Dimensions
127 x 198 x 19mm
This is the remarkable story of David Helfgott, the eccentric musician whose life has inspired the internationally renowned film 'Shine', starring Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, Geoffrey Rush, Lynn Redgrave and John Gielgud.
David's parents, Peter and Rachel, were Polish Jews born under the Russian flag who fled the looming horrors of Hitler's Europe. They met and married in Australia, bringing up their family of five gifted children. Despite financial hardship, there was always music in the Helfgott household. The object of his father's obsessive love, David showed prodigious talent as a pianist - a talent which was both a tremendous gift and a destructive force.
Acclaimed in Australia at a young age, David went on to study in England, where his performance with the Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra received an ecstatic response. From this triumph, however, began David's descent into a personal hell: his sudden return home, his breakdown and devastating years in the wilderness.
David's recovery from that tragic time is an unforgettable account of courage and love. With his wife Gillian's support, David Helfgott - haunted genius and true virtuoso - has regained his dignity and the respect of the musical world. Above all, his is the story of a survivor, an eccentric individual who lives by the creed: "It's alright to be different".
