*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.
About the book-
A mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz—and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.
Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl—a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.
In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover, the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul, who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together, Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.
A darling of the Austrian aristocracy, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.
As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: in the grim camps of Auschwitz and in the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.
My thoughts- the first thing I thought when I saw this book was how beautiful the cover was and that the title was even quite beautiful. When I read the plot synopsis and found out that it was a historical fiction novel set during WWII, I knew I would have to read it. I love novels that are set in more than one time period, I like going through the old story with the present day character as they discover what they are searching for. I was absolutely enthralled by this book. I read it in one sitting. I had been in a place where I was getting burnt out on reading. The novels I was reading were good, but it had been a while since I had read a book that I absolutely could not put down. So for that day, no matter what my boys and I were doing, I was reading this book. They were playing in the mud, I was reading. They were watching a movie, I was reading. After I put them in bed for the night, I finished up this absolute page turner. I know I have said on this blog at least once, if not several times that I have a fascination with WWII. I just do not understand that events that took place and I think that is why I am so drawn to it. That and I think it is our duty to remember the tragedy that occurred. We owe it to those who lost their lives and those who went through the horrors of the holocaust and survived. I have read a ton of books set in this time period, but I have never heard of the hidden paintings, so this was an interesting new fact to me, that these people being held prisoner, watching people all around them die, were still trying to hold on to things that were of beauty, things that gave them hope and I was glad for it. I turned page after page hoping to see if Sera could find the painting she was looking for and hoping that William is the person he seems to be. I shed tears as I thought of what Adele must have gone through having to play her violin for the revolting people that were holding her prisoner during the events in which she would least want to play her violin. It was interesting to ponder how that would affect how she would feel about music, something she once loved. When the story concluded, I was satisfied with the ending, but sad it was over. It was such a compelling story. This was an excellent debut novel from Kristy Cambron and I look forward to seeing what her next novel holds. I recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in romance, suspense or historical fiction. You will not want to put it down.
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Welcome to the launch campaign for debut novelist Kristy Cambron's The Butterfly and the Violin. Romantic Times had this to say: "Alternating points of view skillfully blend contemporary and historical fiction in this debut novel that is almost impossible to put down. Well-researched yet heartbreaking. . . ."
Kristy is celebrating the release of the first book in her series, A Hidden Masterpiece, with a fun Kindle Fire giveaway and meeting her readers during an August 7th Facebook author chat party.
One winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire
- The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron
So grab your copy of The Butterfly and the Violin and join Kristy on the evening of August 7th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)
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