Sonata in Wax

The January 2026 selection for the Radio Bookclub is "Sonata in Wax," by Edward Hamlin. The book weaves together two timelines: a contemporary story in 2018 about a music producer in Chicago, and a story set during World War I in Boston and France, that focuses on a mysterious, lost sonata recorded on wax cylinders.

In 2018, Ben Weil, the music producer, attempts to recreate the sonata that is recorded on the wax cylinders, and discovers more than he could have anticipated about the composer and performer.

What is KGNU Radio Book Club?

The Radio Bookclub is a collaboration between KGNU and the Boulder Bookstore. Every month, Arsen Kashkashian, head buyer at the Boulder Bookstore, selects a book to inspire listeners to read along together. The author will then join Maeve Conran and Arsen Kashkashian for a discussion that airs the fourth Thursday of every month at 9am.