A Testament to Wind and Stone

Twin brothers, separated at birth
One raised Christian, one raised Jewish
Reunited through the power of music

Identical twins Ari and Archer grow up worlds apart in the Texas Panhandle, each unaware of the other's existence. Ari is raised by a wealthy Jewish family in the oil business, while Archer is loved by a hardscrabble Christian ranching family. Yet both boys shared an inexplicable gift—music flows through their veins, inherited from their birth mother who is a renowned pianist.

The boys are prodigies who master instruments with ease, hearing melodies in the ordinary world around them: cattle mooing, coyotes howling, wind breathing through canyon stone, the rhythm of city traffic and sirens. Each boy follows his musical calling.

After a sports injury cripples his left hand, Archer channels his passion into composition, earning his way to Juilliard. Ari, meanwhile, becomes a promising young conductor, studying at Tel Aviv University, where he learns the art of weaving individual instruments and voices into symphonic unity.

Against the turbulent backdrop of the Vietnam War and Israel's struggles in the Middle East, their destinies converge when Ari is commissioned to conduct a people's orchestra celebrating Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's Sinai Interim Agreement in 1975. Unknowingly, Ari selects a composition by Archer for this momentous event and enlists their birth mother as the starring pianist.

A Testament to Wind and Stone is a captivating story that explores the mystical bonds between twins, the bridges and barriers between Jewish and Christian families, and the universal language of music that transcends all differences. It’s a heartfelt tale of resilience, faith, and the unbreakable connections that unite us.

This novel could be the next must-read for fans of Abraham Verghese’s Cutting for Stone, Affinity Konar’s Mischling, as well as the documentary Three Identical Strangers.t

But don't wait too long — grab your copy now before the price changes.

Max Sherman is Dean Emeritus of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He also served as president of West Texas State A&M University and as a Texas state senator from 1971 to 1977. Texas Monthly named him as one of the state's best legislators every year he was in office.. Max's first book was Barbara Jordan: Speaking the Truth with Eloquent Thunder (2007). He was Barbara Jordan's friend and colleague for twenty-five years, first in the Texas Senate and later at the LBJ School. His second book, Releasing the Butterfly: A Love Affair in Four Acts (2020), is a memoir about his love story with his wife, Gene Alice, and how they found happiness and dealt with Alzheimer's. A Testament to Wind and Stone is his first novel.Sherman has a J.D. degree from the University of Texas and a B.A. in history from Baylor University. He lives in Austin, Texas.