Scan barcode
suzysuzy34's review against another edition
5.0
About the book (description from the back of the book) As children Eva Rossellini and Angelo Branco were raised like family but decided by circumstance and religion. As the years go by, the two find themselves falling in love. But the church calls to Angelo and despite his feelings for Eva, he chooses the priesthood. Now, more than a decade later Angelo is a catholic priest and Eva is a woman with nowhere to turn. With the Gestapo closing in, Angelo hides Eva within the walls of a convent, where Eva discovers she is just one of many Jews being sheltered by the Catholic Church.
This is my first book by Amy Harmon and I simply could not put it down. I was blown away by Angelo Bianco and Eva Rossellini courage, and bravery against the Gestapo. They would not give up, and they would not give in, these characters in this book are true heroes and I will remember this story, so heartbreaking and sad but throughout all is a message of hope, not to give up and to fight in what you believe in and not to let the monsters win, fight with all you have in what ever way you can.
Some quotes from the book..... "With our hands, we reach for things we shouldn't have and we gasp what isn't ours. The way I have always reached for you"
"There was no one left to save. He didn't even know if he had the strength to save himself. Still, he rose on shaking legs and willed himself forward. It was a long way to Rome for a crippled man with a broken heart"
"Eva is just a girl. She isn't given a choice. The Jewish people have been stripped of choice. They have been stripped of liberty. They have been stripped of dignity. And they cannot save themselves"
" I love you, Angelo. And I love you Eva Rossellini".
I'm very impressed with my first Amy Harmon novel and will definitely be trying some more of her books. This Tory is available on Kindle Unlimited.
This is my first book by Amy Harmon and I simply could not put it down. I was blown away by Angelo Bianco and Eva Rossellini courage, and bravery against the Gestapo. They would not give up, and they would not give in, these characters in this book are true heroes and I will remember this story, so heartbreaking and sad but throughout all is a message of hope, not to give up and to fight in what you believe in and not to let the monsters win, fight with all you have in what ever way you can.
Some quotes from the book..... "With our hands, we reach for things we shouldn't have and we gasp what isn't ours. The way I have always reached for you"
"There was no one left to save. He didn't even know if he had the strength to save himself. Still, he rose on shaking legs and willed himself forward. It was a long way to Rome for a crippled man with a broken heart"
"Eva is just a girl. She isn't given a choice. The Jewish people have been stripped of choice. They have been stripped of liberty. They have been stripped of dignity. And they cannot save themselves"
" I love you, Angelo. And I love you Eva Rossellini".
I'm very impressed with my first Amy Harmon novel and will definitely be trying some more of her books. This Tory is available on Kindle Unlimited.
amnah_a's review against another edition
5.0
"We are at war. War has a way of stripping us of perspective. War is about life and death, and it paints everything in shades of now or never. We do things we otherwise wouldn't because never is so frightening and now, so comforting. 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.'"
What a beautiful story. I think I appreciated the history more than anything, because damn if I had a clue about the efforts of the Catholic clergy to hide Jews all over the world. Amy Harmon describes the overwhelming scope of events and the inevitable collection of other heroic organisations and injustices that continue to be overlooked in such a huge war, and yet revitalises one precious gem from the din of this crowded era. Through the characters of Eva––whose written 'confessions' comprise a part of the storytelling--and Angelo, the world that you step into is one surrounded by every essential experience of life. Birth, death, love, hate, betrayal, want and faith are projected loudly in the voices of a Jewish girl and a Catholic priest who first fight to live their lives, then fight simply to survive, and then fight to exist together, for as long as the world will give them.
Angelo is such an admirable character. A gentle hero, with a humble heart, easy compassion and enough faith to move mountains.
"'You doubt me?' Angelo smiled and tapped his prosthetic leg with his cane.
'No.' She smiled too. 'I think you were born with half a leg so the rest of us could keep up.'
What a beautiful story. I think I appreciated the history more than anything, because damn if I had a clue about the efforts of the Catholic clergy to hide Jews all over the world. Amy Harmon describes the overwhelming scope of events and the inevitable collection of other heroic organisations and injustices that continue to be overlooked in such a huge war, and yet revitalises one precious gem from the din of this crowded era. Through the characters of Eva––whose written 'confessions' comprise a part of the storytelling--and Angelo, the world that you step into is one surrounded by every essential experience of life. Birth, death, love, hate, betrayal, want and faith are projected loudly in the voices of a Jewish girl and a Catholic priest who first fight to live their lives, then fight simply to survive, and then fight to exist together, for as long as the world will give them.
Angelo is such an admirable character. A gentle hero, with a humble heart, easy compassion and enough faith to move mountains.
"'You doubt me?' Angelo smiled and tapped his prosthetic leg with his cane.
'No.' She smiled too. 'I think you were born with half a leg so the rest of us could keep up.'
siaeme12's review against another edition
5.0
Heartbreaking and lovely. I zoomed through this book in less than 3 days -- I simply couldn't put it down. I will admit, I have a soft spot for WW2 fiction, but this book was beautifully written and the story compelling. It is a story of love, strife and tribulations, with a thread of religious philosophy. Highly recommend.
chaser24's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I will be thinking about this book for weeks, no doubt. It was a captivating inspirational story about hope, basically, but touching deeply on, and exposing, so much more. Belief systems, morals, character, fear, determination, loyalty, trust, hatred, faith, the list goes on. It is heartbreaking, yet joyful. I have been to the Museum of Tolerance in Southern California, which moved me tremendously; I have listened to talks from Holocaust survivors, which also touched every depth of being, but now, after reading this book, and knowing the factual basis of the events (read the epilogue) I am a cauldron of emotion beyond description. I felt the pain and the fear, I cried and laughed with the characters, I hated with them at a depth I didn't know existed, and I loved with them---this is a beautifully written accounting of the atrocities committed and the goodness of mankind, side-by-side. My new favorite author, I must read another one of her books. DO IT!
rvkhan's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful romance set in Italy during WWII. Epic, heart pounding, and breath taking. A must-read of romance lovers and WWII aficionados.
the_horror_maven's review against another edition
5.0
Amy Harmon is a gorgeous author. She takes historical fiction and brings it to light for readers who may not be as knowledgeable about history. But unlike many other historical fiction authors, she does not glamorize the past. Instead, Harmon presents history as is and produces stories that are relevant to the time period.
