Review: Strings Attached by Joanne Lipman and Melanie Kupchynsky

Title: Strings Attached: One Tough Teacher and the Gift of Great Expectations
Authors: Joanne Lipman and Melanie Kupchynsky
Format: ARC
Publisher: Hyperion
Publish Date: October 1, 2013
Source: I received a copy from the publisher; however, this did not affect my review.

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a memoir fan.
• You've had a teacher that touched your life.

 What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Strings Attached is the story of a brilliant, but ferocious music teacher who came to be known as Mr K. A Ukrainian immigrant who survived an abusive childhood to become a noted resident and teacher, Mr K used music as a means of escape. The authors, who spent their childhoods in the late 60s and 70s, rehearsing and playing together as young musicians, bring the extraordinary character of Mr K to life - from his days as a forced Nazi labourer; to his home life as a husband to an invalid wife; to his heart-breaking search to find his missing daughter; to the terrifying challenges he hurtled from behind the music stand."

My Two Cents:

"String Attached" is the story of a tough high school music teacher named Mr. K who taught countless numbers of students to play music. I think most of us have those teachers in our life where we are sure that they changed us for the better (for me it was my 9th grade English teacher, Mr. McDonough, and my International Politics professor, Dr. McCartney).

Mr. K, like both of my favorite teachers, definitely was a teacher that would push you. Failure was not an option. They were hard but they made you want to be better. I think it's no accident that I found myself so drawn to the way that Mr. K teaches. I appreciate when teachers push you to be your best. It may not be the most fun time when you are going through it but these are the teachers that change your life. You probably spent a lot of time shaking your fists at them (but no, never to their faces!!!). They commanded respect and you knew that you were learning from them. These are the people that you think about for the rest of your life!

I, myself, would never be able to be a teacher. I don't have the patience at all! Teachers are absolutely amazing and I love reading about them. Teachers like Mr. K are incredibly worthy of being written about. This book was written by one of his former students, Joanne, and his daughter, Melanie (he also taught her to play violin). I think having two people who were so close to Mr. K write about him really brought him to life for me. The book goes through their memories of Mr. K and an event that will change all of their lives. When Mr. K's daughter and Melanie's sister, Stephanie, disappears, Joanne is pulled back to this man who had touched her life in so many ways.

I found myself both laughing and getting a little teary eyed throughout this book. This is definitely the kind of book that you read when you want to feel the whole range of emotions while you're reading it. This is a very good memoir!