alice, Left Neglected, and Love Anthony. Genova's novels are gut-wrenchingly sad as she eloquently, brilliantly, and touchingly puts the reader in the mind of the person suffering from the disease, and she does such a stupendous job writing such amazing characters, crafting the plot, and weaving the story that while reading the book, you feel the character's pain,  emotions, and suffering, and you walk away forever changed by what you have learned about the horrific disease and its effects on the person and their family.

In Every Note Played, Genova puts the reader inside the mind...and the body...of Richard, a brilliant and world-renowned concert pianist, who has just been diagnosed with ALS after experiencing muscle control issues in his right hand. But it doesn't stop in that hand but quickly moves to the left and he is now a pianist without the use of his hands, which I thought such a devastating loss. ALS is a brutal and cruel disease, and Genova doesn't spare the reader as she details how Richard begins experiencing irretrievable loss one limb at a time as the neurons in his brain and spinal cord die off eventually leading to full paralysis. This leaves him completely locked in with only his brain able to function. And Richard's decline is rapid and even though he has wonderful daytime care, he can no longer be without 24-hour  round the clock care. 

 Now Richard is forced to examine his life since he is tragically alone. Instead of being a devoted husband when he had the chance, he spent years devoting everything to playing classical music, his piano, and cheating on his now ex-wife Karina, a piano teacher, who is honestly a more talented pianist than he is, but she had to give up her dreams and has never forgiven Richard for that. He also neglected their daughter Grace when she was little, and she is now in college and has little contact with her dad.

It is at this point that Genova lets us experience ALS through the eyes of Karina, who even though she is bitter, makes the choice to become his carer since there is no one else.  While there might have been some resentment on her part at first and plenty of exhaustion, she never wavers in her care of her ex-husband. As Richard loses his ability to talk, the two are able to communicate without words and explore their mutual feelings of betrayal, dislike, hurt, and more. More than being a story about a devastating disease, Genova has written a tragically beautiful story about family, responsibility, love, friendship, forgiveness, and second chances. 

 I admit before reading Every Note Played that I did not realize what a merciless disease ALS is although I was familiar with it of course, especially because of people like Lou Gehrig (for which the disease is named) and Stephen Hawking having had the disease. However,  I now have an understanding of how this disease affects the person diagnosed, the family, and the caregivers. Genova's skill, besides her excellent writing chops, is how she uses her background as a neuroscientist to give the reader not just every minute detail about the disease, from the day to day grueling and agonizing experiences of the sufferer and the carer, but also to give actual facts--how it is diagnosed, progresses, treated, the psychological impact, and the life expectancy rate, which is on average only 3 years and how the lifespan of Stephen Hawking was almost unheard of with the disease. Actually, she mentions him in the book, but I also read a wonderful article/tribute she wrote after his death explaining why Dr. Hawking probably lived as long as he did. Genova also made a point in her novel to point out there is NO cure for ALS and only one drug on the market approved for treatment; however, the ALS foundation's goal is to have a cure by 2020. My sincerest wish is they achieve their goal so no one will ever have to suffer from this horrible disease.

Every Note Played was one of my most anticipated books for spring, and it more than delivered! It is a must read, and Genova is a phenomenal author who never disappoints her readers!

**Thank you Netgalley, and Lisa Genova for an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

I was at first reluctant to even read Every Note Played, because I knew it was going to be heart-wrenching. But something made me request it from Net Galley and I’m so glad I did. Yes, at times it is difficult to digest, as we watch a gifted and world renowned concert pianist lose his ability to play because of the onset of ALS. Eventually he loses his ability to do anything with his body, and is now dependent on his former spouse for his care. It is a remarkable journey through heartbreak and forgiveness, and yes, it made me cry, but it also made me grateful to have read it. It ends on a truly uplifting note as two people who once loved each other are given the chance to heal and let go.

Lisa Genova’s compelling and poignant new novel Every Note Played gives her readers an intimate and in-depth look at how a debilitating disease can impact not just the one who is suffering from the disease but also the family and caregivers as well. For those who are familiar with Genova’s writings, she takes readers on a similar journey in Still Alice with Alzheimer’s Disease as her subject matter. In Every Note Played, she tackles ALS (or Lou Gehrig’s Disease as it is sometimes called).

