The Secret of Clouds by Alyson Richman – 384 pages
ARC courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.
Book Blurb:
Katya, a rising ballerina, and Sasha, a graduate student, are young and in love when an unexpected tragedy befalls their native Kiev. Years later, after the couple has safely emigrated to America the consequences of this incident cause their son, Yuri, to be born with a rare health condition that isolates him from other children. Maggie, a passionate and dedicated teacher agrees to tutor Yuri at his home, even though she is haunted by her own painful childhood memories. As the two forge a deep and soulful connection, Yuri’s boundless curiosity and unique wisdom inspires Maggie to make difficult changes in her own life. And she’ll never realize just how strong Yuri has made her — until she needs that strength the most.
My Review: 4.5 stars
The Secret of Clouds is another of many beloved books by one my favorite authors. Alyson Richman is a born storyteller and creates plots that matter. In this book, teachers are at the forefront and I’d call this a love letter to the art of teaching. It shows the bounds teachers take to connect with a child and in return how important a teacher can be to a student.
Maggie, the teacher, is completely altruistic. Some may find it unbelievable but I’d like to believe she is exactly as portrayed in the novel. Her relationship with Yuri, the student from Kiev, is a push and pull of opening up and learning. She does this through journal writing, which AMEN people, is so important! She also expertly chooses the right books for him to read. I dare not write any more about this, as I don’t want to drop any spoilers.
I knew I was meant to read this book exactly now, as there was a beautiful coincidence awaiting me. In April of this year I was able to tour the Terezin Concentration Camp outside of Prague. There I bought a sad yet gorgeous book called I Have Not Seen A Butterfly Around Here written by children who were in the concentration camp. This obscure collection of poetry and artwork was discussed in this very book. This connected me even further to the storyline.
I’ve reviewed several of Richman’s books and they all seem to hit the mark on lyrical writing and excellent pacing. Although there are some predictable parts, it didn’t bother me one iota. The sentimentality and the goodness of the characters is exactly what we need in this world.
As always, I’ll be looking forward to what’s next from this author.
If you liked this book, I highly recommend Amulya Maladi’s A Breath of Fresh Air. Although no teachers are involved, it’s the boys in both books that resonated with me.
Quotes I liked:
Deep down, I believed a good story could change us, and if we read it deeply enough, a good book could transform our souls.”
– “The same way you said you can’t imagine a g-d that doesn’t listen, I can’t imagine a world this beautiful that could be created without g-d’s help.”
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