In April of 1986 in the former USSR, everyone is surprised by the
sudden warmth and heatwave of the weather, hardly suspecting a
tragedy... This tragedy will have many repercussions for Katya and
Sasha, a young couple who immigrate to America, especially when their
son Yuri is born with a rare heart disease and will be forced to sit on
the sidelines and watch his life pass him by.
THE SECRET OF CLOUDS by
Alyson Richman is a tale destined to touch the heart and the mind of
many readers. Going back and forth between 1986 and early 2000s,
one story is told of a woman's choice to leave everything she knows to
go with her persecuted husband, and the other of Katya and Sasha's
desperate attempts to help their son cope with his life with the help of
his English teacher, Maggie. Richman uses literature to show how it
helps both Maggie and Yuri make difficult decisions their lives, and how
they both learn from one another.
THE SECRET OF CLOUDS felt
cinematic while I read it; I found it similar to films where teachers have
tremendous impacts on their students, and I greatly enjoyed the
journey Maggie and Yuri go on together. They bond over holidays and
food, as well as through various hobbies, like baseball. I found the
character of Maggie's fiance somewhat unbelievable and thought it
could have been handled better. Nonetheless, for a reader seeking a
heartbreaking yet sweet tale of hope, learning, literature and humanity,
THE SECRET OF CLOUDS by
Alyson Richman should fill in those needs.
From the #1 international bestselling author of The Lost
Wife and The Velvet Hours comes an emotionally charged story
about a mother's love, a teacher's promise, and a child's
heart.....
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......
A novel that will make readers examine what it means to live
life with a full heart.