Super Short Summary

In Tim Wynne-Jones' The Maestro, fourteen-year-old Burl Crow runs away from his abusive father into the Canadian wilderness, where he finds refuge with Nathaniel Orlando Gow, a reclusive world-famous pianist. Gow, insisting to be called the Maestro, becomes Burl's mentor, leading to complex and multifaceted interactions that challenge Burl's survival skills and personal growth amidst adult expectations. The book includes themes of domestic violence, mental illness, and drug addiction.