For those unfamiliar with ALS, it is a devastating disease in which a person’s neurons start to die off, basically paralyzing the person a little at a time until they can’t walk, can’t use their arms, can’t chew and swallow food without choking, and eventually cannot even speak and must communicate through the blinking of their eyes. By this point, an ALS patient is typically also struggling to even breathe on their own and usually have to have breathing assistance machines.

As horrific as all of that is, perhaps the cruelest part of the disease, however, is that while the person’s body is rapidly failing them and becoming a prison, the disease doesn’t impact their mind at all. So they are fully aware that they are trapped and dependent on those around them for even the most basic of needs. As of my writing this review, scientists haven’t figured out a definitive cause or cure, and have developed very few options for treatment, so ALS is unfortunately a death sentence. In rare cases there are people like Stephen Hawking who successfully lived with the disease for decades, but the typical lifespan is about 3 years after diagnosis, sometimes even less. (Sorry for going overboard on the medical details of ALS, but I lost a family member to this disease and so this book hit me really hard on quite a few levels).

Every Note Played follows Richard Evans, a gifted and world-renowned pianist who suddenly loses the use of his right hand and is subsequently diagnosed with ALS. Richard, whose entire life has revolved around playing the piano – to the detriment of both his marriage and his relationship with his now grown daughter – cannot fathom what kind of life he can possibly have if he can no longer do the one and only thing he loves to do, play music. As the disease progresses and takes away so much more than just his ability to play the piano, Richard starts to reflect more and more about his life and all that he has thrown away for the sake of his career. He knows he’s going to die and starts to wonder if there’s time to make amends and make peace with those he has forsaken for most of his life.

Richard’s ex-wife Karina is paralyzed in her own way. She and Richard split up three years ago and yet she has refused to move on with her life. When they were first married, Karina, also a gifted pianist, gave up her dreams of becoming a jazz pianist to follow Richard to Boston so that he could become a classical pianist. Now that she and Richard have split, it would be easy enough for Karina to move back to New York and its jazz scene, but she chooses not to, always finding excuses and always blaming Richard and their failed marriage for every chance she refuses to take.

When Karina finds out about Richard’s condition, however, and knows there’s no way Richard can afford the ‘round the clock care he needs, she reluctantly offers to become Richard’s caregiver. Will Richard and Karina be able to put their differences aside and make peace with each other before it’s too late?

The complex characters and their even more complex relationships were what I found especially compelling about Every Note Played. In Richard Evans, Genova creates a man who, pre-ALS, was not an especially likable guy. In many ways, he was selfish, arrogant, and self-important. His career was the most important thing in his life, and nothing else mattered. His passion for the piano eclipsed everything else, including his relationship with his wife and daughter. After Karina and Richard divorce, in fact, his daughter rarely ever even bothers to try to communicate with him because he has done so little to ever cultivate any kind of a relationship with her. So yeah, the guy’s kind of an ass.

That said, however, Genova paints the portrait of what ALS does to a person so vividly and gut-wrenchingly that you can’t help but feel tremendous sympathy for Richard anyway. ALS is a disease you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. This is why his ex-wife Karina, even though she swears she hates Richard, can’t help but offer to take care of him once she realizes what this disease is going to do to him.

I love that Genova keeps it real here though. The dynamic of their relationship doesn’t magically change just because Karina feels sympathy for Richard and wants to help him. The hostility and resentment are still bubbling just below the surface. Karina still hates Richard and he doesn’t particularly care for her either so their interactions are often strained and awkward, as one would imagine a divorced couple would be around one another. They need to have some serious conversations if they are ever going to forgive each other and make peace, and those conversations aren’t the easiest to start. Then there’s the added pressure that they’re on the clock. Unless there is a miracle cure, Richard’s days are numbered…

In addition to this messy ex-couple and what they each bring to the table in this story, I also thought Genova did a tremendous job of teaching her readers a lot about ALS, especially about its progression and how it impacts both the patient and the patient’s family. She presents the story in alternating chapters from both Richard’s and Karina’s perspective so we are presented both with the details about how the disease is progressing as well as each of their thoughts about it.

As I mentioned above, I lost a family member to ALS and reading Richard’s journey brought back a lot of sad and painful memories because Genova’s depiction of the disease is so spot-on. I very much appreciated her attention to detail and really hope that people will read her book, learn more about the disease, and will want to donate money to help find a cure or at least some more viable treatments for ALS.

