Roberto Scarlato

Sophia Loren Chambers is a saxophonist but not of the typical variety. The Blue Lagoon is packed tonight with people there to see her unusual and uplifting performance. Franco, the MC, and Lewis, an aspiring comedian, both know that Sophia is on her way to greatness. It’s a great set up for either something magical and little wonderful or something a little spooky to happen. I really didn’t know which way this story would go. If you’re looking for a short tale with a touch of the paranormal to it, this is a great pick.

Sophia enjoys being on stage and sharing her small gifts with others but she’s also very down to Earth. She’s not pretentious but nor is she star-struck naive. There’s definite mystery about her and her saxophone. I was caught up in this aspect of the story.

I’m not a musically talented person myself so I’m sure I missed out a little here but not much because Sophia chooses to play a piece that takes talent yet one that is familiar to most Americans. Even though I have no idea how difficult it is to perform this piece, I could still hear it in my head as the story carried on, which I really liked. That was perfect backdrop for the rest of the story.

By the end of the tale, I had no doubt that Sophia’s star was on the rise. This is a beautiful little story that ends on a high note.

I received a free copy of this book.

The Narration: Raquel Beattie was the perfect fit for this story. She sounds like a woman who is sure in her talent. Beattie also had a great male voice for Franco. Beattie captured the nuanced emotions of this short tale – the hushed expectation of the crowd, the uplifted spirits, Sophia’s own bitter sweet memories of the origins to her saxophone. Great narration all around!… (meer)