~July's Pick~

Happy August everyone! Nothing beats summer reading, and I love making summer reading lists! There's something so satisfying about ticking books off as you read them!

July's pick is Kristy Cambron’s The Butterfly and The Violin, an eye-opening and beautiful dual-time historical fiction novel.

A painting of raw yet alluring juxtaposition. A young woman playing the violin… in Auschwitz. 

Ever since seeing the painting as a little girl, Sera James has dreamed of finding the original piece of art. Now an adult who runs her own gallery in New York, she suddenly comes upon a new clue after years of dead ends. Travelling to California, Sera joins forces with the head of the Hanover family, William, who has his own mysterious connection with the painting. Together, they aim to not only find the whereabouts of the original painting but discover what happened to the woman playing the violin.

Daughter of an important member of the Third Reich, and beloved violinist by everyone in Austria, Adele Von Bron has lived and breathed her entire life for violin. But when her daring acts of courage smuggling Jews out of Vienna get her arrested, not even her social connections can keep her from being sent away to a concentration camp. Forced to play in the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz, the things Adele witnessed are unimaginable. 

As Sera and William dig deep to find the original painting, the question lingers in the air. What happened to the woman in the painting… What happened to Adele?

This book was incredible.

It was eye-opening, informative, and sobering, yet not without themes of hope which were present throughout the entire novel.

If you’re looking for a thought-provoking, heart-aching, historical fiction read, I would definitely suggest The Butterfly and The Violin by Kristy Cambron! Truly, this book is a must-read!