The End of Romance: A Memoir of Love, Sex, and the Mystery of the Violin - Softcover

Norma Barzman is a blacklisted writer living in Southern France. Henry Myers is her beloved cousin, a former member of the Algonquin circle who has found his writing talent diminished with age, and is living an isolated life in New York City. When Norma invites Henry to Italy to realize their mutual dream of traveling together to Cremona to write about the mysterious origins of violin making, neither one could have anticipated the explosive consequences of their journey. But their adventure opens a Pandora's box of long-suppressed emotions, family secrets, and forces each to reassess their feelings towards each other, and themselves. As Norma recognizes her growing emotional independence, both from Henry and her over-bearing husband Ben, she gains the confidence to delve into the suppressed history of Cremona whose sun-bleached walls hide dangerous secrets, intrigue, and the shameful history of anti-Semitism in Italy. Combining the romance of Frances Haye's Under the Tuscan Sun with the historical depth of a Sebastian Falks novel, The End of Romance is an iridescent book that explores and illuminates the enduring mysteries of love and music.