Symphony of Secrets Summary, Characters and Themes
Symphony of Secrets, written by Brendan Slocumb in 2023, is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that weaves together two timelines—one in the 1920s and the other in the 2020s. It tells the tale of Josephine Reed, a Black, neurodivergent musical genius, whose extraordinary compositions are stolen by a white musician, Frederick Delaney, who passes them off as his own.
Fast forward a century, a music professor named Bern Hendricks uncovers the truth behind Delaney’s deceit and fights to give Josephine the recognition she deserves. The novel explores themes of artistic theft, racial inequality, and justice through the lens of music and history.
Summary
Symphony of Secrets unfolds across two time periods, the early 20th century and the 2020s. In the 1920s, Frederick Delaney, a white musician, meets Josephine Reed, a talented Black pianist with a unique gift for composing music.
Josephine, who is neurodivergent, captures her ideas in an intricate notation system she calls the Compendium. Recognizing her genius, Delaney exploits Josephine’s talents, initially taking piano lessons from her before more insidiously appropriating her compositions as his own.
After she experiences a breakdown, Delaney transcribes her music and sells it, adding his own lyrics to enhance its marketability. Despite its overwhelming success, Josephine receives no credit, with Delaney basking in the glory of her work.
As his own attempts at composing fall short of Josephine’s brilliance, Delaney continues to plunder her Compendium for new material.
He starts his own music publishing company, driven by greed and ambition, while Josephine remains in the background, contributing all of the actual music.
When she falls behind on her work, Delaney begins to exert abusive control, even locking her up to force her to produce more compositions. This only deepens Josephine’s resolve to hide parts of her music, but Delaney manages to get enough from her to build his reputation.
During a tour in Europe, tensions reach a breaking point. Delaney physically abuses Josephine in a fit of rage after discovering she has hidden more music.
Despite her plans to escape, her attempt to reclaim her independence is foiled when Delaney, in a desperate bid to maintain his fraud, kills both Josephine and a music publisher who unknowingly threatens to expose the truth.
Delaney continues selling her music, but his incomplete understanding of her system limits him. Unable to recreate one of her operas, he spirals into despair and eventually takes his own life.
A century later, in the 2020s, Bern Hendricks, a music professor, is hired by the Delaney Foundation to prepare one of Delaney’s lost operas, Red, for a new performance. Along with computer whiz Eboni Washington, Bern uncovers fragments of Josephine’s original music hidden in the Compendium.
The two follow the clues to reveal the full extent of Delaney’s theft. As they investigate, they face pressure and threats from Delaney’s descendants, who are determined to keep the secret buried.
Despite attempts to silence them, Bern and Eboni uncover irrefutable evidence of Josephine’s authorship, including her original scores. They force the Foundation to acknowledge her as the true creator of Delaney’s celebrated works.
The novel culminates in a triumphant performance of Red at the Metropolitan Opera House, where Josephine Reed finally receives the recognition she was long denied, and her music is restored to its rightful place in history.
Characters
Frederick Delaney
Frederick Delaney is the central figure of the novel’s historical timeline and represents the dark side of artistic ambition. A white musician in the 1920s, Delaney joins a jazz band of Black musicians and becomes enchanted by the immense talent of Josephine Reed, whom he exploits for his gain.
His character embodies privilege and manipulation, as he uses Josephine’s work to establish himself as a celebrated composer without giving her any credit. Delaney’s dependence on Josephine’s genius shows his lack of creativity and originality; he cannot succeed without her but feels entitled to her brilliance.
His actions reflect the systemic racism and sexism of the era, where a Black woman’s talent is not only unrecognized but also stolen by a white man for profit and fame. As Delaney spirals deeper into his deceit, his increasingly abusive and violent tendencies come to the fore.
His locking of Josephine in her room and eventual murder of both her and Miles Turpin highlight his desperation to keep his secret. Delaney’s tragic end, dying by suicide after failing to replicate her final opera, serves as a fitting downfall for a man who built his success on lies and betrayal.
Josephine Reed
Josephine Reed is the heart of the novel’s historical plotline, a Black, neurodivergent musical prodigy whose talents surpass those of everyone around her. She is both a victim of exploitation and a figure of remarkable resilience.
Her genius is not merely technical; Josephine possesses a unique approach to music, creating her own notational system called the Compendium to record sounds and melodies that are entirely original. Her neurodivergence adds a layer of complexity to her character, as she interacts with the world through music, which becomes her primary language.
Despite the oppression she faces, Josephine’s creative spirit endures, and her work transcends the limitations placed on her by race, gender, and disability. Delaney’s theft of her music and the physical and emotional abuse she suffers represent the broader injustices faced by women, especially Black women, in the creative arts.
