Italy, 1943—Germany occupies much of the country, placing the Jewish population in grave danger during World War II.
As children, Eva Rosselli and Angelo Bianco were raised like family but divided by circumstance and religion. As the years go by, the two find themselves falling in love. But the church calls to Angelo and, despite his deep feelings for Eva, he chooses the priesthood.
Now, more … priesthood.
Now, more than a decade later, Angelo is a Catholic priest and Eva is a woman with nowhere to turn. With the Gestapo closing in, Angelo hides Eva within the walls of a convent, where Eva discovers she is just one of many Jews being sheltered by the Catholic Church.
But Eva can’t quietly hide, waiting for deliverance, while Angelo risks everything to keep her safe. With the world at war and so many in need, Angelo and Eva face trial after trial, choice after agonizing choice, until fate and fortune finally collide, leaving them with the most difficult decision of all.
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Sincerely reflective.
Captivating from beginning to end. It was enlightening to discover that the Catholic priests and nuns were so involved in the hiding of Jews.
My goodness, what a book!
Eva Rosselli and Angelo Biancco were brought together in their young life. Living together as a family but not family by blood. Eva a young jewish gal and Angelo a catholic boy. Just two years apart in age, they became best friends living under the same roof.
Oyster-because the oyster takes the sand and makes it into something beautiful.
It’s a beautiful story that we follow these two and the family that are raising them. How even though the things going on around where they live are not the most ideal of situations, the family makes the most of it.
A candle and a cross, the only thing that separated him from being hopelessly lost.
Now a priest, Angelo is making the best of wearing his collar. He will do anything and everything to make sure that, no matter who you are, what your religion is, you are a child of God. He might have lost his ‘family’ but he will do everything to ensure that Eva is safe. That was his promise.
Sand and ash. The ingredients of glass. Such beauty created from nothing. It had been something Babbo had marveled about and something she’d never understood. From sand and ash, rebirth. From sand and ash, new life. With every song and with every prayer, with every small rebellion, Eva felt reborn, renewed, and she vowed to press on. She vowed to push back, to make glass from the ashes, and that courage was a victory in itself.
It’s a tough road these two have traveled. One that no one would want to relive. But the love that these two shared for each other is what keeps them alive.
If we all chose not to participate. Not to be bullied. Not to take up arms. Not to persecute. What would happen then?
I picked up this book and was so engrossed in the story that was being told. A beautifully written love story that was for sure to end as so many lives had ended during that time period. The inhuman way that people were destroyed time and time again. But Ava and Angelo believed…they believed in each other. The two of them certainly deserved a happy ending. Just like all the others during that time, they too deserved a happy ending. Unfortunately, though not all were able to say they were survivors.
This book should be read by all! Amy Harmon took such a horrible event in history and wrote a story that even though the world was crumbling around so many, there was love. Love that could not be taken away by a train ride or guns or bombs. Love that survived and deserved a story!
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Amy Harmon writes very well. You can see she’s done her research and she’s done a phenomenal job with the weaving of history into a harrowing novel.
Great read. Alot of history behind the story. Facts about the war and about jewish religion traditions. And surprising enough a love story
This book continues to stay with me months after turning the last page. Ms. Harmon has created rich characters you love, ache over, cry and cheer with. The setting, WWII in Nazi-controlled Italy, is a dangerous time, and the book reflects the peril of that period, helping us understand the risks/rewards for individuals torn by fear and the call of humanity. An impossible romance, the intrigue and impotence of the Catholic Church, and the plight of the Jews are illustrated in poignant, painful, triumphant beauty. This book with change you.
Although this book dealt with historical events of an undesirable nature, it kept you coming back for more. A great insight to a trouble period of history.
Love this author’s way of pulling you in and drawing out her characters.
When humanity was at an all time low, there were some that shined like beacons, that risked it all to save one or many .. Beautifully Broken . . . This book stirs so much heartache and so much hope in humanity.
This story is one that will stay with you always. While the story is fictional, it could easily be an example of the love that did take place in a world that was quickly falling apart.
This is one of the easiest and hardest reviews I’ve ever had to write. So many emotions. . . All I want to do is pour all my love into this review and make you read it because I know I KNOW you will love it as much as I do and also …so hard. How do I do this book justice.
Amy’s words wrap around your heart and your soul. . . you are forever changed. She’s an author that always seems to plants that seed… and remind us that it only takes one to make a difference. And she does. . . her words will echo in the hearts of many and because of her beautiful words she will follow in the footsteps of “Saint George” (read the book you’ll get it) and she will be immortal. . .
While this book takes place in WWII and some of you may not be a big “historical romance” buff I would suggest you read it before you say it’s not your thing. I plan on buying a copy for everyone I know. The book is THAT GOOD! Even those that typically don’t read historical.
Brilliant 5 star read by a brilliant author! I’m so honored to have had the opportunity to read it
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From Sand and Ash is by far the best book I’ve read this year. Taking a different view of the German persecution of Jews during World War II, the reader is brought back to Italy in 1943 where we meet Eva Roselli, a Jew, and Angelo Bianco, an American born boy who is sent to live with the Rosellis in Florence. Over the years Eva and Angelo become inseparable until one day, ten years later, they realize that they are in love. But because of a physical handicap it is determined that Angelo would be best served by becoming a priest. Eva’s father, watching with close interest what is happening to Jews on the world stage, lines the pockets of the seminarian abbot who in turn assigns Angelo, now a priest, to a nearby parish. Angelo, in an effort to honor his vows, pushes Eva away from him and for three years they are apart.
In the end, though, Angelo must use his Vatican connections in Rome to hide his beloved Eva from the Germans now occupying Italy. Eva agrees but only if she can help Angelo in his resistance efforts. In the end love will win. Love of Eva? Or Love of God? Or Both? Can Father Angelo live with his choice? Will Eva be discovered by the Germans? Can she survive being sent to a work camp in Germany or will she join her departed family leaving Angelo to wonder if he could have done more?
Sand and Ash is a totally new perspective on World War II for this reader. The story is seamlessly woven through almost non-stop action. Just when you think it’s safe for Eva and Angelo, a vile twist occurs in their lives. The agony of living in fear of discovery, the hope for deliverance, the plight of those who are living in an occupied country, the quiet resistance work of the Catholic Church to save their Jewish brethren, all combine to make a compelling page-turner. Life and death, sacrifice and prayer, hope and despair, all are contained within the pages of this story.
This is one book you won’t want to miss.
This book was amazing. It held my interest, and the historical light on humans caught up in horrifying circumstances was tangible. The characters were palpable, and could easily be seen, and understood throughout the evolving plot. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know truth and examine how that effects each of us in our world today!