SYNOPSIS
Nicolo Zen is all alone in 1700s Venice, save for his clarinet, which a mysterious magician had enchanted, allowing its first player to perform expertly. Soon Nicolo is a famous virtuoso, wealthy beyond his dreams, but he can’t stop wondering if he earned the success himself — or what might happen if the spell were removed. And throughout it all, he continues to think about the girl he met in Venice, what she might be doing and if she’s safe from harm.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicolas Christopher was born and raised in New York City, educated at Harvard, and later traveled and lived in Europe. He became a regular contributor to the New Yorker in his early twenties. He has taught at Yale, Barnard College, and New York University, and is now a Professor in the Writing Division of the School of the Arts at Columbia University. He lives in New York City with his wife, Constance, and continues to travel widely, most frequently to Venice, the Hawaiian island of Kauai, and the Grenadines.