Named One of the Best 2019 Winter Books by PopSugar and Chosen as One of 9 Books to Read (or Gift!) This February by Instyle!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 … 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.
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A story of family bonds, heartbreak, healing and hope — one that reminds us it is not how long we live but how well we live that matters most. The tenderly written ending will bring you to tears, but in the best possible way.
A tender, captivating, and ultimately satisfying story about the emotional gifts exchanged between a caring teacher and a student in need. Thank you, Alyson Richman, for another heartrending tale.
In her new novel, Alyson Richman weaves storytelling magic with an extraordinary cast of characters: a compassionate young teacher, a precocious but ailing student, and an immigrant couple with a uniquely tragic past. Readers have come to expect Richman’s luscious prose and vivid details, but in The Secret of Clouds, she delivers even more — I was thoroughly captivated by this deeply personal tale of perseverance, acceptance, and the heart’s capacity for love.
Alyson Richman captures the gift of love — for family, and those who feel like family — with her pen dipped first in truth, then crystalline tenderness, and finally compassion. The Secret of Clouds immersed me in the world of a teacher’s caring, an immigrant family’s heroism, and a child’s courage. Richman writes like a dream.
A heartfelt and luminous novel about how our hearts break and are healed by love.
Alyson Richman never disappoints. Her books are always memorable and move me. This book will connect with those that are teachers, and those that at some time in their life had a teacher that really was memorable. Definitely a 5 star read.
I was interested in this novel because my daughter has taught 8th grade for 15 years and having raised four daughters I have always been grateful for all of the great teachers that my girls had throughout the years. That said I found that this book was a mediocre read for me.
There are two storylines here. The book is written from the point of view of Maggie, the main character in the book. Maggie is a new teacher recently having changed careers having found her work in a PR firm in New York to be a bad fit.
Maggie and her boyfriend Bill have just moved to Long Island to get away from some of the stress of living in the city and they have found a small cottage to call home. Her relationship with Bill is loosely described but we know quite soon that things are going downhill between the two of them. We never get to know Bill’s character well at all but he is pretty much always described in a negative light.
There is a second storyline which is quite interesting and that is of the sick boy’s parents. Katya is a aspiring and quite talented ballerina until an unfortunate accident puts her career on hold. Sasha is a budding scientist and the couple live in Kiev, very interesting times for this area of the Ukraine. Soon conditions in their country deteriorate and with the disaster at Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Sasha convinces Katya to move to the US. Throughout the novel we get some glimpses of what their life was like before they had Yuri, their ill son who has a birth defect which affects his heart and how much exertion he can endure. I wish that their lives had been more well described as I found them to be an interesting couple with a great story to tell. Katya is convinced that Yuri was born with the birth defect because of the nuclear fallout and blames herself.
Moving on, Maggie is asked by the Principal at her school if she will tutor Yuri, she teaches 6th grade English. At first Yuri is shy but she finds that they have a mutual love of baseball and this helps to cement their relationship. Maggie also eventually enlists the aid of one of her other students, Finn, who also loves baseball, and together they make great progress with Yuri. Eventually he attends school one day a week and enjoys the baseball games.
I won’t go into any more of the plot as I don’t want to insert any spoilers. I thought the premise of this book was quite good but really found the writing to be somewhat mediocre and predictable. The reader can pretty much tell what is going to happen next in the book with regards to all of the characters. There really isn’t anything surprising or new that kept me turning pages.
What really lowered this read to a 3* was the ending. It was just so perfect and with quite an unbelievable “happy ending for all” feeling. Things in real life just are never this predictable. I do thank the author for calling attention to teachers and how they use their talents to inspire students.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
I’m only sorry it took me this long to read this book. I met Alyson in Miami at a book event, and what I remember most about her (other than she is elegant and tall) is how she moved me to tears when she spoke of her experiences. She accomplishes the same in this gorgeous book as teacher, Maggie, tutors Yuri, a young boy with a rare health condition.
The moving friendship between Yuri and Maggie portrays the beautiful ways in which teacher and student give to one another. Richman does a brilliant job creating a compelling, unforgettable story of friendship and family that spans from past to present.
