There are many ties that bind, and as many walls that divide. Music and deafness. Race and war. Love and redemption. Strum weaves each element together into an intricate tapestry of light and shadow, combining fate and spirits to define a family's legacy. In this magical tale, Bernard, a deaf young woodworker, is drawn into an ancient forest in eastern Canada by the spirits of his Iroquois and European great-grandparents, where a colossal 800-year-old cedar falls at his feet. Nearly losing his life salvaging a portion of the great tree, he crafts two guitars imbued with the spirits of his ancestorsâ??lovers separated by tragedy, yet reunited in the music of these instruments. Across two centuries and four continents, this tale of family, spirits and music paints upon the world's canvas an intimate story of enduring love and the mysterious forces that can divide us, but also bring us together. Winner of six book awards, including the 2014 U.S.A. Best Book Award (Finalist, Literary Fiction) and 2014 Independent Publishers Book Awards (Silver Medal, Best Regional Fiction-Canada-east), and the 2014 Hollywood, San Francisco, New York and Great Northwest Book Festiva