Review of Keys to Harmony

[Corina Zisu]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Keys to Harmony" by Margalit Jakob.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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In recent years, there has been a wave of popularity for personal development books; many are on the market, on all possible topics, and in all variations. Due to so many sources of information, people become aware that they have difficulties in various areas of their lives and keep trying to find solutions but not necessarily in the so-called right way, namely by approaching a specialist.

Keys to Harmony is an excellent piece of paperwork within this category of non-fiction books. What sets it apart is the story behind its pages. The author, a female pianist who subsequently became a psychotherapist, analyzes her life and her years-long struggle with depression. The purpose of this book is for the readers to identify any similarities with their lives and to acknowledge that they need help before things become irreparable.

From what I understood while reading the book, depression is a factor that alters the way the patient perceives situations in their everyday life. Therefore, making some experiences public and, more importantly, giving them appropriate labels from the specialist's point of view can be an efficient approach to guiding those in need towards recovery.

The book is beautifully written, the characters are captured with great attention to detail, they are authentic, and the relationships between them and their life events are analyzed from a therapist's perspective. Music prevails in the characters' lives and is almost a character in itself, making or breaking relationships, initiating the depressive state, and ultimately quickening healing.
Even though the situations are narrated with a slight detachment from the overcoming and assimilation process, the pain felt at that particular time, the disorientation, and the helplessness reaches the reader. This fact made me give Margalit Jakob's book five stars out of five.

The editing is also done with great care. More sensitive readers might have difficulties reading the passages referring to the suicidal tendencies that the author manifested from time to time during the peaks of her depression.

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Keys to Harmony
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