Afterwards, as they stroll down by a fetid smelling river they are shocked to see two Russian officers beat up a man and throw him into the river to drown. To console themselves one afternoon the girls decide to cross into East Berlin to visit a new gelato shop. The girls are deeply disappointed to learn that they will not be able to travel to Paris to compete against other young musicians for a prize at the Sorbonne. Three girls, all daughters of American parents stationed in Berlin after the fall of the Berlin Wall, play in a trio under the tutelage of Herr Muller, an old man who has been a member of many orchestras, even composing for some of them. Readers who will devote even a little time to the first few pages will find themselves swept into a riveting adventure through the remnants of Post-Cold War Berlin and Paris, a city that endures and nourishes each generation through the arts. Second Fiddle is a gripping novel for young people that will definitely take them on an adventure through the most venerable sites that Paris and Berlin have to offer. (Mar.For those who think there cannot possibly be any adventure in playing in a string trio, think again. The action may take place in the '90s, but this reads like first-class historical fiction Parry (Heart of a Shepherd) vividly conjures the political tensions of the period, the challenges of life as an army brat, and the redemptive power of music. The trip doesn't go as planned, and the friends wind up on a wild goose chase with international ramifications. Along with commanding Giselle and brainy Vivian, Jody plans to enter a solo and ensemble contest in Paris as a string trio their planned performance is thwarted when their teacher falls ill, but when they witness the attempted murder of Arvo, a Soviet soldier and translator, they rescue him and plot to secret him to Paris. Jody, a violinist and classical composer, is dreading leaving her two best friends when her father retires from the army, and she will again be forced to uproot her life to move to Texas.

Set in 1990, just after the Berlin Wall has fallen, Parry's insightful coming-of-age novel follows the tumultuous journey of three eighth-grade friends who live on an army base in Berlin.

Second Fiddle by Rosanne Parry