I could see some readers getting somewhat bored with the story if they don’t connect with Richard or don’t want to see a step-by-step progression of a debilitating disease. This was not an issue at all for me, but I just wanted to mention that so that people understand what they’re getting when they pick up this book.

Every Note Played is a powerful and poignant read that is sure to make you shed a few tears. Although it’s predominantly a story about how devastating ALS is, it also has its uplifting moments when it comes to family, forgiveness, and redemption. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who was a fan of Genova’s Still Alice but also to anyone who wants to know more about ALS.

Lisa Genova crafts an exquisite, profound, and moving story of Richard, a concert pianist who is diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) at the age of 45. Cruelly, the disease claims his right hand first, then his left, ending his career. Estranged from his father and brothers, he is left with few choices as the incurable, swiftly progressive, and unspeakably cruel disease advances. His daughter, Grace, is away at college and he will not disrupt her life (or raid her college fund). His ex-wife, Karina, also an accomplished pianist who gave up her own budding career in jazz to raise Grace while Richard toured, convinces him to move back into the family residence so that she can care for him. Thus, each of them must confront the long-held anger, resentments, and justifications for their respective role in the disintegration of their marriage. Karina, in particular, finds forgiveness difficult until, with the help of one of Richard's experienced caregivers, she comes to understand that forgiving Richard has nothing to do with him and everything to do with her own well-being and need to move forward following Richard's inevitable death. Every word of Every Note Played resonates, as Genova, a neuroscientist, details Richard's physical decline and the associated psychological toll it takes on him and everyone around him. The predictability of the story does not detract from its power. Rather, because of Genova's straight-forward, unflinchingly -- indeed, sometimes brutally -- honest approach to the subject matter, Every Note Played is an unforgettable reminder that "every note played is like a life and a death."

Lisa Genova really knows how to tug at your heart strings, while also tackling the reality of crippling diseases. In this story Richard is an egotistical piano player, he has traveled the world, getting acclaim from everyone. He however failed to keep his marriage in tact, cheating on his wife.

His wife Karina is just getting her life back, and is glad to be rid of her ex-husband. She raised her daughter who is now in college and feeling like an empty nester. When she hears of her exes diagnosis of ALS she just doesn't believe it.

The disease progresses rapidly and Karina takes him back, to be his caregiver. Richard's thoughts during his decline are heartbreaking, wanting to seek forgiveness but also holding on to all his reasons for cheating makes him hard to connect with Karina. All the things left unsaid is hard to overcome. So poignant, and devastating from both sides.

Lisa Genova always tackles the tough issues. Alzheimer’s. Autism. Huntington’s Disease. This time it’s ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. But this one doesn’t go for the obvious sympathy vote. Richard is a concert pianist and is losing the one thing he loves, which is the piano. But he’s also a prick. Divorced from his wife, estranged from his college aged daughter. He’s on top of the world as far as his profession, but once the symptoms of ALS start, he’s forced to see how empty his life is.

You’re quickly shown how hard and fast this disease is. Things we take for granted become first difficult and then impossible. My head spun taking it all in and I was just reading about it, not experiencing it. As his ex-wife, Karina, thinks, this isn’t something you wish on your worst enemy.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Richard and Karina. In addition to the story being about ALS, it’s also about the equation of relationships - who has the power, who is giving more, who is or is not communicating. “They never talked about any of it. The were complicit in their mutual silence.” I’ve known divorced couples that “reunited” when one became ill and the other became a caretaker. I'm not sure if it shows that the initial love still lurks somewhere underneath the hate. Or what. I really don’t know if I could do it.

My father has needed nurses after breaking his hip two years ago. So, I have come to see how special the people are that fill those roles. As Richard finds, the health aide quickly becomes so much more - “equal parts brother, doctor, parent and friend”.

As Richard deteriorates and Karina has to do more and more, Genova does a great job of exploring all her emotions. At times, the book can feel dry but at other times, the emotions explode all over the page. The book reminds you there are no do overs. Time lost is lost. But there can be forgiveness.

Not as good as Still Alice, but still very well done.

My thanks to netgalley and Scout Press for an advance copy of this book.

