The Reluctant Conductor

by Tim Turner, Moisey Gorbaty

Overview

The Reluctant Conductor is a sweeping work of Jewish historical fiction that traces the unforgettable journey of a young Moldovan violinist whose dreams, and survival, are shaped by love, war, and faith. Set against the backdrop of Stalin's rise and Hitler's brutal invasion of the Soviet Union, this emotionally rich novel brings to life one family's resilience across continents and catastrophe.

Elazar, a gifted musician growing up in a shtetl in 1920s Moldova, longs for a future in music and love, but his loyalties, traditions, and a world on the brink of chaos complicate every choice. When forbidden love, cultural divides, and political oppression collide, Elazar and his family are forced into an epic exodus to Uzbekistan during World War II. What unfolds is a deeply human story of survival, courage, and the power of music to carry us through even the darkest days.

Ideal for readers of historical sagas, Jewish fiction, and character-driven war novels, The Reluctant Conductor is as heartbreaking as it is inspiring. Through lyrical prose, emotional depth, and sweeping historical scope, it tells a story not just of devastation, but of perseverance, identity, and hope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798989912421
Publisher:	Bessarabian Publishers
Publication date:	02/02/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

A recovering Catholic and fifth-generation native of Durango, Colo., author, screenwriter, playwright and former journalist Tim Turner, who lives in Los Angeles, is the founder and tsar of Bessarabian Publishing.The Reluctant Conductor, which he co-wrote with Moisey Gorbaty, is the first in a tetralogy of historical novels loosely based on the family and life of Moisey, whom he met at the gym in Hollywood in 2010.At the time, there were some 500,000 Russian speaking people in Los Angeles and Tim heard the language regularly at the gym. A language nerd-he's fluent in Spanish and French and has studied German, Italian and Czech-he was listening to Russian Berlitz tapes when Moisey sat down next to him in the locker room and Tim took off his headphones and said, "Доброе утро," which means "Good morning."Moisey's jaw dropped because in the 21 years he'd been in Los Angeles, no American had EVER attempted to speak Russian to him. "I'll teach you to speak Russian," said Moisey, who is Jewish and a graduate of the Moldovan Conservatory of Music, then added: "What do you do?""I'm a writer," Tim said."You should write my life story," Moisey said.Tim rolled his eyes and said: "Do you know how many times I've heard that?"After two years of studying Russian together, the two agreed that there was at least one book about Moisey living through the era of the USSR and then immigrating to the USA. They signed a collaborators agreement, started videotaping interviews of Moisey telling his family stories, and traveled together with Moisey's wife to Moldova and another trip to Rome to research Part 3.Tim has traveled extensively all over the world, including a trip to Moscow, Saint Petersburg and a cruise on the Baltic Sea. After a decade, multiple drafts, and now able to speak, read, write and touch type in Russian, Tim published The Reluctant Conductor on Nov. 9, 2023.
A prolific composer and the proprietor of Moisey's Piano Service, where he tunes and restores pianos, MOISEY GORBATY also teaches piano, guitar, music theory and Russian Language. Born in Kishinev, Moldova, he began playing accordion at the age of four, won his first music competition at age eight, and since the age of fifteen supported his family working as a concertmaster and leader of union bands. He graduated from Stefan Neaga College of Music in 1969, the Moldovan Conservatory of Music in 1973, and served in the Soviet Army from 1973 to 1974. He immigrated to Los Angeles in 1989 via Vienna and Rome, and started his piano service with his wife, a three-year-old daughter, no money, and speaking only Russian.

Editorial Reviews

2023-12-19
An indomitable man guides his Jewish family through the horrors of World War II in Eastern Europe in this debut novel.

Readers meet Elazar Gershovich in 1922. But the backstory is that, in 1903, the Gershoviches were living a comfortable life in Kishinev, Moldova, when the Christians attacked the Jews in a pogrom. Little Elazar was thrown from a window, his brother Hershel had his leg broken, their mother was gang-raped, and two siblings were murdered. The family fled north to Kalarash, Moldova, and started over. Now, Elazar is an accomplished violinist in his musical family (Papa loves the accordion, Mama prefers the clarinet, and Hershel plays percussion). Yet the protagonist longs to test his wings. But first, what he really wants is a girlfriend. He becomes smitten with Ita Kaplan, a winsome young artist from a wealthy family. Unfortunately, she plans to join her three sisters in Paris, and France is too daunting for Elazar. Then there is Mariam Gabashvili, but, since she’s not Jewish, Papa forbids the match. Soon, plans change for Ita (because of the political landscape), and so she marries Elazar and they have two children, Rivka and Ira. When the war comes, Elazar and his family and Hershel and his wife—their two sons are conscripted by the Russians—flee east ahead of the German bombardment. After a monumental trek—on foot, by train, and by boat—they end up in Uzbekistan for the duration of the war. Lice are a constant scourge, and these pests are probably responsible for a family member contracting typhus. At war’s end, Elazar and his clan make their way back to Moldova and the bombed-out ruins. But will the treasure that Elazar buried in the backyard in Kalarash and the violin he hid in the cellar still be there? Will there be music as these irrepressible survivors try to rebuild their lives?

Turner and Gorbaty’s engaging debut novel is promising and timely, considering what is going on in the main protagonist’s part of the world. Elazar, the narrator, carries the story and will win readers over right from the start. There is subtle humor in his desperate search for his dream girl, equal parts idealism and lust. And Ita is a surprise. Readers will expect that coming from an affluent family, she would not be able to handle adversity. But when the world comes crashing down, she is by no means a quitter. She is in fact a resourceful mother and loving wife through thick and thin (mostly thin). And Elazar is forever the optimist because positivity costs nothing, and pessimism is pointless, at least in his eyes. A scene involving the family member fighting typhus is beautiful and poignant (Dickens would approve). Of course, in war everyone suffers, and one would hope that the misery would bring common understanding and forbearance. But not in Moldova. In the Kalarash shtetl, a simple code evolves. In a precarious universe, you live every day as if it’s your last, so “one: have some fun, two: try to do some good, and three: don’t screw anyone over too badly.” Surely, there are more exalted codes of conduct, but these people are not given to moral preening.

A moving family tale with a strong cast that readers will love.

Kirkus Reviews