“Fresh. Fascinating. Unforgettable. The Butterfly and the Violin is a masterpiece of a debut.” –Laura Frantz, author of Love’s Reckoning
”. . . impossible to put down.” –RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 Stars, TOP PICK!
A Mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz–and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.
Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble … Manhattan.
Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl–a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.
In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover–the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul–who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting’s subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.
A darling of the Austrian aristocracy of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.
As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.
“In her historical series debut, Cambron expertly weaves together multiple plotlines, time lines, and perspectives to produce a poignant tale of the power of love and faith in difficult circumstances. Those interested in stories of survival and the Holocaust, such as Eli Wiesel’s Night, will want to read.” —Library Journal, starred review
”. . . debut novelist Cambron vividly recounts interwoven sagas of heartache and recovery through courage, love, art, and faith.” —Publishers Weekly
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Captivating, evocative, heartbreaking. Sometimes, in the saddest moments of Adele’s story, I could almost hear the weeping violin as she played. But the story is also full of hope, and the mystery of the Auschwitz painting kept me intrigued to the end.
Evocative, haunting, soul searching…
Kudos, Kristy! Your debut is a jewel just as I’d heard. Historical fiction at its best: heartbreaking truth of the horrors of Auschwitz, romance with a musical refrain, art and Faith. A delight.
The author researched the prisoner orchestras who played in Auschwitz as the trains arrived and new batches of Jews and other victims of the Nazis were sent to work or to the gas chambers, and imagined a story about one woman named Adele, a violinist known as “Austria’s Sweetheart.” The book bounces back and forth between present day where art gallery owner Sera James is on the hunt for an original painting of Adele made in the concentration camp, and Adele’s story and how she ended up there. Within Adele’s timeline, the story jumps back and forth between time as well, which adds just a touch of confusion to the narrative.
The romance with Sera and the grandson of a wealthy estate owner with a connection to the painting is a bit fast and flimsy for my tastes, and there was a bit more Christian themes throughout than I was expecting. But I enjoyed this new perspective on a little talked about group of prisoners in the camps — and moreover, that Adele was a prisoner for helping Jews to escape.
I truly loved this story! This was my first read of Kristy’s offerings and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The WWII timeline was breathtaking, tragic, and heartbreaking – but also challenging and convicting. Great story!
Art dealer, Sera James, becomes obsessed by a portrait she remembers from childhood. Her quest to find it leads her to California and the wealthy William Hanover. Though attracted, Sera’s broken heart keeps her distant even as their combined search brings them closer to discovering the story behind the painting. The historical aspects are heart-breaking and inspirational as we watch a young violinist of privilege abandon that life to help Jews escape the Nazis in Austria. Very well written and fulfilling love story.
and 1/2
The Butterfly and the Violin, by Kristy Cambron
Told in a split timeline, The Butterfly and the Violin paints the stories of two women, separated by many decades.
Sera James, who finds and restores art antiques, naturally has a passion for art, but one particular portrait of a violinist from the German death camps obsesses her. Since she saw it as a girl, she has worked to track it down.
William Hanover, heir to a fortune, crosses Sera’s path, but the sparks that fly are not all based in the passions of the heart. He desires to find the original portrait as well.
Adele Von Bron, darling violinist of the philharmonic orchestra in Austria, dares to fly a bit too close to the flame. Undertaking a mission to hide her Jewish friends from the German Gestapo, Adele and her sweetheart from the orchestra, Vladimir, get caught. Adele and Vladimir get separated as they are thrown into train cars and taken to work camps. Will Vladimir ever see his “butterfly” of the orchestra again?
Ending up at Auschwitz, Adele is pooled into a musicians group, which plays when the SS demands. She soon learns to survive. But will she be strong enough to endure through sickness and the all the death around her?
Readers of Christian fiction, Christian historical fiction, and wartime fiction, will enjoy this dramatic novel.
I gave this book four and 1/2 stars instead of five because it seemed similar to other WWII fiction novels I have read. Maybe I’ve just read too many, but the cover of this book attracted me. I found Cambron’s writing and style enjoyable.
This book was on my TBR list for way too long but I finally was able to take the time for it and it was so good. Cambron does a great job with this dual time story, tying the present and the past with a lost piece of art. Stories of the Nazi prison camps are always heartrending and TB&TV is no exception. But along with the heartache the author has blended hope throughout the book–hope of survival, hope of love and the hope in a God who does not abandon us even in the most awful of situations. I will not wait 5 years to read the second book in the Hidden Masterpiece series! I listened to a library copy of the audiobook and Carrington MacDuffie did a wonderful job narrating the story, bringing this captivating story to life.
I was excited to read this book since it had received such great reviews on Amazon. BUT, it just didn’t click with me. Maybe because the characters just seemed very flat to me. Sera couldn’t trust because of one heartbreak; she acted like her fiancé leaving her was a complete surprise which I find very hard to believe – there are always signs. Adele in her sheltered upbringing was shocked at how evil people can be. The whole novel just reiterated over and over again Sera’s distrust and Adele’s shock. I wish the characters weren’t so one dimensional. However, the orchestra at Auschwitz and the art that was created there by the prisoners was something I didn’t know about (and I’ve even toured Auschwitz) and that aspect was very interesting.
Absolutely a fabulous read!
Entertain ing .
i really enjoyed this book I liked how the author went back and forth with a present day story and a story from the past. I haven’t read anything about the holocaust before. It was informative but glad that there wasn’t too much detail on how they were treated. I liked the mystery of what connected the two stories which was well done. I had no idea that there was any art that came out of the holocaust.
This book was hard to put down. The author weaves two stories together, one in the present day with Sera James, an art galkery owner and William Hanover, the leader of a family who may lose their inheiritance if a picture is found. The other is the story of Adele and Vladimir, two musicians who find themselves in Auschwitz for helping Jews during the Nazi reign in Austria. The story moves from the present day to WWIi and some of the people they encounter. It is a story of God’s presence, even in the worst of times. So glad to have read this during the Christmas season.
It was really a book that I learned history from while being told in great fiction! Great story!!
There have been a lot of books written on this time period and the tragic events of Nazi persecution, but this story has a fresh and different perspective. Kept me wondering until the very end.
Great reading and so close to the historic of the world.
Great book by a great author! I have read all of her books and they are all very good.
Hard to forget
Great historical fiction concerning World War 2
What a haunting story! The Butterfly and the Violin will not be forgotten. The two timelines are each fantastic and they’re woven together so well. Do yourself a favor and read this book!
Great and informative book concerning the incarceration and lives of musicians during time of Hitler and his attempt to destroy the Jewish population. A story of over comers. .