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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
A beautifully told story of art, life, and love in the time of the Holocaust. A unique perspective, as one of the narrators was the daughter of a high ranking official in the Third Reich. I highly recommend this book for historical fiction fans, especially of WWII and the Holocaust.
I am did not like this book at all. It reads like a Christian romance novel disguised as historical fiction.
This book was so hauntingly beautiful. Hauntingly beautiful!
I enjoy history, especially the World War II era. This book alternates between the World War II setting, and modern day. Usually I don't like that type of book, but Kristy Cambron has used it quite effectively.
The story of Adele is powerfully written, and really captures one's heart. Her story also gave me a new perspective of the war, and the concentration camps. Be prepared with a box of tissues when you read this book!
If you enjoy history, art or music history, World War II history, you will enjoy this book.
The story of Adele is powerfully written, and really captures one's heart. Her story also gave me a new perspective of the war, and the concentration camps. Be prepared with a box of tissues when you read this book!
If you enjoy history, art or music history, World War II history, you will enjoy this book.
When I had first started reading this book, I was instantly impressed with the dual timeline, something that I love seeing in historical novels. The dual timeline consists of Sera, an art museum dealer, who lives in the present time, seeking a painting of Adele, 'Austria's Sweetheart', who was sent to a concentration camp during World War II for hiding a Jewish family during the Nazi regime. The book bounces from Sera's story, back to Adele's, with vivid descriptions of what Adele had to endure during her time at Auschwitz, and how she coped, by playing in the camp's orchestra, made up of a large number of the camp's inmates. We then learn of Sera's desire to find the painting of Adele, with her heart being tangled in the process, as she meets William Hanover, a man that has a significant tie to the painting itself. Through a variety of twists and turns, Sera finally figures out how to find the painting, while meeting a few important people along the way. Adele becomes a ghost of her previous self, as she describes the suffering she harbours during her time in the camp. I actually found it difficult to read about Adele's story, as there were many vivid descriptions which upset me as I continued to read. My heart broke for the number of people who had to endure that misery, and knowing that it was true, made it even harder to read. The author did a marvelous job of describing the utmost details in Adele's torturous days, often bringing me to tears as I continued to read. In the end, I was happy to see how both Adele and Sera were given their glory, with the author painting a beautiful portrait of how precious life can be when certain individuals pave the way.
This book blew me away! I'm normally not a huge fan of split-time novels, but this one is so well-done and I was very invested in both storylines. It brought to light several pieces of history that I was previously unaware of, and its exploration of beauty in the face of extreme suffering is supurb. This was the first book I've read by Kristy Cambron, and her writing is amazing! Definitely looking forward to reading more of her work. Highly recommend this one!
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really wanted to finish this book and enjoyed the historical fiction aspect