Description

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The New York Times bestselling true story that inspired the major motion picture—an “unforgettable tale of hope, heart and humanity”(People).

Journalist Steve Lopez discovered of Nathaniel Ayers, a former classical bass student at Julliard, playing his heart out on a two-string violin on Los Angeles’s Skid Row. Deeply affected by the beauty of Ayers’s music, Lopez took it upon himself to change the prodigy's life—only to find that their relationship would have a profound change on his own.

“An intimate portrait of mental illness, of atrocious social neglect, and the struggle to resurrect a fallen prodigy.”—Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down

About the Author

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Steve Lopez is the author of several books, including The Sunday Macaroni Club and The Soloist. In 2009, The Soloist was made into a movie starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. Lopez is a columnist with the Los Angeles Times and lives in California.

Praise For…

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Praise for Steve Lopez and The Soloist

“Lopez is a terrific reporter. The Soloist is poignant, wise, and funny.”—Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind

“A heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful, read.”—Essence

“An utterly compelling tale.”—Pete Earley, author of Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness

“With self-effacing humor, fast-paced yet elegant prose, and unsparing honesty, Lopez tells an inspiring story of heartbreak and hope.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Compelling and gruffly tender...Lopez deserves congratulations for being the one person who did not avert his eyes and walk past the grubby man with the violin.”—Edward Humes, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist writing for the Los Angeles Times