Oh my goodness, this is the fourth book I read for the 2024 North Carolina Reads statewide book club from NC Humanities. I fell in love with and was so inspired by the character Ray McMillan in this book. His colorful story opened up a whole new world in my understanding of violins and classical music while introducing us to the famous Stradivarius violin. Yet throughout this book, Brendan Slocumb weaves a level of consciousness about playing a borrowed instrument like the violin and what it’s like to persevere in a world where others feel you don’t belong.
The journey of Ray is a clear reminder to me about why I am so passionate about our schools continuing to support and not eliminate the arts and music from students. When I joined the marching band in high school, I was fortunate to have a band director who cared about his student musicians from beginners to advanced students. This is such an awesome read that I highly recommend it. You need not have musical knowledge in order to fall in love with the message throughout this story. I am pleased to share with you my review of the book The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb.
~ ~ ~
This novel is one of the most fascinating, thrilling, emotional, and riveting head-scratching whodunits I’ve read. The story begins when Ray McMillan, an accomplished violinist has his Stradivarius Violin (one of the finest instruments ever made and a collector’s item) stolen from right under his nose. A $5 million ransom note along with a white Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star tennis shoe was placed in his violin case. The person I suspected turned out in the end to be the culprit, along with an accomplice because they had opportunity and motive.
As the story of Ray’s life unfolds, my heartstrings tugged, because he was ostracized for having different dreams and ambitions that did not conform to his family’s or public opinion – their judgemental conditioned way of life. Ray’s mother got on my nerves sometimes because she often acted like Ray was her husband/boyfriend, babysitter, or pet.
When you are a product in an environment with aspirations and dreams that are different from those of everyone else, you stand out like an alien. In many situations, envy and resentment are because others around you don’t think outside of the box or are as innovative as you are. They prefer that you remain in the box. All too often we witness this in our lives, especially when we don’t walk to the beat of their cadence or in the same paths as friends, family, or foe. But Ray felt a close bond with his Grandmother Nora. He would confide in his grandmother when he couldn’t do so with his mother. His grandmother encouraged him when he was discouraged and knew Ray was interested in music, something she wanted her children to do, but they didn’t.
Grandma Nora gave him her grandfather’s old fiddle, which was stored in an alligator-skin case with a loose handle. He’d been using a borrowed school instrument but was excited to get PopPop’s fiddle he used to play for his master when he was a slave…something that kept him alive. After searching with no luck, he thought Grandma Nora could have been confused. But one day, he found it and took it to be repaired. Even though the repairs were shotty and unprofessional, Ray was still able to play it and enjoyed serenading his grandmother when he went to visit her.
Photo Credit: brendanslocumb.com
After auditioning for a competition, Ray was approached by Janice Stevens who became extremely instrumental (no pun intended) in his going to college and later, as he became a world-class violinist. Thinking that PopPop’s violin may be of some value, Janice made an appointment with an appraiser to examine Ray’s violin. Much to their surprise after the violin was properly repaired and examined, they discovered that PopPop’s violin was a Stradivarius made by the Italian Stradivari family during the 17th and 18th centuries. This was when the Marks family who owned his grandfather and Ray’s greedy family sued him for the violin because now, after the appraisal and insured value were known, everyone was claiming ownership.
The sadness that Ray dealt with throughout his life, is reflected by some of Brendan Slocomb’s real-life experiences when he was confronted with conscious and unconscious discrimination despite his accomplishments. Struggle became a normal part of life and Ray, like Brendon, was passed over not because he was incapable but because he was perceived as incapable based on very real racism and stereotyping from professors, musicians, and others who said Ray’s fame was based on a racial quota or a diversity stunt. These judgementalists perceived that Blacks weren’t good enough and were oddities whose talents were seldom recognized.
I think it’s safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book selection. You can connect with Brendan Slocumb on his website, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, TikTok, and Twitter.
From Behind the Pen 