Initially, he wanted to return to his country and colleagues to improve the University of Brazzaville, however, Dongala ultimately decided to stay in the United States to pursue his career as a chemistry professor and as an author at Bard College in Massachusetts.

[3][4] In his literary works, Dongala often addresses French colonization and the resulting complex economic, social, and political problems shared across Francophone countries.

[3] He believes authors should be like a "griot," a type of African bard, who has the important role to both "entertain and instruct at the same time" for francophone Africa as a whole.

George continues on the path that his father helped lay, seeking to play with well-renowned musicians of the time,[9][10] and furthering his musical expertise.

Frederick de Augustus was born of a slave in Barbados[11] and married a Polish-German woman named Maria Schmid.

Inspired by Leopold Mozart’s success promoting his son Wolfgang as a prodigy in Europe, Frederick similarly markets George from an early age.

His outwardly charming personality and mysterious persona as an African prince, as well as his linguistic skills, enable him to advance his son in Europe’s high society.

In 1789, 10 year-old George Bridgetower has travelled from Austria to Paris with his father Frederick,[12] who wants him to become the next great European musical prodigy.

As a student of Franz Joseph Haydn,[12] Bridgetower is welcomed into the Parisian musical culture quickly and soon establishes himself as a premiere performer.

When George arrives in Dresden, Austria, he is greeted by his mother and his brother, Friedrich, who have been living in abject poverty since he and Frederick left.

On the date of the piece’s premiere, Beethoven finishes writing it mere hours[15] before the performance, which forces them to sight read the manuscript form of the sonata for a huge crowd.

When George told Beethoven that she did not deserve his love, he reacted harshly, abruptly leaving the cafe, and then moving to Paris.

The novel has received generally positive reviews from critics, who especially note the importance of addressing race relations of the 18th century and beyond.