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A review by sheltzer
The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron
3.0
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.