The death of Stephen Hawking brings ALS even more to the forefront. What a serendipitous time for this new novel by Lisa Genova, Neuroscientist and author to help us understand the disease that ultimately took one of the most brilliant scientists, authors, researchers on the planet.
But there are more people than just Stephen Hawking with this disease. Every day, people are struck with new symptoms and struggle with taking the next step or the next bite or the next breath. Every Note Played talks of one of these people.
I won't say much about this book because I want people to read it, cover to cover. Savor and enjoy and learn. However, I will admit that it brought me to tears on more than one occaision (and I am not a crier) and just like Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Lisa's skills as a novelist shine through her brilliance as a neuroscientist.
I do find something curious... I think I mentioned this in the review for The O'Brien's... when it's the men that are afflicted, the family-- including the wife-- seem to rally around and commit to sticking things out, no matter how tough they get. When it is the women that are afflicted, the men become shells of themselves and cower in the shadow of the disease. I feel like these books are as based on real life as possible, but I wonder if this is a common theme in chronic or terminal illness.
Grab this one, then take some time and really dig into it.

This was a very emotional read not only for the tough subject matter, but because it was somewhat personal. My maternal grandmother had ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and this brought back painful memories and sadness at knowing what she endured. But I’m glad I read it because it is a beautifully written story, as was Still Alice, and also because more people need to be made aware of this horrible disease. Of course it awakened fears I’ve had about genetics and if I or another loved one will one day suffer at the hands of ALS. I pray that those dedicated to finding a cure are successful not only for myself and my family but for mankind.

Lisa Genova has done it again! In Still Alice, she wrote movingly about a professor who in mid-life develops Alzheimer's disease and we experience the progression of that memory-stealing disease through her eyes.

In this her latest book, the disease Genova takes on is ALS, ironically in the news again this week with the death of physicist Steven Hawking. In her story, the man who learns he has ALS is a classic pianist by the name of Richard Evans and the first blow he suffers is the use of his right hand, so devastating for a pianist. Again we experience the progression of this dread disease through Richard's experiences.

This is also a very touching story about the dynamics of family relationships when life-changing disease strikes, the story alternately told by Richard and his ex-wife Karina, who it ironically falls to to take care of Richard as his health fails. His career took its toll on their marriage and their family but there are other secrets that drove them apart: can they forgive each other and themselves before it is too late? And will Richard be able to repair his relationship with his only child Grace, who feels he loved piano more than he ever loved her?

I learned so much from this book: about ALS and caregivers, about Polish holiday traditions (I may bake a poppyseed roll for Easter!) and I enjoyed listening to the various classic piano pieces while reading the story, courtesy of youtube.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for granting me the privilege of reading an arc of this new book for an honest review. And thanks to Lisa Genova for suggesting ways to contribute in the pursuit of a cure for ALS.

I always enjoy how this author looks into neurological diseases from the perspectives of the patient as well as the families. She goes into such heartwrenching detail from both sides. There's always a twist too, and in this one, his ex-wife ends up becoming his caregiver. How the disease process helps them both to heal their hearts is a great read in and of itself. As the book nears the tragic end, it's hard to put down, but the ending is perfect.

I've been waiting for this book to come out. I knew the book was about ALS and I knew I would better understand this disease once I read the book. 

What a horrible disease. I hope that scientists are able to find a cure for this disease. 

We get to see from a patients view point what it is like to loose the function of our body, piece by piece. We take so much for granted, walking, talking, swallowing, and even breathing. We hear Richard's thoughts on what is happening to him and how it makes him feel. We also get a glimpse into the mindset of a caregiver as we hear Karina's perspective.

Though this is a work of fiction I feel as if Richard and Karina are real people. I feel such empathy for them. I am glad that Karina was able to take him into her home and care for him during his final months. It forced them to come to terms with their failed marriage and face their own demons. In the end they each found forgiveness and peace.

A powerful story, not for the faint of heart.

I got this book as an ARC with the understanding that I would read and review it.

Lisa Genova is known for her raw, compelling, and bittersweet depictions of life gone awry due to illness/disability. Every Note Played is her latest, and it falls in the same vein.

