The Passion of Tasha Darsky draws readers into the glamorous and competitive world of classical music, capturing its harsh demands and its magical power to move performers and audiences alike. With rare mastery, Yael Goldstein Love offers a sweeping tale of female ambition, unflinchingly rendered in all its danger, confusion, and passion.

1. Tasha Darsky seems blessed with every advantage — beauty, brains, talent, money, fame. Did this make it harder for you to sympathize with her story? Do you think it would have been easier or harder to care about her story if it were told through the eyes of another character?
2. In what ways do you think Tasha’s parents shaped the woman — and the mother — she ultimately became? Do you think she’s fair to them when she recounts her childhood? What do you make of the scene beneath her mother’s partially hidden masterpiece? Do you think that moment of recognition was instrumental in guiding her later life choices, or did it simply present a convenient hanger on which to drape already existing tendencies?

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