Saving Chopin

Book Synopsis: Fred Chopin is a resident of a homeless shelter in Philadelphia. An unexpected health crisis takes him to the Philadelphia General Hospital where he comes under the care of Dr. Valerie Abrams, a pulmonologist who uncovers a mysterious tattoo on Chopin’s body. Abrams convinces Chopin to appear at a medical forum, where he piques the interest of Dr. Richard Ralston, a heart surgeon with a passion for classical music. Questions about Chopin’s ancestry unleash an investigation into Fred’s past, including his stay at Saint Michael’s Orphanage, a shuttered building on the outskirts of Philadelphia with a controversial link to post World War II Germany. As more details emerge, the reticent life of Fred Chopin quickly becomes the focal point of several factions, including the director of the Philadelphia Sinfonietta, the United States Government, and a former wayward classmate expelled from St. Michael’s on Chopin’s behalf. As events progress, it becomes readily apparent to Dr. Abrams that her window of opportunity to save Chopin’s life is rapidly closing.

Saving Chopin is a modern day medical examination of Fryderyk Chopin, a Polish composer who died in 1849, the cause of his death still controversial. The storyline intermittently returns to the 19th and 20th century, in an attempt to resolve parallels between the story’s main character and the iconic composer. The life and times of Fryderyk Chopin is interwoven throughout the narrative, as is a final diagnosis of his disease process.