Boyd, William. Love Is Blind. Knopf. Oct. 2018. 400p. ISBN 9780525655268. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780525655275. F

Set during the heady times at the turn of the 20th century, this meditation on the nature of love features Scottish piano tuner Brodie Moncur. The enterprising young Brodie is appointed assistant manager of Channon & Company's piano shop in Paris. There he becomes indispensable to the business, drawing the ire of the owner's profligate scion. One of Brodie's ideas is to increase sales by enticing famous pianists to use Channon pianos, and he successfully recruits John Kilbarron, the Irish Liszt. Thus he meets Lika Blum, Kilbarron's erstwhile lover, and launches into a torrid affair with her as he's drawn into Kilbarron's inner circle. Learning that he suffers from tuberculosis and is wrongly accused of stealing from Channon, Brodie then begins a series of ever-widening travels in pursuit of both Lika and a better climate to treat his illness. When Kilbarron discovers Brodie's and Lika's betrayal, high drama ensues. VERDICT Reading this masterly novel from Boyd (Restless) is like easing into a comfortable prose chair. The language, story, and setting all converge in a richly satisfying human drama; highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 4/9/18.]—Henry Bankhead, San Rafael P.L., CA