Alice, a classical pianist and daughter of Eastern-European Jewish immigrants, marries violinist Izzy shortly before World War II begins. After their daughter Beth is born they move to from New York City to the fictional town of Delaware City in west central New Jersey, where Izzy works in a furniture store. As she raises Beth, Alice exhibits prejudices too common in her generation against people racially and ethnically different from herself. Yet, in her own way, she is open to a variety of experiences. Alice’s world includes a psychic aunt, a piano teacher of Native American and Irish descent, an adult piano student in a wheelchair who reads palms, and her close friend Sophie, who has a daughter Beth’s age.

Beth grows up in Delaware City caught between her mother’s value system, her own ideas--and her quest for social acceptance. Her resentment over being made to study piano and the part she plays in a mishap that injures her mother, deepen the rift between them. In her teens, she is introduced to rhythm & blues by African American high school girls. Beth’s love of this music soon extends to rock and roll, and then jazz—all of which her mother hates. Beth happily leaves home for Ohio, where she enters college. She becomes involved in the early civil rights movement with her closest friends Melissa, a budding reporter and sexual explorer; Valerie, Beth’s intellectual mentor, whose family is evasive about their Native American ancestry and who ponders her possible lesbianism; and Julius, a Black civil rights activist who challenges Beth’s beliefs and self-image.

Alexis, Beth's daughter, is born in Denver and is an infant when her parents are involved in anti-Vietnam war activities. As a pre-schooler, she finds herself in an uncertain world, often confused because communication is difficult. Later she is diagnosed with learning disabilities and finds she can do remarkable things with music. Tension develops between Alexis and her mother as Beth struggles to overcome profound changes in her life.

These three distinct voices give us an unforgettable picture of the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship and of how women in three generations approach war, love, sex, death, career, friendship—and each other.

"Judith Laura's Three Part Invention is a compelling story of mothers and daughters, the conflicts in their relationship, and their efforts to help one another. Three Part Invention is highly recommended as a moving and emotional novel..."
- Midwest Book Review

"I was engrossed in the characters and wanted to continue reading....Judith Laura is quite good about getting into the heads of three very different women, at different times in their lives and gives us a good sense of the time they live through....I would not hesitate to recommend this book."
- Naomi Graetz, author of Silence is Deadly

"By the time I was a third of the way through, I found myself admiring the way Laura is able to use distinctive "voices" for each character, including the two who are first presented to the reader as children, and how world events have peripheral effects rather than directly driving the action. Half way through, and I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. . . . I knew it was a good book because when it ended I wanted more."
- Marione Thompson-Helland, The Beltane Papers

"Fabulous book....This novel is engrossing. I highly recommend it. "-Marie Logan, Amazon.com's Listmania!

"A beautiful narrative about three generations of women -- fellow musicians will love it in particular."
 -E L Song, Bookreporter.com

"A good story...well written"– Matrifocus

About the Author
Judith Laura's fiction, poetry, and articles have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. She has worked as a reporter and magazine editor. This is her third book and first novel. Her second novel, multiple-awarded Beyond All Desiring, was published in 2005. She grew up in Ewing, NJ, graduated from Ohio University, and now lives near Washington, DC.