Josephine’s tragic end, at the hands of the man who profited from her talent, contrasts sharply with the legacy her music leaves behind. She remains the true genius of the story, even though she is denied recognition in her lifetime.
In the end, her Compendium and her opera Red are what survive, ensuring that her story is eventually told.
Bern Hendricks
Bern Hendricks is the protagonist of the novel’s contemporary timeline, a music professor who embarks on a mission to uncover the truth about Frederick Delaney’s theft of Josephine Reed’s work. Bern’s character represents integrity, dedication to truth, and a deep respect for the overlooked and marginalized.
Unlike Delaney, Bern is not motivated by fame or wealth but by a genuine desire to give Josephine the credit she deserves. His background as a scholar of Delaney’s work makes him an expert in the music, but his discoveries about Josephine push him into uncharted territory, both musically and morally.
Bern’s role as a Black man uncovering the exploitation of a Black woman by a white man adds a significant racial dynamic to his quest. As Bern digs deeper, he faces increasing resistance from the Delaney Foundation and its powerful descendants, who are determined to protect their ancestor’s legacy at all costs.
Despite the obstacles—including being jailed and assaulted—Bern’s unwavering commitment to justice drives the plot forward. His eventual triumph, when Josephine’s music is finally recognized at the premiere of Red, is a vindication not only for Josephine but for all marginalized artists who have been denied recognition.
Eboni Washington
Eboni Washington is an essential ally to Bern in the modern timeline. A computer genius, Eboni brings technical expertise to their investigation and is instrumental in decoding Josephine’s musical notation and uncovering the truth about Delaney’s fraud.
Eboni’s character is one of intelligence, resourcefulness, and bravery. She complements Bern’s musical knowledge with her skills in hacking and digital analysis, allowing them to reveal hidden truths that would otherwise remain buried.
Eboni also plays a significant role in navigating the dangerous waters of the Delaney Foundation’s cover-up. Her tech savvy helps expose corruption and protect both her and Bern from the foundation’s attempts to suppress their findings.
Her romantic relationship with Bern adds a personal dimension to her character, but it is her competence and fearlessness that stand out. Eboni represents the modern-day hero, using technology and ingenuity to fight against the entrenched systems of power and privilege.
Mallory Delaney
Mallory Delaney is a descendant of Frederick Delaney and plays a pivotal role in both the deception and the eventual exposure of the truth. Initially, Mallory appears to be a dedicated protector of her family’s legacy, working with the Delaney Foundation to maintain Frederick Delaney’s reputation as a musical genius.
However, her discovery of Josephine’s opera, Red, and the Compendium brings her into contact with Bern. She becomes involved in the unraveling of her ancestor’s theft.
Mallory’s character is complicated by her loyalty to her family and her realization that Frederick Delaney’s success was built on a lie. While she does not actively participate in the cover-up, she represents the generational responsibility of reckoning with the sins of one’s forebears.
Her decision to ultimately help Bern by showing him where Red was hidden suggests a level of moral awakening, though her actions throughout much of the novel are guided by a sense of self-preservation.
Kurt Delaney
Kurt Delaney is another descendant of Frederick Delaney and serves as the novel’s antagonist in the contemporary timeline. Unlike Mallory, Kurt is unapologetic in his efforts to preserve the Delaney family’s legacy at all costs.
His character represents the greed and corruption that comes with power, as he resorts to bribery, intimidation, and even violence to prevent Bern and Eboni from uncovering the truth. Kurt’s ruthlessness is emblematic of the systemic cover-up that keeps Josephine’s story hidden for so long.
His willingness to jail and assault Bern, raid Eboni’s offices, and cover up money-laundering schemes shows his deep entrenchment in criminal activity. Kurt’s motivations are purely self-serving, driven by his desire to maintain his family’s wealth and influence.
His character serves as a foil to Bern and Eboni, contrasting their quest for justice with his desire for power and control.
In conclusion, Symphony of Secrets explores a wide array of complex characters, each of whom is tied to the central themes of artistic exploitation, racial and gender injustice, and the fight for recognition. Delaney and Josephine are tragic figures, linked through their music but divided by Delaney’s abuse of power.
Bern and Eboni represent the modern-day heroes, determined to correct the wrongs of the past, while the Delaney descendants embody the tensions between legacy and truth. Together, these characters bring to life a rich, emotionally charged narrative about creativity, oppression, and the long-overdue acknowledgment of forgotten genius.
Themes
The Ethics of Cultural Appropriation and Artistic Theft
At the heart of Symphony of Secrets is a profound examination of the ethical questions surrounding cultural appropriation, specifically the theft of Black musical culture by a white artist. Frederick Delaney’s systematic exploitation of Josephine Reed’s genius for his own career advancement is not just an isolated act of theft but part of a larger narrative about the appropriation of marginalized voices by dominant cultures.
