In the deadly siege of Budapest, secrets lodge in a teen violinist's heart and the music he writes. Sixty years later, relatives ask about music's story. Is it too painful or can pain, like music, be re-composed as beauty?
Connie Hampton Connally holds a BA in English from the University of Washington and an MFA from Antioch University. She has taught high school English and elementary music, worked as an editor, led workshops at writers' conferences, and written both fiction and non-fiction. Her debut novel, The Songs We Hide, was published by Coffeetown Press in 2018. Fire Music is Ms. Connally's second novel.Ms. Connally has played guitar most of her life. She especially loves folk and classical music for its beautiful evocation of joy, sorrow, longing and transcendence. Her experiences with music influenced her novels Fire Music and The Songs We Hide, which deal with artistry amid hardship. Ms. Connally lives in Tacoma, Washington with her husband. The Connally's travel frequently to visit their three adult sons and their families. Ms. Connally is currently writing a novel set in Andean Peru, where her second son lives.