A single photo taken one hot summer night forges an unforgettable bond for two star-crossed strangers in this decades-spanning story of fate, love, and ambition.
When Abraham Ford and Rebecca Garavano meet as teenagers in 1977 at a Grateful Dead concert, the connection between them is as instant as the flash of the Polaroid camera someone uses to snap a photo of them together.
Fifty years later, when a flea market owner stumbles across the Polaroid and posts it to social media, one hawk-eyed viewer recognizes the young man as “Ham” Ford, a world-renowned classical violinist. The fervent attention to his love life as onlookers speculate about the young woman in the photo forces the now-reclusive Ham to confront his tumultuous and complicated past with “Bee” Garavano. A past he’d rather keep hidden.
Told only in snapshots of the iconic concerts and performances Bee and Ham attend over fifty years—sometimes together, sometimes apart, but never far from each other’s hearts—their epic love story is a heart-wrenching exploration of the connective power of music and the sacrifices we make for those we love most.
“A love story for the ages, about the power of second chances and the price of fame. Oakley has constructed a novel perfect for music lovers—filled with the intoxicating hits of the past as well as sly references that will make you smile. But at its essence it’s a story of heartbreak and hope, one that left me laughing through tears. Unforgettable.”
—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen
“A brilliant, beautiful novel that swept me into Ham and Bee’s story from the first page and never let me go. I was completely captivated by this far-from-ordinary love story that had me rooting for Ham and Bee through the years, no matter how far apart they were. But I was equally taken by the brilliance of Colleen Oakley’s storytelling. I loved the structure of this novel, the unexpected choices Colleen made, the overall way she brought this story to life. In Concert is both an unforgettable love story and a remarkable work of fiction. Brava!”
—Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling author of Harlem Rhapsody
“A sumptuous, epic love story that will resonate in your heart long after you’ve finished—this is the must-read book of the year.”
—Amy E. Reichert, author of The Kindred Spirits Supper Club