Delaney, as a white man in a position of relative power and privilege, uses his access to the resources of the music industry to strip Josephine, a Black woman and neurodivergent artist, of her agency and identity as a creator. This theme critiques the historical exploitation of Black art forms, such as jazz and blues, by white musicians who reaped commercial success while the original creators languished in obscurity or poverty.
The novel confronts the reader with uncomfortable questions about the way society values art, who gets credit for cultural innovations, and how systemic structures of racism and inequality continue to uphold these dynamics even across generations.
The Intersection of Race, Neurodivergence, and Genius
Brendan Slocumb delves deeply into the complex intersections of race, neurodivergence, and genius in Josephine Reed’s characterization. Josephine’s neurodivergence is presented as both her gift and her vulnerability, particularly in a world that does not understand or accommodate her differences.
Her unique musical notation system, which allows her to capture the world in sound, is a profound representation of her genius. However, her neurodivergence also makes her susceptible to manipulation and exploitation by Delaney, who takes advantage of her inability to navigate the social and business complexities of the music industry.
The novel portrays the ways in which neurodivergent individuals are often misunderstood, marginalized, and dehumanized, especially when they exist at the intersection of other oppressed identities, such as being a Black woman in early 20th-century America. Josephine’s experience underscores the double bind of racial and cognitive othering, where society not only denies her artistic genius but actively silences and erases her contributions because she does not conform to normative expectations of behavior or communication.
Legacy, Inheritance, and Historical Reckoning
Symphony of Secrets situates its exploration of historical wrongs in the context of legacy and inheritance. The 2020s storyline, where Bern and Eboni work to uncover the truth behind Delaney’s success, reflects a broader societal reckoning with the legacies of oppression that continue to shape the present.
The Delaney Foundation, run by Delaney’s descendants, becomes a symbol of how wealth and power are passed down through generations, often built on unethical foundations. The struggle between Bern and Eboni’s quest for truth and the Delaney descendants’ attempts to protect their inherited privilege represents a larger confrontation between historical accountability and the preservation of false narratives that have benefited from systemic injustices.
This theme not only critiques how historical wrongs are perpetuated but also challenges the idea that such legacies can remain untouchable. The characters’ fight for justice is emblematic of the ongoing cultural movement to reclaim lost or stolen narratives and restore credit to those who were erased from history.
The Commodification of Art and the Dehumanization of the Artist
The novel also delves into the ways in which art becomes commodified under capitalism, turning artists into tools for profit while stripping them of their humanity. Delaney’s use of Josephine is not merely an act of plagiarism but an example of how art can be decontextualized and stripped of its original meaning in the pursuit of commercial success.
Josephine’s music, which she creates out of a deep, personal connection to her lived experience and neurodivergent perception of the world, becomes a product for Delaney to sell. The corporate music publishers, Ditmars & Ross, as well as Delaney’s own company, further emphasize this commodification by turning music into a marketable item, one that must be simplified, packaged, and stripped of its origins in order to sell.
In doing so, the artist—Josephine—is reduced to a mere cog in the machine, her labor exploited and devalued. This theme critiques the broader societal treatment of art and artists, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, where the intrinsic value of their work is overshadowed by the demands of capitalism.
Resistance, Reclamation, and the Power of Storytelling
Finally, Symphony of Secrets is a novel about resistance and the reclamation of stolen narratives through the power of storytelling. The discovery of Josephine’s trunk and the opera Red by Bern and Eboni symbolizes the unearthing of suppressed histories and the resilience of marginalized voices.
Despite Delaney’s efforts to erase Josephine’s contributions, her music endures, hidden in plain sight, waiting to be rediscovered. The novel thus emphasizes the importance of historical recovery, of going beyond the surface-level narratives presented by dominant culture to uncover the truth.
Bern and Eboni’s refusal to be silenced by the Delaney Foundation mirrors broader cultural movements that seek to reclaim and reassert marginalized voices in history, particularly those of Black women whose contributions have been systematically erased. The performance of Red at the Metropolitan Opera House, with Josephine’s name finally attached to her work, represents a form of justice and closure.
Yet, it is also a reminder that the fight for recognition and equity is ongoing, as new generations must continue to push back against the erasure of marginalized histories. In this way, the novel’s exploration of resistance is deeply intertwined with its examination of the power of storytelling.
Through their investigative work, Bern and Eboni become storytellers themselves, piecing together fragments of Josephine’s life and legacy to bring her story into the light. This act of storytelling is portrayed not just as an academic or artistic endeavor, but as a moral obligation—a way to correct historical wrongs and restore justice to those who have been silenced by oppressive systems.
In the end, Symphony of Secrets asserts that storytelling, whether through music, writing, or technology, is a powerful tool of resistance and a means to reclaim agency over one’s narrative, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable systemic forces.