As told to Eva Maria Chapman, the story of Viktoria Mullova's life is one of striking contrasts and huge challenges. She stunned the world when, along with her Georgian lover, she defected from the USSR as a 23-yearold in 1983, famously leaving behind the priceless Stradivarius with which she had won the coveted gold medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition. With nothing but her violin bow and her astonishing looks, she went on to conquer the classical world stage. Mullova's life consists of two halves. The first was spent in the austere totalitarian society of the USSR and the second half in the expansive liberalism of the West. The book tell us how she has assimilated these antithetical experiences in her music, and her personal life makes for a compelling story. Her own history is particularly gripping, with the background of the terror and uncertainty of Cold War Russia. This is an amazing true story of adventure, fear, love and music.