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english_lady03's review against another edition
4.0
I've had the audiobook of this for a couple of years, and honestly, I don't know why I didn't read it sooner. It was so good. From Sand and Ash is a story of Angelo, a young man who becomes a Catholic priest, and Eva, the young Jewish woman he grew up with. It is basically the forbidden love trope, but set in WW2 Italy.
Content warning for sexual references and one (non-detailed but borderline) sex scene.
Content warning for sexual references and one (non-detailed but borderline) sex scene.
tatyanavogt's review against another edition
4.0
First off, this isn't the type of book I would normally gravitate towards. But it came to me in my "Once Upon a Book Club" Box and I am so glad that it did. Not only did I have a fabulous experience opening all of the gifts that were included in the box, chosen specifically to match the story and to be opened at specific moments in the book. But I was also very touched by the story itself.
A fictional romance set around actual historical events that leaves you thinking. It did a great job talking about the war we all know so well and shedding light on emotions that are easy to gloss over in history books. It put you there and it forced you to look at two different religions and questions both of them in different ways.
It forces you to see the people behind the religions and to wonder if it would really be so hard for people of different religions to co-exsist together in peaceful and loving ways. And of course it does all of this in more while fighting the power of love between two people.
I don't know, it was just amazing and I am so glad I got to have this experience. Even if that meant going through many emotions and thinking about difficult topics. I would highly recommend this book.
A fictional romance set around actual historical events that leaves you thinking. It did a great job talking about the war we all know so well and shedding light on emotions that are easy to gloss over in history books. It put you there and it forced you to look at two different religions and questions both of them in different ways.
It forces you to see the people behind the religions and to wonder if it would really be so hard for people of different religions to co-exsist together in peaceful and loving ways. And of course it does all of this in more while fighting the power of love between two people.
I don't know, it was just amazing and I am so glad I got to have this experience. Even if that meant going through many emotions and thinking about difficult topics. I would highly recommend this book.
tmathews0330's review against another edition
5.0
Maybe my favorite fiction book on the Holocaust. The exploration of the Catholic faith in conjunction to what was going on with the Jewish people was fascinating. I ultimately loved the expansion of faith I saw in the characters and fell head over heels for their personal growth.
andrea_zimlicki's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
sonialusiveira's review against another edition
5.0
Amy Harmon has been on my tbr list ever since I started reading English books back in 2015 but somehow I never really started reading her books until now.(Fun fact no one cares: English is my second, or rather third language, first and second being Tetun and Indonesian). I decided to dive into Amy Harmon works with From Sand and Ash because a love story between a Catholic priest and a Jewish girl set in Italy during WWII sounds really intriguing.
But this book is not just about a love story. It is a well-researched and well-written book about the terrible happenings and struggles of Jewish people and the willingness of Italian people to help shelter them from the Nazi Germany during the war. The places and events were so vividly described that sometimes I felt like I was present there and witness all the gory occurrences. I love to read about how people become courageous in their fearfulness and risk and, some even sacrifices, themselves to save other people. I’d really recommend this book for people who are interested in reading stories set in WWII or if you are studying about WWII and want to know about some events happening during the period in Italy, you can check this book out as the plot is quite accurate to the actual events and some of the characters were real people.
But this book is not just about a love story. It is a well-researched and well-written book about the terrible happenings and struggles of Jewish people and the willingness of Italian people to help shelter them from the Nazi Germany during the war. The places and events were so vividly described that sometimes I felt like I was present there and witness all the gory occurrences. I love to read about how people become courageous in their fearfulness and risk and, some even sacrifices, themselves to save other people. I’d really recommend this book for people who are interested in reading stories set in WWII or if you are studying about WWII and want to know about some events happening during the period in Italy, you can check this book out as the plot is quite accurate to the actual events and some of the characters were real people.
devansbooklife's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this audio-book. I author did a great job of vividly creating the energy in the scenes. The story was heartfelt and full of promise, longing, and denial.
mettetta's review against another edition
3.0
This book was not my favorite. I found Angelo and Eva's romance to be annoying. They had so many opportunities to just choose to be together, and I wasn't convinced by Angelo's reasons for becoming a priest. But I will say it was interesting to hear about the efforts of the Catholic Church to protect Jews in Italy from the Germans.
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.'