My dear friend Krista put this book in my hand as I headed out on a trip several weeks ago. She’d read The Butterfly and the Violin last summer and told me right away I needed to read it. She was taken with the story and the writing, and couldn’t believe it was a debut novel. I wholeheartedly agree. Author Kristy Cambron is something else.
A few thoughts ~
- Main character’s name - Sera James. Great place to start.
- The storyline shifts between a modern-day art dealer and a young Austrian violinist captured during WWII.
- Excellent writing. Christian themes are organic, not contrived.
One of my favorite things about The Butterfly and the Violin is that I was thoroughly entertained while learning about something very unfamiliar - the influence of WWII artists and musicians. Interesting to learn about the orchestra and artists in Auschwitz and other concentration camps during the war.
Cambron captures The Butterfly and Violin's theme best in her Author's Note at the end of the book:
As a student (of art history), I was captured by the innate need of humans to create. As a young Christian, I was inexplicably moved by the glimpses of light in the darkness. Even in the most evil of circumstances, the art of human expression was so powerful that it couldn't be overshadowed, not even by death. In the Butterfly and the Violin, I did my best to explore this theme. It's about worship through God's creation - our lives.Bottom line ~ a fabulous read. Well written, thoughtful, informative, entertaining.
Mrs. Cambron ~ we absolutely loved your story, and we’re ready for more!
(She read my mind!)
Coming in April 2015...
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