Symphony: A Novel

A deeply empathic exploration of obsession and art genius and madness. . . . Morgans ability to bring each character to life is virtuosic. ―The Washington Post Book World. In 1827 Harriet Smithson a beautiful young Irish actress determined to avoid the traditional route to stardom via the managers bed joins an English company in the bold experiment of taking Shakespeare to Paris.. With the ferment of revolution in the air the new generation is longing for passionate spontaneous art. And to Harriets astonishment it is embodied in her―La Belle Irlandaise. In the midst of this frenzy she finds herself pursued by a strange intense young composer named Hector Berlioz. So begins a painful and profound love affair. She is his muse; his idée fixe; his obsession. And Berliozs Symphonie Fantastique directly inspired by Harriet will change music forever.