Tasa's Song: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

The novel is inspired by events from the authors mothers life.

World War II novels continue to draw interest and to sell well, even as backlist, as does historical fiction in general (this years Pulitzer Prize in Fiction went to a WWII novel, Doerrs All The Light You Cannot See).

The Historical Novel Society Facebook page has more than 5,600 members.

Unlike many other WWII novels, Tasas Song is set in an area of Poland that was a battleground for the Germans and Russians, so readers learn about life under the communists in WWII.

The Jewish Book Council reaches approximately 25,000 readers across its platforms.

The author is well connected in her community, where she serves as a board trustee of The Ohio State University, United Way of Central Ohio, Bexley Education Foundation, and KidsOhio.org. She expects her connections to yield invitations to speak at Thurber House Summer Literary Picnics, Jewish Community Center, Melton School of Jewish Studies at Ohio State, and several area libraries, book clubs, and synagogues.

Reviews

Kasss novel is a moving tribute, inspired by her mothers survival of the Holocaust, to the endurance of family, faith, and culture set in eastern Poland during WWII, when both German and Russian forces ravaged the region . . . a memorable tale of unflinching courage in the face of warand the power of love and beauty to flourish amid its horrors.

Publishers Weekly

Across decades and continents, Tasa follows a song of hope that is uplifting even in the face of great adversity, proving that an indomitable spirit can transcend the greatest hardships. Kass depicts a heartbreaking time with great sensitivity and detail in this beautifully rendered historical drama. Booklist

". . . Kasss fictional story is compelling and emotionally satisfying for reasons other than the deep relieving trauma so often retold . . . Tasa does not ponder a world where the enemy walks past every window, hides in every shadow, a foe whose wintry breath has the power to ice the heart. Rather, Tasas Song is a celebration of the fullness of the human spirit, of the ties of friendship and love, of duty and sacrifice, of trust and conscience, that bind us even when the world around us unravels." The Apalachicola Times

. . . a poignant debut . . . Not only does Kass capably steer the storys arc through the drama of the traumatic years of the war with appropriate gravitas, but the role she gives to Tasas love of music molds beautifully with the somber scenes she portrays. Near the end of the book is a list of all the musical works referenced throughout the story, which gives the reader the opportunity of listening to the selections. The story of Tasas Song is also a powerful reminder of all the artists, writers, and other creators of beauty whose passions and irreplaceable talents were cut short or lost because of Hitlers deranged obsession with power. Tasa turns to her music at good times as well as bad, even though she is forced to play all her most beloved compositions, many of which were banned by the Soviets, in solitary defiance. There is no doubt that World War II stripped the world of its grace and splendor, but Kass, with Tasas Song, allows for some of the glory of man to be restored. The Vail Daily (CO)

A beautifully composed narrative set in eastern Poland during World War II. . .

Sophisticated Living

Despite all that Tasa endures, she never gives up, never stops fighting, and never stops hearing the music inside of her. She is definitely a character I wont soon forget.

Diary of an Eccentric

Linda Kass is an accomplished storyteller. Tasas Song captures the human suffering and personal triumphs of those most deeply impacted by World War II and its aftermath. Public library customers will be immediately attached to the novels memorable characters."

Patrick Losinski, Chief Executive Officer, Columbus Metropolitan Library

"Tasas Song is a story of love and survival. World War II Poland provides the backdrop for this delicately rendered tale of a young woman, her music, and the beauty that persists even in times of great cruelty. Linda Kass writes with a sure and loving hand in this memorable debut novel, one that portrays the strength of the human spirit and how it can rise above the base and ignoble designs of our lesser kind.

Lee Martin, author of Turning Bones and The Bright Forever, a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

Tasas Song is a sweeping historical drama about a young Jewish musician growing up in eastern Poland during World War II. As Tasa faces the horrors of the Holocaust with a bow and violin, Linda Kass weaves a sensuous, poetic narrative, both heartbreaking and melodic. It is the kind of book that makes you feel like you are reading by candlelight, no matter where you are, and at times the pages seemed to hum with music. This is a poignant, brave novel that book clubs and readers of all kinds will adore.

Matt Bondurant, author of The Night Swimmer, The Wettest County in the World, and The Third Translation

"Tasa's Song is compelling from the first page to the last. A beautiful love story wrapped within a violins melody. Inspired by true events from her Jewish family's life in Poland during World War II, Linda Kass has written a lyrical novel of family, love, music, and survival. I cannot wait to put it in the hands of our readers."

Linda White, owner, Sundog Books

"This is a story of growing up in war, but also of learning to navigate uncertainty and reach into the future for something better without losing hope or the memory of those left behind, many in unmarked graves."

Savvy Verse & Wit

"Brimming with the sights and sounds of a world gone by, Tasa's Song is razor sharp in its insights, and soaring in its lyric evocation of the past. Tasa herself steps out of history and into the world of unforgettable heroines.

Ann Kirschner, author of Sala's Gift and Lady at the OK Corral

"Tasas Song is a beautiful ode to all of the light and darkness history has to offer her children. Linda Kass has written a lasting tribute to life during wartime, including the hardships and triumphs that define the true nature of grace and resilience."

Amber Dermont, author of The New York Times bestseller, The Starboard Sea

In showing us the transcendence of classical music against the horrors of the Holocaust, Linda Kass has given us a necessary and indispensable volume that details the evil and the beauty we as a species are capable of. Tasa's Song is a hauntingly heavenly melody heard in a darkness most terrifying, a novel at once harrowing and hopeful. I am as beguiled by its artistry as I am bedeviled by its theme.

Lee K. Abbott, author of seven collections of short stories, including All Things, All at Once

"Linda Kasss moving debut novel brings vividly to life a Jewish familys struggle to survive World War II in eastern Poland, caught between the Nazi threat to the west and the Soviets to the east. Tasa, a gifted violinist, comes of age in the shadow of encroaching war, finding redemption in her music and through deep love despite the horrors that steadily draw near. Meticulously researched, Tasas Song illuminates the day-to-day experience of warthe uncertainty and dawning horror, the devastating losses and the small acts of grace.

Margot Singer, author of The Pale of Settlement, winner of the 2007 Flannery OConnor Award for Short Fiction

Tasas Song is an intimate, evocative, deeply moving novel of devotion, love, and loss in the face of unspeakable evil. Read it for the powerful story it tells, the lives it honors, and the profoundly important lessons it teaches.

Kevin Boyle, author of Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age, winner of the 2004 National Book Award for Nonfiction

I was enthralled with this story and how the author fittingly wove different classical pieces into her story . . .Tasa summons the music in her head when she needs it or when something reminds her of it: the sound of wind blowing through the trees, birds chirping, certain smells of the home she longs for, people shes lost, others shes found . . .Tasas Song is a beautiful story of love and loss, strength, uncertainty, and the sustaining power that music can have through it all. I love a descriptive story and Kass has done a marvelous job describing the way the music sounds, feels, and even looks . . . I highly recommend this book to all and I will certainly purchase this book when its released and read it again!

For The Love of Literature

Author Bio

As a journalist, Linda Kass wrote for regional and national publications, including Columbus Monthly, Time and The Detroit Free Press, early in her career. Tasa's Song, her debut novel, is inspired by her mothers life in eastern Poland during the Second World War. Linda lives in Columbus, Ohio. Learn more at http://www.lindakass.com/.