Richard is an accomplished and world-renowned pianist. Karina is Richard's estranged ex-wife, a pianist herself who put her dreams and hopes on the back burner to raise their child, Grace. At the pinnacle of his career, Richard notices that his right arm doesn't work as well anymore. After some denial, this symptom leads to a diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. The book follows Richard's struggle to carve out a life, and death, of honor amidst the ravages of ALS, and does so admirably. What sets this book apart is that it also shows the very real (and at times ugly) process of grief, loss, and anger that those who love and care about someone with a fatal disease experience.

At times, the book felt a little rushed, but I think it may have been intentional, as Richard (as well Karina and Grace) rapidly progress through ALS to its ultimate result. A good read. Have tissues handy.

You probably have heard of Lisa Genova because of her excellent book turned movie Still Alice. What you might not know is that she has so many other great books, all dealing with different neurological issues such as Huntington's Disease, Autism, and in the case of this newest book, ALS. Every Note Played is a book full of emotion and hard truth. Not everyone that has a degenerative disease was a great person before their diagnosis, and I appreciate that Genova takes us through Richard's internal struggle of dealing with the past that now haunts him as his imminent death weighs on his mind. We see Richard from the beginning of his disease and watch it progress and get to be in his head to see how he is feeling about it all. Another aspect I really appreciated about this book was the focus on the primary care giver. It is never easy to be the care giver for someone so ill, so it was interesting to follow Karina's journey as well. Every Note Played is another great book from Lisa Genova. I hope that this one is given the Still Alice treatment and that we get to see it come alive on the big screen some day as well.

4.5 STARS - After hearing of Stephen Hawking's death yesterday, a brilliant man who lived with ALS for decades, I decided to post my review of Every Note Played, which focuses on talented pianist who suffers from ALS.

In Every Note Played, Lisa Genova once again explores the emotions and issues surrounding a neurological disorder. This time, she focuses Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a progressive and chronic neurodegenerative disease that gradually paralyzes a person, leaving them with mental acuity but trapped within their bodies until eventually they are unable to breathe.

Genova, a former neuroscientist, educates her readers on the disease and debunks some myths but readers won't feel overloaded with information. The facts are blended well within a story about a fractured family and readers will come away with a better understanding and sympathy for those who live with this disease and see the toll the disease has on the family as a whole.

Genova has lost friends to this disease and her connections to her characters and the issues are evident. This is an emotional read about family, loss, making amends and regret. Keep the Kleenex box handy for this read. I dare you not to tear up as you witness this once proud, professional pianist lose everything he 'thought' was important to him as he battles this currently incurable disease.

Currently there is no cure but to help create awareness and fund research for a much needed cure, Genova provides ways readers can help and get involved.

Disclaimer: This Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This was a wonderful book. The author’s descriptions and explanations of ALS left me inspired to learn more about this dreadful disease. Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me this ARC, and thank you to Lisa Genova for sharing her knowledge in such an inspirational way. So glad that I had the opportunity to read Every Note Played.

Shortly before writing this review I learned Stephen Hawking had died. That the famous scientist and 55 year ALS survivor died mere days before Every Note Played is published is a bittersweet irony that will likely increase interest in the book. Not that it's needed...even without Mr. Hawking's passing Every Note Played is destined to vault to the top of the best sellers list the day it hits bookstores. Like its "older sibling" Still Alice, Every Note Played pulls back the curtain on a devastating illness (here it is ALS, Still Alice followed a 50 year old professor diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's) and pulls no punches in describing the brutality it bestows on those afflicted with it. That author Lisa Genova has a PhD in neuroscience lends credibility and a "real life" tone to her novels without making them sound like a medical school textbook. Her masterful blending of medical terminology and raw emotion makes Every Note Played a joy to read despite the grim plot. The characters in Every Note Played earn our sympathy and scorn-years of secrets and resentments between world renowned pianist Richard and his long suffering (ex) wife Karina simmer even as Richard's body abandons him to the disease. When he is no longer able to care for himself, Karina moves Richard back into the home they shared before their divorce. But Karina is unprepared for the depth of care Richard needs, and she is buried under a mountain of guilt over a long held secret she kept from him. With Richard in denial of what his future holds, their lives become a "dance" of anger, regret, guilt and forgiveness that is exquisite in its clumsiness-how many ex's would wipe the ass of a man who had cheated on them repeatedly? Every Note Played is a beautiful tribute to every person suffering from this terrible disease. It is brilliant from beginning to end, even though we know the end is going to come much sooner for Richard than it did for Stephen Hawking. May he rest in peace.