Madame Curie’s Piano Tuner by Steven Barron is more a story of a place as it is of the characters. The protagonist is Raymond Dover who visits the small town of Bucksnort hoping to offer his services to a veteran's retirement home. But upon arrival, he suffers from a mysterious form of amnesia. After treatment he stays for a while in the city. He recounts experiences and offers a mesmerizing portrait of a town where it is hard to grasp its soul.

This novel is written in beguiling prose and the narrative voice is powered by a quirkiness that reflects the quaint nature of the town. The scenes are perfectly written and focused and an array of compelling characters are sculpted. Bucksnort is a vividly drawn and nuanced setting that feels like a character in its own right. Steven Barron's prose is dazzling and filled with details. He writes with confidence, filling the scenes with realism and exploring the inner worlds of the characters with unwonted clarity. This immersive tale is character-driven but the author's ability to bring life to the setting and authenticity to the characters stands out. Madame Curie’s Piano Tuner is an evocative and spellbinding tale with scenes that will tug endlessly at the edges of the readers' hearts.