The Hours Before Dawn

Beneath the outgoing façade Madeline Brooks hides a secret. Lively, energetic and ambitious, Madeline is studying music at the Royal Academy, building a career as a pianist. Behind the outward success, she is struggling to cope with scars inflicted on her psyche in her troubled past. Then violinist Joshua Hanson enters her life. Deeply creative, gentle and sensitive, he is unlike anyone she has known before. He reaches out to her through music and unlocks her trapped emotions. The outpouring of musical creativity sets them on the road to fame. For Madeline, it is a miracle. For Josh, it is a glory. As they begin touring and performing together, Madeline is faced with an agonising dilemma. Dare she risk a more personal relationship? Can Josh help her overcome the traumas of her past? Or will this end in disaster, as all other relationships have? Get it right, and their lives will be everything they have ever wanted. Get it wrong, the conflagration will consume them both. A moving tale of courage and musical passion, set against a backdrop of family jealousy, revenge, and the outbreak of war.