I kept hearing about joy, but what I saw was struggle. Doubt. Anguish. I heard praise, but even without looking, I stumbled upon notes of opposition that told -- just maybe -- a different story. The year was 2002 and I was in Puerto Rico on a research trip, watching archival footage of the famous Spanish cellist Pablo Casals.

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Backstories come to us courtesy of the Backstory blog, where authors share the secrets, the truths, or just the illogical moments that sparked their fiction. Brought to you by authors M.J. Rose and Jessica Brilliant Keener. Click here to read more articles by .