"Then Eva's mother had said her daughter's name, and it crackled and broke between her lips like old paper."
From Sand and Ash is a remarkable novel in the way that it examines Italy during World War II in 1943. But the best part about this novel is that it skips back and forth between the future and the past in order to connect the events between a Catholic and Jew who are friends and grew up together. They are in love with one other, but they can't be together based on their differing religions. This in itself is heartbreaking, but Harmon expands on the time period to portray the laws that were created against Jews during World War II in Italy. Before reading this novel, I was not aware of how Jews were treated in Italy during the war, and I found From Sand and Ash to be an impromptu history course in this untold history. Harmon has a way of making her novel educational while also tearing at the readers' heartstrings.
"The way she said the name, the rasping whisper, the way she sighed through the syllables like it was the last word she would ever say, had made Eva hate her name for a very long time."
Harmon is an artist with her words, as can be seen in the sample quotes that I have provided. She turns simple sentences into poetic art, and her words made the story leap off of the page. I fell in love with Eva and Angelo's relationship, and I found my heart breaking for them and the terrible events that occurred throughout the novel. Harmon even made a suicide in the novel seem poetic, but she revealed the awfulness of the situation as well. Her words did not glamorize the horrific events that occurred during World War II, but she took the sorrow and used it to amplify her story.
I have not rated a novel 5 out of 5 in quite a long time, but From Sand and Ash more than deserves it. This book had everything that I look for in a historical novel: poetic language, knowledge about lesser known history, and vibrant characters who uniquely reflect their time period. From Sand and Ash is one of those rare novels that teaches the reader history while also bringing them enjoyment, and I will gladly continue to read this author's work.
"Then Eva's mother had said her daughter's name, and it crackled and broke between her lips like old paper."
From Sand and Ash is a remarkable novel in the way that it examines Italy during World War II in 1943. But the best part about this novel is that it skips back and forth between the future and the past in order to connect the events between a Catholic and Jew who are friends and grew up together. They are in love with one other, but they can't be together based on their differing religions. This in itself is heartbreaking, but Harmon expands on the time period to portray the laws that were created against Jews during World War II in Italy. Before reading this novel, I was not aware of how Jews were treated in Italy during the war, and I found From Sand and Ash to be an impromptu history course in this untold history. Harmon has a way of making her novel educational while also tearing at the readers' heartstrings.
"The way she said the name, the rasping whisper, the way she sighed through the syllables like it was the last word she would ever say, had made Eva hate her name for a very long time."
Harmon is an artist with her words, as can be seen in the sample quotes that I have provided. She turns simple sentences into poetic art, and her words made the story leap off of the page. I fell in love with Eva and Angelo's relationship, and I found my heart breaking for them and the terrible events that occurred throughout the novel. Harmon even made a suicide in the novel seem poetic, but she revealed the awfulness of the situation as well. Her words did not glamorize the horrific events that occurred during World War II, but she took the sorrow and used it to amplify her story.
I have not rated a novel 5 out of 5 in quite a long time, but From Sand and Ash more than deserves it. This book had everything that I look for in a historical novel: poetic language, knowledge about lesser known history, and vibrant characters who uniquely reflect their time period. From Sand and Ash is one of those rare novels that teaches the reader history while also bringing them enjoyment, and I will gladly continue to read this author's work.
melanie_books's review against another edition
4.0
Eva & Angelo have loved each other since they were children, despite their differences. Eva is the daughter of a wealthy Jewish business man; the grandson of Eva's housekeeper, Angelo arrived from America with the intention of joining the priesthood. But despite their childhood affections, they grew apart as they got older, especially as Angelo joined the church. The changing political climate of Italy didn't help as the Jews were increasingly targeted. Angelo's sole focus is now keeping Eva safe from those who would kill her people, despite the fact that he can't ever have her. Disguised as his sister, she works in the belly of the beast - Nazi headquarters in Rome. It will take every ounce of courage for them to survive.
This story was beautiful and heartbreaking and incredible. The interesting historical background of the Catholic church working to hide & protect Italy's Jews was the perfect setting for Eva & Angelo's story. Their relationship had so many obstacles but they chose to love one another in whatever way they could. Angelo's commitment to his calling but also to Eva made him my favorite character. Though I don't agree with all of their conclusions about faith, I appreciated the place the topic had in the storytelling. Like many Amy Harmon stories, she takes impossible circumstances and turns them into remarkable endings.
This story was beautiful and heartbreaking and incredible. The interesting historical background of the Catholic church working to hide & protect Italy's Jews was the perfect setting for Eva & Angelo's story. Their relationship had so many obstacles but they chose to love one another in whatever way they could. Angelo's commitment to his calling but also to Eva made him my favorite character. Though I don't agree with all of their conclusions about faith, I appreciated the place the topic had in the storytelling. Like many Amy Harmon stories, she takes impossible circumstances and turns them into remarkable endings.
mhaugh16's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
bethsponz's review against another edition
5.0
A great WW2 story about Italian Jews being hid by the Italian Catholics. A love story mainly, of a Catholic priest and a Jewish girl raised together when they were young. For those who like The Nightingale or Beneath a Scarlet Sky you will love this one.