Body & Soul by Frank Conroy

I have decades of reading behind me and yet I can count on one hand the books I loved so dearly that I will never forget them.  Body & Soul by Frank Conroy is one of those books.  From the first line, I knew I was going to like the book and as I continued to read, I became seriously ensconced in the life of Claude Rawlings.  

We first meet Claude as a young child, too young for school, who spends his days locked in a low-income basement apartment as his single mother works as a cab driver in New York City.  One of the things he discovers in his basement room is an old piano and as he begins to tinker with it, he realizes how much he loves playing it.

When he is a few years older and allowed outside to attend school, he finds a music store around the corner.  Many times, he stands outside, staring into the store, looking fondly at the instruments.  Doing his best to gather a few cents, he finally walks into the store to buy an instructional book on piano playing.  He meets the store's proprietor, Mr. Weisfeld, an escaped refugee from Germany.  It's not long before Weisfeld recognizes Claude's immense talents as a piano prodigy.  

Treating him like the father Claude never had, Weisfeld encourages Claude to continue his work with the piano, arranging lessons with masters, each of whom recognizes the boy's talent. 

Through Claude's life from student to performer to composer to star, we are enthralled as we witness Claude's growth as a performer and a man.  

This is a thrilling, beautifully written, and overall wonderful story of growth and maturation.  I never wanted it to end.