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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The year is 1943 and World War II Nazi-occupied Italy played its part in the persecution, deportation, and ultimate murder of the Jewish people. However, Amy Harmon manages to incorporate so much beauty in this very dark time. From Sand and Ash is full of contrasts: life/death, hope/defeat, courage/fear, compliance/rebellion, faith/doubt, love/rejection, desire/restraint… the list goes on. But such is this magical life – we cannot survive the depths without having at least a flicker of light, and even more so when the world is at war and a beautiful people are being destroyed simply because they exist.
Amy Harmon has created incredibly human characters full of complexities. She has also replicated the palpable emotions that coincide with tragic times, but the themes of family, love, and resiliency shine through. For me, this was an incredibly rich reading experience that gave me hope. Hope that with every negative, a positive can be found and with every person full of evil intent, there will be another who will choose to do the right thing. I loved this book
I read this book on a trans-Atlantic flight from New York to London and arrived at my destiny weepy and hungover. Amy Harmon writes a memorable, moving WW2 love story.
Love endures, though the cost is often dear. The first part of the book is very well told, but can be grouped with the other books that do an excellent job of portraying the Jewish struggle during WWII. Where it comes to life and makes its unique stamp on the heart and memory is when Angelo and Eva at last embrace their love for one another against such incredible odds. Very well worth reading and beautiful prose.
From Sand and Ash is one of those books you finished and you don’t know what to do with all the emotions and feelings you’ve been gathering all this time while listening to this wonderful love story..
From Sand and Ash is a book that will stay forever in my heart not only because is a love story, but also because it is a story of hope and faith.. a story that not everything is lost and when love is around there is always light at the end of our roads.
“I wonder sometimes what would happen if everyone without a choice had made a choice anyway. If we all chose not to participate. Not to be bullied. Not to take up arms. Not to persecute. What would happen then?”
Eva, was living a beautiful life in Italy, she had dreams and wishes to be fulfilled, she was in love with a man who was like a family, they grew up together and somehow build a life together.. but life and circumstances made this love almost impossible until the war came, and all her dreams were just that, dreams, no longer having any faith or hope that this will ever become real..
“They cannot take our thoughts. They cannot take our talents. They cannot take our knowledge, or our memories or our minds. In music, there is no bondage. Music is a door, and the soul escapes through melody.”
Angelo is a priest, “not by choice” life and circumstance and some “wrong” advice made him chose this path to be able to save other souls but this path was never meant for him, he was not happy, he was always questioning himself especially after seeing so many atrocities. his faith and hope were disappearing slowly the only thing that kept him alive was her.. the only one that brings calmness to his tormented soul her ..
“The more I see, the harder it is to believe in God… Some days it hurts too much to believe.”
“It hurts more not to believe. I am starting to think God is the only reason any of us is alive.”
Eva and Angelo, suffered so much to be able to be together not only the war was always separating them but also their religion and beliefs. it is a matter of time and hope for them to be able to finally be together.
“He’d failed her over and over, and he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to heal her, or hold her or save her. He didn’t know how to be what she needed. All he knew was that he loved her desperately.”
This was a very beautiful story, I really felt very deeply the angst, the sadness, the love and desperation of Angelo and Eva to be together.
Eva was an amazing character, a heroine to remember, she was strong and fought for her life and her love until the end of the war. Angelo also an amazing hero so strong and defiant to help others.. he was stubborn just like Eva and that made him and her to made the impossible to find themselves in the middle of that chaotic environment.
“She was reflected in him, and he in her. It had always been that way. When she was in front of him, she was the only thing he could see. She filled his vision.”
Love was what kept them alive, Love was their only hope, love was their answer the only answer they were looking for.
”It was love that made each touch feel like redemption and each kiss like rebirth. Not just lust. Not just pleasure. It was love that created joy.”
