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 review: This was a beautiful story that I could not put down! I loved the dual stories of Adele and Sera and how the book goes back and forth between the 1940's and the present day. The romances were touching, the story well-written, the history intriguing. It was fascinating to learn the story of Adele and to find out about the orchestras formed at the death camps to perform on command. I had never heard about this, nor about the art created by prisoners and hidden. Cambron says in her author's note that more than 1,600 pieces of art were discovered in the rubble of Auschwitz. Though this book has sadness and grief, it also shows hope and the will to survive, and even see and create beauty in the midst of the horror the prisoners lived through. It was interesting to see Adele's struggle to play her violin in the death camp and for the SS officers, for her to feel on the one hand that she's using her God-given talent for evil, but also that this was the way she was surviving and that she was given this talent with which to worship God. I really admired her and how she stood up for what she believed, no matter the cost. You should definitely read this amazing debut!
I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/zhXo3
About the author: Kristy
Cambron has been fascinated with the WWII era since hearing her
grandfather's stories of the war. She holds an art history degree from
Indiana University and received the Outstanding Art History Student
Award. Kristy writes WWII and Regency era fiction and has placed first
in the 2013 NTRWA Great Expectations and 2012 FCRW Beacon contests, and
is a 2013 Laurie finalist. Kristy makes her home in Indiana with her
husband and three football-loving sons.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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