To Live Again

This is a beautifully written true story by Ana Maria Trenchi de Botazzi of a tragic accident that nearly cost her her piano career. With perseverance and determination, she stuggles to play the piano once again. It is an inspiring story for anyone facing challenges in the goals they wish to achieve.

This book will be of greatest interest to pianists and other musicians, but it is also a rare first-hand account of traumatic brain injury -- the kinds of symptoms that can occur, the remarkable recovery that can be made, and the persistence of symptoms despite the recovery. Ms. Trenchi de Bottazzi is a concert pianist who from an early age was a great prodigy. Although she had the somewhat sheltered life of many prodigies, she also had a taste for fast cars, which led her to a tragic accident. She gives a detailed account of the course of her condition, including some infuriating aspects of the medical treatment which would be comical if they were not so sad. She then talks about her long and arduous road back to the concert stage, which required her to develop new ways of learning and conceptualizing music, since her impairments rendered her old ways impossible. Her experiences in this regard provide an unusual opportunity to appreciate the different ways in which music can be learned and remembered. Most musicians probably "sort of" know these different ways and use them at different times, but Ms. Trenchi de Bottazzi's account brings them to life. The account of her early years gives a vivid view of the life of a child prodigy. The book also relates interesting aspects of her family experience, including many insightful observations that ring convincingly true. The author clearly has a great interest in psychology and a good flair for it. As for her own nature, she clearly has a stubborn and defiant streak; it is what has gotten her into trouble, as well as what has enabled her to triumph over it. And she clearly is comfortable with who and what she is, and proud of it. You might question some of it -- but you will also smile and nod in admiration as well.