What I love about Amy’s stories and especially From Sand and Ash is not only she transport us to magical places, full of hope, and faith but she also makes us believe, and remember that love is always there and everywhere even in the darkest places…
Amy also reminded us that no matter how dark and surreal our life looks like, there is always love to heal our deepest wounds..
a powerful reading, a book to keep forever.. looking forward to reading more of Amy’s stories..
FROM SAND AND ASH is a tender, agonizing, and redemptive story of love and war. From its first page, author Amy Harmon spellbinds the reader, and makes us ask over and over again: What would I do?
The plot is fast-paced and suspenseful, the relationships are intense, and the exploration of the spiritual lives of Eva and Angelo make for full-bodied, well fleshed out characters. Passionate and powerful men and women lie at the novel’s heart, and the story is told with great honesty and detail.
This is a book that will make you lose sleep, and the characters will stay with you long after you close its pages. If you loved The Thorn Birds or The Nightingale, I highly recommend FROM SAND AND ASH.
This book is a must read! It is extremely well written and causes the reader to do a lot of thinking and questioning. I will recommend this book to all who are willing to accept the challenge of reading and learning about the atrocities of WWII.
Well written Holocaust story – cried my way through the book.
I honestly couldn’t stop reading from the first page. A powerful story set during WWII and the atrocities perpetuated by the Germans against the Jews. My emotions and heartstrings are so invested in this story. I will be thinking about it often. Beautifully wriiten and the narration is exceptional. Highly recommended.
5 Stars. Touching & hopeful
Not my cup of tea. But the amount of reviews on this one is evident that for a lot of readers this was a great one.
Only one thing kept me from rating it a 5+!
A captivating story about a young Jewish woman and a Catholic priest set in Italy during WW2. Part thriller, part romance and part historical fiction, it is a good read.
I love reading about historical events that haven’t been covered over and over. This is a WWII novel, but it’s set in Italy, and it deals with how the Vatican helped harbor Jews. Definitely NOT a WWII perspective I’d seen before. Amy Harmon is a must read.
One of the best books I’ve read in 5 years
Amy is a favorite author of mine and it hurts to give this 4 stars. It was well written and powerfully done, but I have my own issues. For one I hate reading books about the Holocaust. I hate being exposed to the worst in humanity and that was the worst but it was also the best. I loved that this book focused on the heroes. It is hard for me to read the violence and the death that were very real, I’m a girl that likes fiction and non of this was fiction all of it could have happened. It also gets lower stars for the amount of sexual content. Amy’s books push the envelope but this included stuff I didn’t want to read and was sad it got included, including sexual comments made by the Germans about the Jews. This book broke my heart and books like this don’t mend it because this is reality, life was and is truly this way for so many. So I won’t be recommending this book even tho it was so well written because of the sadness and the sexual content.
Marvelous true to life characters struggling with beliefs and choices during WWII in Italy. So much based on history. The authors comments at the end enhanced my appreciation for the novel.
Historical fiction as WWII impacted the Italian-Jewish population.
Excellent historical novel…..the reader will learn about Italy and WWII and the will to save Italy’s Jewish community. ….I would recommend this book to anyone. She is an excellent writer.
Historical romance which takes place in Italy during WWII. One of my few five star novels! Read it. Don’t be put off because it is romance, this book is sooo much more than that!
This is my first Amy Harmon book and wow was it amazing; heartbreaking, exceptional, compelling, unforgettable, riveting. Historical romances aren’t my usual genre but I had to read this one because of the reviews and blurb and I’m glad I did because it was so good. I was pulled in from the first page of the prologue to the last of the epilogue; Amy Harmon’s writing is beautiful and poignant as is her characters, I felt as if I was right there with Angelo and Eva, going right along with them on this extraordinary, breathtaking journey of love, perseverance, courage and the ravages of war from one of the darkest, most horrific times in our history.
Everyone needs to read this book! One of the best historical novels I’ve ever read, and I can’t wait to read more.