Poland, 1918. Aleksander, the eldest son of the Steinfelds, is a child prodigy, and a super virtuoso pianist. Tragically, during a pogrom in Lwów, the entire family is arrested, and their home burned to the ground. Taken to a camp, they know they don't have long to live.
When the opportunity for one of them to escape arises, Aleksander is designated to be their chosen survivor. In an emotional farewell, his father charges him with a unique commission—to pass on the Steinfeld name and teaching to future generations.
A year after his escape, Aleksander marries Leah, and together they leave Poland and make their home in London where their son Daniyal is born. Daniyal follows in his father's footsteps and fulfils the Steinfeld legacy as a child prodigy and then as an internationally celebrated super virtuoso pianist. But why is his adult life so full of emotional pain and trauma? And as a childless couple, how will Daniyal and Mariah fulfil the solemn Steinfeld commission for a fourth generation? In the end, will the sacrifices of the Steinfeld family be all for nought?
Narrated by Michael Kowalski, a psychotherapist and Daniyal’s friend and future biographer, International Acclaim is the fictional story of the Steinfeld family. Spanning four generations of brilliant Polish Jewish Concert Pianists—from 1850 to 1965—it connects the reader with the international classical music scene, real people, places, and historical events.