The Master's Violin

"The Master's Violin" by Myrtle Reed is a story set in the early 1900's, exploring how love, music, and family connect people's lives, especially the lives of a young man named Lynn, his mother Margaret, and a talented violinist, Herr Kaufmann. Art, growing up, and the mix of happiness and sadness in youth are important ideas in the book that appear as the characters learn and talk with each other. The book begins at Aunt Peace's house, where the people there show how they feel about each other through conversation, especially when Lynn says he wants to learn from Herr Kaufmann, a mysterious and talented figure. As the evening goes on, music becomes more important when they all listen to Kaufmann play, suggesting deeper emotions between the characters, especially Lynn and Iris Temple, a young woman he spends time with. This beginning gets readers interested in a world where the past and present come together, preparing for the characters to grow and for emotional discoveries.