I bought this book after seeing the Netflix series also titled "Mozart in the Jungle". The series lead me to wonder what the full story of Haley of the series, was. I knew that the Netflix story was based at least in part on fact, and I wanted more of those facts. As I began to read the book (which is nicely written and pulls the reader into the tale immediately), I realized that I was definitely reading about Haley's (or Blair's) life journey. The book seems to be part autobiographical and part historical in terms of the chronicle of classical music in the US. With this crossover and the adept way that Blair Tinsley expresses herself, the read was interesting and informative. I never had an impression that people who went into music had an easy go of it economically, but this book spelled that out in spades and pointed out how unfair and divisive the classical music system is that the musicians are paid pennies compared to the conductors who would be nothing without the diligent work of the musicians. And then there is simply Blair, who grew up without a lot of guidance from her family although much care, and hung onto music as her float to try to get through life only to find out that perhaps had she followed some other paths as well, her life might have been less economically challenging. But she "got it" finally and pushed herself into a new existence. I would hope that it was a better existence, but in the end, she died relatively young (63) as the result of alcohol and so perhaps her life was not greatly better, or she had already become hooked on the drug during her years struggling as a single musician, and simply could not unhook. In any event, I am grateful for this book, the only book written by Blair Tinsley, who clearly had talents beyond her musical abilities although she only became aware of these in her mid life when she ran from her trapped and desperate existence as a full-time musician in New York.