Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
3.5. There was a good bit of holocaust and art history that I learned reading this or that inspired further research. That bumped it up for me.
Excellent read! I hesitate to rate it five stars, because I've only ever given the Harry Potter books five star ratings, haha! This is a 4.5 or a 4.9 in my opinion. This book was well written, wonderful to read and hard to put down. Not only that, it stayed with me for days and days afterward, always the sign of a great book, in my mind. Highly recommend if you like Christian fiction or WWII fiction! I look forward to reading the other one in the series, A Sparrow in Terezin.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Best book I’ve read in months. Timelines beautifully woven together. A hauntingly beautiful story. I was fully engaged the entire book and cared deeply about the characters.
Gorgeous book! So, so sad... but the ending was so hopeful and full circle. I'm a sucker for stories set in both the present and past, and this one was just as excellent as I hoped it would be. The cheesy Christian element was pretty toned down, but I enjoyed how faith was discussed in the present. I didn't expect to be as captivated in Sera's life and story as I was, but I'd love to follow her into the future and see how she grows! Mmm, so good. Definitely read!
A very beautiful story of love, faith and history. I am very inspired by Adele and Vladamir's characters. They kept faith and hope when both were locked away in a place that could only be described as hell.
This book was great! I selected it because I love history surrounding WWII, and the title was intriguing. The angle of the story was unique to my reading experience, too. It's told from the perspective of the daughter of a high ranking Austrian military man, who was part of the Third Reich. The present day story was told from an art historian's perspective.
The story line moved quickly, and the book was super interesting. The writing was so well done that it brought out several emotions. I had not known that there were so many pieces of art that were found after the Holocaust. I also wasn't aware that musicians were forced to play. This book is a wonderful read for anyone who is interested in history, art, music, and the Holocaust. I highly recommend reading this book.
The story line moved quickly, and the book was super interesting. The writing was so well done that it brought out several emotions. I had not known that there were so many pieces of art that were found after the Holocaust. I also wasn't aware that musicians were forced to play. This book is a wonderful read for anyone who is interested in history, art, music, and the Holocaust. I highly recommend reading this book.
I have a love/hate relationship with books published by Christian labels. Either it just means there's no swearing or bedroom scenes or it means the characters have to overtly profess their faith on a regular basis. I have no problem with the former, but my personal faith is a quiet one and so ubiquitous professions of faith grates on me or feel forced.
Unfortunately, I thought this book fell into the latter generalization, which colored my enjoyment of it.
Adele is a Christian. She lives in Austria and plays violin with the Vienna Philharmonic during WWII. She is in love with Vladimir and is caught by the SS while trying sneak a Jewish family out of Austria. There is an extant painting of her as an Auschwitz prisoner which has haunted art historian Sera since she was 8 years old. William learns that the painting is key to the stipulations laid out in his grandfather's will and teams up with Sera to research the painting's provenance. As William and Sera trace the painting, they try to overcome their hesitations over the budding romance between them.
The descriptions of Adele's life in Auschwitz were haunting. I did a little more research into the Auschwitz women's orchestra and was impressed that the author wove in actual members to her fictional account. I never felt like Sera or William learned any of Adele's story until the end of the book. There was something about her story's ending that didn't sit well with me, but I can't put my finger on why exactly it bothered me.
I thought the contemporary storyline was trite. William and Sera had a "whirlwind romance" with a complete lack of passion (and I don't mean to imply that there needed to be physical passion). William's hesitation was never fully explained and their storyline was wrapped up abruptly.
Unfortunately, I thought this book fell into the latter generalization, which colored my enjoyment of it.
Adele is a Christian. She lives in Austria and plays violin with the Vienna Philharmonic during WWII. She is in love with Vladimir and is caught by the SS while trying sneak a Jewish family out of Austria. There is an extant painting of her as an Auschwitz prisoner which has haunted art historian Sera since she was 8 years old. William learns that the painting is key to the stipulations laid out in his grandfather's will and teams up with Sera to research the painting's provenance. As William and Sera trace the painting, they try to overcome their hesitations over the budding romance between them.
The descriptions of Adele's life in Auschwitz were haunting. I did a little more research into the Auschwitz women's orchestra and was impressed that the author wove in actual members to her fictional account. I never felt like Sera or William learned any of Adele's story until the end of the book. There was something about her story's ending that didn't sit well with me, but I can't put my finger on why exactly it bothered me.
I thought the contemporary storyline was trite. William and Sera had a "whirlwind romance" with a complete lack of passion (and I don't mean to imply that there needed to be physical passion). William's hesitation was never fully explained and their storyline was wrapped up abruptly.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book is good, not bad at all. I have read a LOT of WWII fiction and I have a pretty thorough history background. If you want to read historical fiction about WWII, and get a more accurate picture of the hell it was for the Jews, there are way better books out there. This one was a little fluffy and a little unrealistic.
I'm generally in awe of debut authors who make such a good first impression. And Kristy Cambron's novel The Butterfly and the Violin makes a great introduction to a new writer. (Disclaimer: In exchange for my review, I received a free copy of the book through Litfuse Publicity Group.)
This book is a work of art, not just because it centers on a lost painting. It's the kind of story that makes me want to slow down and read the words over and over again so I appreciate the nuances of how they're put together. I get the feeling that the more time spent with this story, the more details and layers I'd discover. Not unlike most pieces of art.
The Butterfly and the Violin combines the stories of Adele von Bron, a Viennese violinist during WW2, and Sera James, a New York City art dealer in present day. Sera has been obsessed with the painting since she saw it a gallery in Paris when she was 8. Her life's mission after her life crumbled has been to track down the painting. She and her assistant have hit a dead end when William Hanover, the heir of a wealthy California family, makes an offer to aid her search in an effort to save the family business. Sera and William try to piece together the clues to the painting's owner and the story of Adele while each trying to patch up their broken pasts.
Adele's story is woven into the contemporary storyline, a method of storytelling I love when it's done well. And author Kristy Cambron excels at it.
If you've read Susan Meissner's The Girl in the Glass, you'll find a similarly mesmerizing story in this book. The Butterfly and the Violin is part of the Hidden Masterpieces series, which is good news for those of us who want more stories that blend past and present.
This book is a work of art, not just because it centers on a lost painting. It's the kind of story that makes me want to slow down and read the words over and over again so I appreciate the nuances of how they're put together. I get the feeling that the more time spent with this story, the more details and layers I'd discover. Not unlike most pieces of art.
The Butterfly and the Violin combines the stories of Adele von Bron, a Viennese violinist during WW2, and Sera James, a New York City art dealer in present day. Sera has been obsessed with the painting since she saw it a gallery in Paris when she was 8. Her life's mission after her life crumbled has been to track down the painting. She and her assistant have hit a dead end when William Hanover, the heir of a wealthy California family, makes an offer to aid her search in an effort to save the family business. Sera and William try to piece together the clues to the painting's owner and the story of Adele while each trying to patch up their broken pasts.
Adele's story is woven into the contemporary storyline, a method of storytelling I love when it's done well. And author Kristy Cambron excels at it.
If you've read Susan Meissner's The Girl in the Glass, you'll find a similarly mesmerizing story in this book. The Butterfly and the Violin is part of the Hidden Masterpieces series, which is good news for those of us who want more stories that blend past and present.