Day 20: Book Review & Giveaway Link: A Sparrow in Terezin {30 Day Blog Challenge}

Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection in Kristy Cambron's new book, A Sparrow in Terezin. Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains and fight to protect all they hold dear—even if it means placing their own futures on the line.

My thoughts: I will put my review here, below the blurb about the book and above the details for the giveaway. I signed up for this book review after reading Cambron's The Butterfly and the Violin, which I absolutely loved. But my review is about A Sparrow in Terezin.

The story is set in the past and the present, with Kaja and Sera, and all that entails during years of Kaja's life, and less than one of Sera's. Other characters are the journalist who does crosswords for the paper that hires Kaja, in London, and of course Sera's husband. But Sera's husband is arrested, sending the family scrambling somewhat to figure out how to clear his name. There are others of course, but they come and go. 

I really like the books Cambron writes and would definitely read more of them. I am watching and waiting for her next book. However, this one wasn't as gripping as The Butterfly and the Violin. I am not entirely sure why. It could be that I 'experienced' the War so emotionally in the first book that I was tempted, and gave in at points, to skimming when it was detailed again in this book. Also, the um, pettiness of a character or two really annoyed me. Fortunately that wasn't often and only two characters. I won't tell you who *smile*.

I think if you read this, you won't be disappointed {except with maybe a few little things}. 

***Disclaimer: I received a physical copy of the book reviewed from LitFuse for free for this review. No compensation was given. All opinions are my own. See Disclosure/Policies.

And now for the Giveaway details!

Kristy is celebrating by giving away a basket filled with goodies inspired by her new book!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A set of poppy notecards
• A poppy pin
• A copy of I Never Saw Another Butterfly
• A copy of the Mrs. Miniver DVD
• Literary tea bags
• Tumbler
• A copy of A Sparrow in Terezin

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 28th. Winner will be announced April 29th on Kristy's blog.




{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

Upcoming Review Book- Kristy Cambron

I read Kristy Cambron's The Butterfly and the Violin August of last year and really enjoyed it. LitFuse posted that her next book The Sparrow in Terezin would be up for review in April. I filled out the interest form as soon as I got the email.

Happy is me! Today I got the confirmation email that I will be receiving a copy to review.

Okay, that is all for now. :)

Book Review: The Butterfly and the Violin {BookLook Bloggers}

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron
ISBN: 9781401690601
eBook
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Retail: $15.99 (paperback)

About the book:
And then came war . . .

Today. Sera James spends most of her time arranging auctions for the art world’s elite clientele. When her search to uncover an original portrait of an unknown Holocaust victim leads her to William Hanover III, they learn that this painting is much more than it seems.

Vienna, 1942. Adele Von Bron has always known what was expected of her. As a prodigy of Vienna’s vast musical heritage, this concert violinist intends to carry on her family's tradition and play with the Vienna Philharmonic. But when the Nazis learn that she helped smuggle Jews out of the city, Adele is taken from her promising future and thrust into the horrifying world of Auschwitz.

The veil of innocence is lifted to expose a shuddering presence of evil, and Adele realizes that her God-given gift is her only advantage; she must play. Becoming a member of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz, she fights for survival. Adele’s barbed-wire walls begin to kill her hope as the months drag into nearly two years in the camp. With surprising courage against the backdrop of murder and despair, Adele finally confronts a question that has been tugging at her heart: Even in the midst of evil, can she find hope in worshipping God with her gift?

As Sera and William learn more about the subject of the mysterious portrait—Adele—they are reminded that whatever horrors one might face, God’s faithfulness never falters.

About the author:
Kristy Cambron has been fascinated with WWII since hearing her grandfather’s stories. She holds an Art History degree from Indiana University and works as Communications Consultant. Kristy writes WWII and Regency fiction and placed first in the 2013 NTRWA Great Expectations and 2012 FCRW Beacon contests. Kristy makes her home in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons. Website: www.kristycambron.com Twitter: @KCambronAuthor Facebook: Kristy-L-Cambron-Author

My thoughts:

This was a very good book. It was well written and researched. The characters are well developed as well as the various scenes. It doesn't give away the ending until much closer to the end. There is left some mystery just about to the end. 

This was an easy book to get into. I read it in 2 days, without sacrificing my other duties. The paperback has 336 pages so the book is not small but it is easy to get into and keep going. Generally I have a love/hate of dual time period novels but I do think Cambron does quite well with this book. She takes the reader to just a point in one time period, to get us wanting to know what happens next, and then she takes us to a point in the other time period that helps explain the other. It flows quite well.


All wars are terrible. All wars leave scars, physically and emotionally. WWII is one of the more recent to have done so, even after 69 years. For many who were not alive during the war years, it can seem unreal; something one reads only in a book. I admit I am drawn to books that are set in the WWII period, whether about the war or not (although it is hard to find one that doesn’t center around the war). The latest book I read was very good and I would recommend it to others.

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron is about a wealthy and talented young lady, Adele, from Austria at the start of the war. She plays violin in the Austrian philharmonic, which did not allow women to play, because of her wonderful talent. During her time with the group, she meets and falls in love with cellist Vladimir, the son of a merchant, and therefore unacceptable for her in her parents’, and society's, eyes.

The other main characters of the story are a modern-day art gallery owner, Sera, and a rich man, William, who are both tied up in a painting created during the war. Both are searching for it but for different reasons. They have to work together to find it, and in the process they figure a lot of things out about themselves. And finally, another character, key to all of this comes in towards the end.

I was unsure of the ending of this book right up to the last. But I felt the characters and scenes were well developed. There is romance in this, a kiss here and there, but easy to skim over; they do not take over the book fortunately.

Disclaimer: I received this as an ebook free for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. See Disclosure/Policies.