Product Description

A celebrated French pianist's poignant story of her journey from her early days as a student in Paris to her life as the founder of a wolf conservation center in upstate New York.

A gifted pianist from a young age, Hélène Grimaud made her first recording at the age of fifteen and won the French equivalent of a Grammy at sixteen. She is a classical music star whose concerts continue to draw sellout crowds all over Europe and North America. But it wasn't until she met her first wolf that she discovered there was something missing in her life.

Late one night in 1991, Grimaud encountered a wolf-dog hybrid in Florida and felt an immediate, instinctual connection to the animal-one that the wolf also seemed to share. Determined to do what she could to protect this threatened species, she committed her time and resources to becoming certified to found her own wolf preserve on the grounds of her home in New York State. Today, the master pianist acts as a tireless advocate for wolves, a species she believes has been unfairly demonized throughout history. In turn, the animals have given her a sense of freedom that she has never before experienced, even as an artist.

In a beautifully rendered personal story that weaves the tale of a musical prodigy's rise to stardom with one of an animal lover learning to communicate on a level as primal as music, Hélène Grimaud touches, astonishes, and delights with her remarkable insight and passion.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #488692 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-07
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

From Booklist
A renowned classical pianist, Helene Grimaud explores life with passion, stating, "I have never had the feeling of a paradise lost, but of a paradise to be found." Her islands of bliss are classical music and the sanctuary she created for wolves. Growing up in France, her talent for the piano was evident early on, and at 13 she became the youngest student at the National Conservatory of Music. A determined prodigy who shouldered responsibility for her path even when she stumbled, she shaped her musical gift in her own way. She met her first wolf in Florida, and the intense recognition seemed to be mutual. Grimaud's deep friendship with the wolf and her owner, Dennis, inspired her to establish a wolf sanctuary in upstate New York and to become a wolf advocate. As Grimaud celebrates both the transcendental power of music and the beauty, spirit, and significance of wolves, her eloquent and inspiring reflections embody her love for and total involvement in her work and nature. Pamela Crossland
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Born in Aix-en-Provence, Hélène Grimaud was accepted into the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris at the age of thirteen. Her international concert career began in 1987, and she performs regularly worldwide. She lives with her husband and four wolves.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful, energetic and sensitive
This rising artist has a deep sense and understanding of the various feelings and emotions that Beethoven had in his heart and soul when composing this music that are translated by Grimaud into a very beautiful,sensitive and masterful interpretation of his Piano Concerto No. 5...listening to this performance is truly a wonderful experience.

Too much music, too few wolves
With no disrespect intended towards the author, I bought this book because I thought it was about wolves. A fraction of it is, but the bulk of this work is a biography of the authors life as a concert pianist. Wolves were not even mentioned until almost 200 pages in. In this regard, I found the book a disappointment. Music lovers, however, should get alot out of it. The cover photo is breathtaking, if not a little misleading.

A little irony
Atrocious, not the least to say for the poetic foul ups from her admirers. Worth reading, then tossing for Rosalyn Tureck.