The Violin Players is a work of fiction in the young adult, coming of age and interpersonal drama sub-genres, and is presented in audiobook format, written and narrated by author Eileen Bluestone Sherman. Dealing with prejudice and important cultural issues, our central protagonist Melissa Jensen is off to a bad start when she is ripped away from her New York high school to study in the Midwest whilst her father works away. But just as Melissa begins to enjoy her new placement, her new crush Daniel experiences intense bullying and antisemitism, causing Melissa to question everything about her identity and how much prejudice there is in the wider world.

Author Eileen Bluestone Sherman delivers a compelling narrative that covers some extremely important social issues, but she does it without browbeating her readers and makes them feel included and empathetic in Melissa’s story. The narrative structure gives us a close insight into her thoughts and feelings, and the beats of the plot and social interactions are all very realistically portrayed to keep us grounded in the realism and issues of the piece.

In terms of audiobook production, the work is clearly edited and crisp to listen to. The author does an excellent job of narrating her own work, with a highly enthusiastic and emotive rendition that pays homage to the youth, optimism, and learning curve of her teenaged protagonist. Overall, I would certainly recommend The Violin Players to readers of intelligent and socially aware young adult fiction which raises important concerns but also tells an excellent and emotive story.

Melissa Jensen is not happy about leaving her New York home to head for the Midwest where her parents have taken new jobs in Henryville, a small college town, in the audiobook, The Violin Players, written and read by Eileen Bluestone Sherman. It’s hard for Melissa to leave behind her friends, and especially her Orthodox Jewish grandparents, even though Melissa doesn’t really identify as Jewish herself. Even so, from the outset, Melissa is pleasantly surprised when she finds in Henryville, Chris, the captain of the football team; a drama teacher who was a former Broadway actor; a particularly talented school orchestra; and Daniel, a fellow (gifted) violinist. When Daniel, Jewish himself, and his friend, Rob Kingston, discover nasty anti-Semitic graffiti in Rob’s locker one day, Melissa believes the incident to be the work of some popular students she has heard say anti-Semitic things. Still, at Daniel’s request, she agrees to remain silent about the incident. Soon, as Melissa works with Daniel to prepare for the school play, Romeo and Juliet, she finds herself becoming more attracted to Daniel. But while she keeps her own Jewishness a secret, even from him, Melissa witnesses a conversation between Daniel and one of the anti-Semitic students after a school event that turns violent, and Daniel is injured.

When a teacher shares with Melissa the famous quote by Martin Niemöller about speaking up for what is right, Melissa learns the importance of finding her voice. She also comes to appreciate the value of learning about her own family and ancestry because, as she discovers, that history includes lessons about recognizing and confronting bigotry. The issue of anti-Semitism is one worthy of sharing and teaching to young people at any time. The related issue of learning how to speak up in the face of any type of oppression or bigotry seems particularly pertinent today, given the efforts by many who seek to silence others merely because they think differently. Reading or listening to The Violin Players is a great way to introduce the issues to the young and to encourage conversation with them about the issues. I was particularly impressed with how Eileen Bluestone Sherman, author and reader of The Violin Players, gave voice to the wide variety of characters. She truly brought the story to life! From the little old grandmother with a bit of a New York twist to Melissa’s sassy high school girlfriends to her serious father, the author/reader gave each character a unique and consistent voice, bringing the whole to life.