Mikaël Ross Book order

Ludwig van Beethoven created music that moves and inspires us to this day; his very name sparks a melody in the ear. But are you born a genius? This graphic biography asks: "Who was Beethoven before he became 'Beethoven?'"

This is a YA graphic novel, told from the perspective of a person with a developmental disorder, set in a real village operated by people with special needs. There’s a real village in Germany called Neuerkerode that is operated by people with mental disabilities - the local restaurant, the local bar, the local supermarket. The author spent two years living 3 or 4 days a week there, researching and getting to know its townsfolk, and the result is an empathetic depiction. This graphic novel is told entirely from a developmentally impaired boy's perspective. Noel had always lived with his mother in Berlin, until one day tragedy strikes and he finds himself alone for the first time. A man with a beard tells him he can’t stay in the apartment anymore and takes him to a place with so many strangers ― Who can he trust? Who does he like? Who loves him?