The Butterfly and the Violin- Kristy Cambron

My Rating: 5 Stars

Description: 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.

My Thoughts: I have always had a soft spot for Holocaust stories, maybe because of the great tragedy that managed to also birth light on some places. The Butterfly and the Violin perfectly captured that concept for me, with a woman who faces such hardship, yet plays beautiful music.

Often times, I find it difficult to go from on perspective to another when the characters live in different time periods. However, Kristy managed to describe each period with details that kept them distinct in my mind. The change between war torn Austria and modern California pulled me right in.

There is not much I can say that I did not like. Perhaps when Vladamir, an other wise suave gentleman, referred to his heart as a "ticker". All in all, I really enjoyed seeing the Holocaust threw the eyes of Sera and Adele. and hope to read more by Kristy Cambron.

I received this book through Litfuse 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.

Find Kristy online: website, Facebook, Twitter