The Musician: can love overcome racial prejudice? Or will societal norms keep them apart?

The Musician is the sixth book in the Emerson Pass Historical series by Tess Thompson. Fiona Barnes has a secret. A secret she fears would ruin everything she cares about. Her heart longs for the one she feels her family would never accept; but she can’t help but love him. Li Wu has fought prejudice his entire life even in the close knit community of Emerson Pass. But he feels safe and protected as an adopted member of the Barnes family. His heart longs for Fiona as they found a connection through the beauty of music; however, he fears that her life would be ruined by marrying him. Fiona has a chance to mentor with a musical master in Paris, they hope the distance will give them clarity. When a new man enters Fiona’s life, Li must decide if he is willing to risk everything to express his feelings for Fiona. Or will societal pressures keep them apart? 

The Musician takes a different feel than the previous books of this series. Most of it takes place in Paris and deals with the heavy prejudice against Chinese Americans in America during the early 1900s. While my heart hurt for Li and I was angry on his behalf, it greatly saddened me as it was reality for the Chinese in America. I understood the reservations that the Barnes family and even Li had about their possible romantic relationship. I loved that Fiona saw him for the beautiful, kindhearted human that he was and just didn’t care about what others thought. I wanted them to say forget everyone else and love each other, the societal concerns were very real and dangerous. I could not put this story down. I needed to see Fiona and Li confess their love and have their happily ever after. Overall, I enjoyed this story and look forward to the rest of this series. I highly recommend The Musician. 

The Musician is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook