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halkid2's review
5.0
This is a beautiful story, slowly revealed with each page turn - and richly enhanced by Allison Richman's exceptional use with language.
During a period of just six months, in 1943 in Italy, you have the opportunity to observe a handful of characters whose small acts of bravery demonstrate the power love has to outweigh the terrors of war. More than that, Richman shows how we humans are able to nurture love, even when the threat of death is always present.
The drama begins on page one with a terrified girl, holding forged identification papers, facing a Nazi officer. Suddenly, a complete stranger appears out of the crowd, claims the girl as a cousin, and thereby rescues her from further scrutiny. This is how we first meet Elodie, a brilliant cellist, and Alfredo, a young doctor whose deep-rooted compassion leads him to treat patients from both sides of the conflict. Both of these two main characters have powerful back stories that brought them to this chance encounter. And it's a real treat to move back and forth in time, slowly uncovering their stories.
As each story unfolds, you also get to meet an interesting collection of secondary characters who together illustrate different aspects of war and its consequences. Like a music teacher who suffers brutal payback after a minor anti-Nazi infraction, a bookseller secretly using a room in his store to support the Resistance, and a young woman fighter determined to treat injuries, even with no medical training.
As I became deeply emotionally involved with Richman's characters, and grew to care for them, the book became increasingly suspenseful. And I wasn't able to put it down until I found out what happened to each one. This is a great read! And leaves you feeling good about people. Be sure NOT to skip the author's afterword, where she reveals which of the characters are based on actual historical figures.
During a period of just six months, in 1943 in Italy, you have the opportunity to observe a handful of characters whose small acts of bravery demonstrate the power love has to outweigh the terrors of war. More than that, Richman shows how we humans are able to nurture love, even when the threat of death is always present.
The drama begins on page one with a terrified girl, holding forged identification papers, facing a Nazi officer. Suddenly, a complete stranger appears out of the crowd, claims the girl as a cousin, and thereby rescues her from further scrutiny. This is how we first meet Elodie, a brilliant cellist, and Alfredo, a young doctor whose deep-rooted compassion leads him to treat patients from both sides of the conflict. Both of these two main characters have powerful back stories that brought them to this chance encounter. And it's a real treat to move back and forth in time, slowly uncovering their stories.
As each story unfolds, you also get to meet an interesting collection of secondary characters who together illustrate different aspects of war and its consequences. Like a music teacher who suffers brutal payback after a minor anti-Nazi infraction, a bookseller secretly using a room in his store to support the Resistance, and a young woman fighter determined to treat injuries, even with no medical training.
As I became deeply emotionally involved with Richman's characters, and grew to care for them, the book became increasingly suspenseful. And I wasn't able to put it down until I found out what happened to each one. This is a great read! And leaves you feeling good about people. Be sure NOT to skip the author's afterword, where she reveals which of the characters are based on actual historical figures.
denisesbookstory's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Torture, War, Pregnancy, and Death
Moderate: Genocide
ncrabb's review
4.0
I've vowed often in recent months that World War II-era love stories need to be more rarely read in my life. But I'm usually quite capable of breaking that vow, and I'm thrilled I broke it with this book. If you limit yourself to one World War II-era romance a year, and if you've not yet met your quota, this could well be your book.
As the book opens, we depart a boat at an Italian port. In our sights is a lovely young woman with a bag over her shoulder looking terrified. Just as she is about to be harassed by German officers, a local man, the village doctor, steps forward, proclaims her to be his cousin, and essentially bypasses the officer who would have assailed her.
This, then, is the remarkable story of a gentle doctor who had lost all and a young woman who, despite her horrific losses, never completely lost the supernal music that danced in her head.
Elodie, before leaving Verona, had been involved in the resistance movement. (How she got involved is one of the reasons you'll want to read this.) Her talent as a musician means she can pass coded messages to members of the resistance through her music. She finds love with a young man who owns a bookstore in Verona who uses his books as a means of passing information to the resistance, and she ultimately carries his child.
But this is a story steeped in loss and sorrow and yet awash in second chances and a kind of redemption of soul that quietly reminds us all that gifts like love and music and a love of books can triumph over the worst war-saturated darknesses.
There is a kind of lyrical poetic sensual beauty in the writing of this book. And if you truly want it to have the greatest impact it can have, you need to listen to the audio edition. The narrator moves through this with the same artistic loveliness with which you would imagine the fictional Elodie playing her cello. Her narration breathes a kind of lythe beauty into Elodie that I suspect even the print book cannot completely match.
The book is at once wistful, haunting and hopeful. Richman's language and her ability to use it to craft these characters is nothing short of exquisite.
As the book opens, we depart a boat at an Italian port. In our sights is a lovely young woman with a bag over her shoulder looking terrified. Just as she is about to be harassed by German officers, a local man, the village doctor, steps forward, proclaims her to be his cousin, and essentially bypasses the officer who would have assailed her.
This, then, is the remarkable story of a gentle doctor who had lost all and a young woman who, despite her horrific losses, never completely lost the supernal music that danced in her head.
Elodie, before leaving Verona, had been involved in the resistance movement. (How she got involved is one of the reasons you'll want to read this.) Her talent as a musician means she can pass coded messages to members of the resistance through her music. She finds love with a young man who owns a bookstore in Verona who uses his books as a means of passing information to the resistance, and she ultimately carries his child.
But this is a story steeped in loss and sorrow and yet awash in second chances and a kind of redemption of soul that quietly reminds us all that gifts like love and music and a love of books can triumph over the worst war-saturated darknesses.
There is a kind of lyrical poetic sensual beauty in the writing of this book. And if you truly want it to have the greatest impact it can have, you need to listen to the audio edition. The narrator moves through this with the same artistic loveliness with which you would imagine the fictional Elodie playing her cello. Her narration breathes a kind of lythe beauty into Elodie that I suspect even the print book cannot completely match.
The book is at once wistful, haunting and hopeful. Richman's language and her ability to use it to craft these characters is nothing short of exquisite.
mcoppadge07's review
3.0
I won The Garden of Letters from a Goodreads giveaway.
I liked this book I wish I could say I loved this book. It had a wonderful flow even with the bouncing back and forth between the past and present. The characters were perfect I had all of the information I needed about them to really be interested and care about what happened to them.
This is not a very light hearted book. I felt that it was very historically accurate and I was happy that Ms. Richman didn't sugarcoat any of the details. It was very honest and I did love that.
Experiencing Elodie grow and find herself throughout this book was one of the major highlights. She's a main character that one loves. She was so real and honest.
The only thing I didn't like about this book and keeps it at a 3 star rating is the end. I wish there was just one more chapter or an epilogue to round out and finish the story, I don't like open endings. I like knowing what happened and not knowing is a real let down, to me, when it comes to books.
I liked this book I wish I could say I loved this book. It had a wonderful flow even with the bouncing back and forth between the past and present. The characters were perfect I had all of the information I needed about them to really be interested and care about what happened to them.
This is not a very light hearted book. I felt that it was very historically accurate and I was happy that Ms. Richman didn't sugarcoat any of the details. It was very honest and I did love that.
Experiencing Elodie grow and find herself throughout this book was one of the major highlights. She's a main character that one loves. She was so real and honest.
The only thing I didn't like about this book and keeps it at a 3 star rating is the end. I wish there was just one more chapter or an epilogue to round out and finish the story, I don't like open endings. I like knowing what happened and not knowing is a real let down, to me, when it comes to books.
azazela's review
5.0
I really loved it. Well written characters, interesting story, loved The Little Prince being woven in. Definitely a worthwhile read.
daniellek's review
3.0
I would round this up to 3.5 stars. Good story, just needed more interaction between Angelo and Elodie instead of it all wrapping up so quickly at the end.
tal39's review against another edition
Dates: 12/6/2020-13/6/2020
Format: Physical
Stars: ★★★★
Grade/ rating: B+
~ Notes:
Format: Physical
Stars: ★★★★
Grade/ rating: B+
~ Notes:
kristy484's review
4.0
I liked this book a lot, beautiful story with great characters. It made me really want to go listen to some cello concerts and visit Italy. The only thing I wished I was different was I really liked the doctor, his story was so beautiful, but we got very little from his backstory after the death of his wife and child. I would have liked a few more chapters about him. Also, I thought the ending was a little contrived, I didn't really see the romance there. I listened to this in audiobook format, the narrator was great.
lauraeliza's review
4.0
I received this book through a goodread’s giveaway.
Richman’s novel is captivating from the start. Plenty of stories take place during the second World War, however, The Garden of Letters gives the reader an opportunity to roam the streets of Verona, Italy during this time period. I have never read a story about World War II taking place in Italy, I honestly never really thought about Italy during World War II or any other time period. Richman’s story, her characters full of life and depth, have caused me to consider the beauty of an old, Italian city, the passion that filled the Resistance, and the overwhelming hope that is born out of tragedy. The parallels of heartbreak and loss that exist between two strangers, Elodie and Angelo, help to craft this story into a tale that simultaneously rips your heart out and brings you joy.
On another note, I was so pleased with the diversity of the characters. Angelo was not depicted as the classically attractive “knight in shining armor.” The differences between the female characters, especially between Lena and Elodie, brought contrast to the story. These roles were not overplayed, but simply stated. I think this aided in the reality of the storyline.
Richman’s novel is captivating from the start. Plenty of stories take place during the second World War, however, The Garden of Letters gives the reader an opportunity to roam the streets of Verona, Italy during this time period. I have never read a story about World War II taking place in Italy, I honestly never really thought about Italy during World War II or any other time period. Richman’s story, her characters full of life and depth, have caused me to consider the beauty of an old, Italian city, the passion that filled the Resistance, and the overwhelming hope that is born out of tragedy. The parallels of heartbreak and loss that exist between two strangers, Elodie and Angelo, help to craft this story into a tale that simultaneously rips your heart out and brings you joy.
On another note, I was so pleased with the diversity of the characters. Angelo was not depicted as the classically attractive “knight in shining armor.” The differences between the female characters, especially between Lena and Elodie, brought contrast to the story. These roles were not overplayed, but simply stated. I think this aided in the reality of the storyline.
ozgirl63's review
3.0
Here’s the thing. There is some lovely writing in this book, I mean, really lovely, and that is why I’m annoyed at the problems the editors should have sent back to the author for simple revision and this would have been a great book. Some beautiful plot and character construction, yes, brilliant historical facts woven through the story, and I wanted to just love those parts of it and ignore the problems: we were bashed with just a bit too many of the “superpower looks” all-meaning glances, etc., there were things that just didn’t add up. For example, throughout the book, we are shown that Elodie has learned to put a façade on her fear, to move invisible through the streets of danger, and yet when she arrives in Portofino, still with her façade in place, she is picked out by the doctor because she is the one wearing the most fear! Which is it?
And a few things were just annoying. SPOILER: Would a trained, seasoned resistance fighter who is hiding and seeking in the woods, surrounded by the enemy, miraculously find all the things needed give his love a bath, including a handy spring of fresh water, and then light a fire to heat that water? Light a fire as a signal to the enemy where they are, really? I also thought it might have been a stretch that the beloved cello would appear just a couple of months from the time of its loss, to the convenient den of the German commander in a village of little action. We have a few problems with when the baby was created and how far along she felt it “kicking,” but, most of all, the ending was really unbelievable based on what we have been told the character of the characters was! She tells him her name, he tells her his history, and then immediately they are making love on the sofa and the sister is making wedding plans. It was not believable with the characters as presented.
The final piece that was just plain wrong was when she decided to add her history to the “garden” but instead of using pages from the book that Luca gave her with his inscription, she let Angelo give her his copy to cup up instead. This removed all the power from the action and was disappointing.
And a few things were just annoying. SPOILER: Would a trained, seasoned resistance fighter who is hiding and seeking in the woods, surrounded by the enemy, miraculously find all the things needed give his love a bath, including a handy spring of fresh water, and then light a fire to heat that water? Light a fire as a signal to the enemy where they are, really? I also thought it might have been a stretch that the beloved cello would appear just a couple of months from the time of its loss, to the convenient den of the German commander in a village of little action. We have a few problems with when the baby was created and how far along she felt it “kicking,” but, most of all, the ending was really unbelievable based on what we have been told the character of the characters was! She tells him her name, he tells her his history, and then immediately they are making love on the sofa and the sister is making wedding plans. It was not believable with the characters as presented.
The final piece that was just plain wrong was when she decided to add her history to the “garden” but instead of using pages from the book that Luca gave her with his inscription, she let Angelo give her his copy to cup up instead. This removed all the power from the action and was disappointing.