Publisher's Weekly Review
In this inspirational memoir, Schulman tells of the healing power of music. After Schulman slips into a medically induced coma following complications from surgery for pancreatic cancer, his wife, Wendy, plays Bach's St. Matthew Passion for him through earbuds and his vital signs stabilize. As a result of his own experience, Schulman, a classical guitarist, resolves to return to the surgical ICU with his guitar as a way of giving something to patients in a situation similar to his own. One woman for whom Schulman plays-he calls her Alice Blue Gown because of her blue nightgown-is in a coma and appears to be unresponsive to his chords, but two days later, she's out of ICU, and she confirms that the music reached her and helped her heal. Another patient, Deena, is married to Ernie Harburg, son of Yip Harburg, who wrote "Over the Rainbow" with Harold Arlen; when Schulman plays songs by the Gershwins and Harburg and other works from the Great American Songbook, she connects with her past through music. The narrative can be repetitive, but Schulman nicely describes the healing effect that music can have. Agent: Marly Rusoff, Marly Rusoff & Assoc. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Schulman was a fiftysomething guitarist when, on the night of July 16, 2009, he almost died after complications following pancreatic surgery for what was initially thought to be a malignant mass. After he was put in a medically induced coma, no one expected him to survive. But he did. Some even called him a medical miracle. But 12 days in the hospital took its toll. The slightest movement of his fingers took a huge effort, yet, miraculously, he could still play the guitar, although he could only remember six pieces of music all learned before he was 20. Everything else had to be rememorized. Today, he is a resident musician in the surgical intensive-care unit at Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital in New York City, where he almost lost his life. Now he plays his guitar Bach and the Beatles being among his favorites at the bedsides of critically ill patients, referring to himself as a medical musician. Schulman offers deeply moving testament to resiliency, perseverance, and growing recognition of the genuine healing power of music.--Sawyers, June Copyright 2016 Booklist
