Reviews

“Everything in this remarkably assured first novel is charged with emotional energy...There is hardly a wrong note, from the moment Ford lifts his baton to the final refrain.”

—Booklist (starred review)
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“An unexpected love story, a political parable, and an intimate portrait of regeneration. The Student Conductor is one of the finest debut novels in years. The story glides along in a language both smart and chiseled, while Ford shows himself in full control of the music on and off the page. Here comes a new voice, already fully nuanced.”

—Colum McCann, author of Dancer
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"The Student Conductor is a brilliant political and psychological novel, the story fascinating and always surprising. Ford's knowledge of the music, the world of conducting, and the world of the orchestra shows a deep understanding that is gratifying and touching. It was a joy to read."

—Gerard Schwarz, Music Director, Seattle Symphony
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Awards

The Jesse H. Jones Award for Fiction - Texas Institute of Letters

The Steven Turner Award for Best First Work of Fiction - Texas Institute of Letters

The James Fellowship for Best First Novel in Progress - Heakin Group Foundation
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