1938, in the moonlight of Vienna: 14-year-old Lisa flees the war zone with her mother on a children's train, with her mother's instructions: “Music can help you overcome anything”... However, when they arrive in London, an even more difficult situation awaits them: her uncle cannot take her in because he has a newborn baby, and the foreign child has to fend for herself. To survive and earn enough money to bring her sister to Great Britain, she works as a maid and textile worker – but she never gives up her belief in “leading a valuable life” and never gives up music.
As an adult, Lisa repeatedly tells her children about this time: about the war, about her mother, about England, about Vienna, which is no longer within reach, about her unsettled childhood, about the black curtains she had to keep closed all day to escape the bombings – and, of course, about the music that gave her strength during all those difficult years.
The story ends with Lisa's first solo concert. When she finally realizes her dream, she is surrounded by loving friends, family, and an enthusiastic audience. In the end, Lisa moves to the USA to settle down and reunite with her family.
But a new story begins:
Lisa's daughter Mona Golabek also became an internationally renowned pianist. She grew up deeply moved and inspired by her mother's stories and wrote the novel “The Children of Willesden Lane” to document this true story.
In October of this year, after countless stories from her mother, Mona brought this true story full of courage and hope to China—a story in which music helps overcome adversity and brings light to dark times with courage.
Mona Golabek is an internationally renowned pianist, Steinway Artist, and Grammy-nominated musician. She is also a remarkable author who shares her mother's inspiring stories and conveys the power of music to children around the world.
In the book, Lisa clings to her dream at the piano in front of the air-raid shelter, connecting with her homeland through Debussy's “Clair de Lune” and conveying her longing for peace with Chopin's melodies. Live, Mona will revive this unwavering passion and belief in music during the war years with her piano playing, transforming the warmth of the words into musical tones.
In October, Mona Golabek gave a series of readings and concerts in Beijing. She not only presented exciting insights and moving piano pieces, but also combined the two in a unique way to bring to life a story that has already inspired thousands. Between piano sounds and narratives, the audience felt how a girl fights against fate with her dream.
Editor:Cai Xiaohui
