Sleep last night was limited by my inability to put down Orfeo, the 2014 novel by Richard Powers. What an unusual, imaginative and engaging read!

Peter Els is a 70 year old, retired music composer. After a career in which he has consistently challenged boundaries, Els has set up a home micro-biology lab, seeking to embed music files in bacteria cells. This curious activity attracts the attention of Homeland Security and when Els panics and runs he achieves media fame as the ‘Biotech Bach’.

A fugitive, Els takes us back through his past and we learn more about his musical ideas, his creative spirit, his life and loves. I am not familiar with much of the music Els references, but that is no stumbling block. I appreciated his restless creative energy and willingness to devote so much time and energy to making music for a highly limited audience.

Orfeo is a wonderful novel. Highly recommended.