Pan Pipes Magazine Book Review
Pan Pipes Fall 2024 ● SAI-national.org
Book Review by Kathi Bower Peterson
SRINGS ATTACHED:
A MEMOIR OF BETRAYAL, BIGAMY,
AND SELF-DISCOVERY
By Laurinel Owen
Köehler Books, 2024
Laurinel lands in South Africa, on the other side of the world, to begin a new life as a concert cellist. What should’ve been a sweeping love affair with music turns dark when she meets Klaus, and her life starts to slowly unravel.
Her life is turned upside down from the moment they meet. It’s a whirlwind affair, lofty and romantic. Klaus is an older man; he’s attractive and successful, always on the brink of a new scientific discovery. He shares her love for music, attending all her concerts with the National Symphony Orchestra. But what’s seen as mysterious and exciting should’ve been red flags – there are obvious gaps in what he shares with Laurinel. He is late to their dates with no explanation. He often sleeps at the office.
Strings Attached is compelling. It’s a memoir at its finest: brutally honest, especially in Laurinel’s life post-Klaus. As she purges him from her life, she discovers more and more secrets. There are documents she’s never seen; a secret bank account; the book he was writing that he never shared with her. While his dark truths are being unveiled, she’s undergoing her own healing process. She tries it all: therapy; exercise; Chinese medicine. One thing after another, trying to mend her broken soul. It’s heartbreaking to read, but also a story that needs to be told. It’s a tale for anyone with low self-esteem, or who finds their worth in other people, or who needs healing. It’s the gritty truths of self-love and discovery. And, ultimately, it’s a tale of finding the value in yourself.
Some parts are difficult to read. They hit too close to home for all of us. But it can help others who find themselves in a similar situation – or anyone who needs to learn kindness for oneself.
Laurinel Owen is an Honorary Member of SAI, and an initiate of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter.