This is a book that ALL teachers will want to read, so that means that everyone will want to read it because, after all, we are all teachers in some way. It is the story of a young teacher who wants to make a difference in the life of a boy with a heart condition. Maggie takes on the additional responsibility of home schooling little Yuri, a boy who loves baseball above all things and wants to be able to play, but his heart condition keeps him on the sidelines. His parents, Katya and Sasha are immigrants from Ukraine and were gravely affected by the nuclear accident at Chernobyl. Katya was once a promising ballerina and Sasha is a talented scientist. Both are compelled to seek the best life for Yuri, no matter what the consequences. Throughout many afternoon meetings with Maggie, Yuri discovers that learning can be fun and he begins to write a heartfelt journal about his life’s wish to play baseball and about his life that is mostly on the inside looking out. As a former teacher, I loved this novel and all of the lessons that it teaches. We can make a difference, one child at a time, one family at a time. This book has heart and empathy and teaches about sacrifice and overcoming. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I won a complimentary copy of this book from the author in an online contest. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Loved
Thanks to Penguin Random House and Book Movement for sending copies of The Secret of Clouds for our book club to enjoy. I am providing this review honestly.
I really enjoyed this sweet story of a teacher and her relationship with a student who had health issues. Yuri, the student, taught Maggie, the teacher, many things about life. She grew to really bond with this student, over books, writing, and baseball.
This book also examined other parts of Maggie’s life – her relationship with her parents, her boyfriends, and her co-teachers.
The book was a nice exploration of what it means to live life to the fullest.
However, there were 2 errors in the book that bothered me. One – the author constantly referred to January 1, 2000 as the new millennium. It is not – January 1, 2001 is the new millennium, December 31, 2000 is the end of the century and the old millennium. Many people thought of the change to 2000, especially after the Y2k craze, as the new millennium, but it is not. I am surprised that the editor didn’t catch this and correct it. Two – the author talked about having her friend, Suzie, the art teacher move in with her, but said there was a problem in that the cottage only had one bedroom. Later in the book, she mentions that she converted the second bedroom.
This was a feel good book, with a bit that tugged at the heartstrings, but overall, very well done.
#TheSecretofClouds #AlysonRichman
A lovely book about the bond between teachers and students, how they change each other’s lives in unpredictable ways.
This has been the best book that I’ve read so far this year.
Wrecked…but in a good way. What a wonderful book. Author Alyson Richman tackles heavy topics with a feather soft touch.
Her writing is almost poetic; she manages to keep it lyrical while delving into the emotions of various types of relationships – man/woman; parent/child; friend/friend; teacher/student.
I was definitely left wanting to read more of her books. This one was a 5 star.
The latest powerful story about the difference ONE teacher can make. From one of my favorite authors.
Alyson Richman always delivers an emotion-filled plot that explores the variety of strong ties that bind humans to one another. How do those bonds form? And what can threaten to tear them apart?
Here is the set-up:
Maggie is a twenties-something middle school English teacher who loves her job. There’s nothing that turns her on more than igniting that spark of knowledge in a reluctant child. She’s also just rented the home of her dreams and moved in with her long-standing boyfriend, as an expected prelude to marriage
Nearby, Sasha and Katya are Ukrainian immigrants whose lives revolve around their 11 year old son, Yuri, who was born with a serious heart defect. Yuri turns out to be a bright, sensitive, and curious child with a wisdom well beyond his years. You will LOVE him!
Knowing and respecting her passion for teaching, the school principal asks Maggie to take on some home tutoring responsibilities with Yuri, so he can keep up with his grade level until he is well enough to return to a transitional classroom. And while Maggie approaches the assignment with some hesitancy, the relationship she forms with Yuri soon becomes central to her life.
There are some other wonderful characters, every one of which is fully three-dimensional and adds to the richness of the plot. (Richman simply doesn’t bring in superfluous characters. Even minor ones add depth to your understanding of people.) Maggie’s art teacher-friend, Susie, is a quirky, but steadfast sounding board. The new music teacher seems to have an innate empathy for Yuri’s isolation. Maggie’s Italian-Irish parents are supportive and helpful, often simply by supplying food. And one of Maggie’s other students, Finn, despite his youth, demonstrates the meaning of true friendship.
I won’t offer more about the plot, for fear of spoiling your reading experience. You will learn about Sasha and Katya’s backstory and how the presence of a chronically ill child can impact a loving marriage. You will see how Maggie’s growing attachment to Yuri causes her to question some of her other relationships and encourages her to push Yuri’s parents beyond their comfort zones. And I promise you will cry at least once before the book is over.
I did find what I felt were a few flaws in the novel. There’s a significant jump in time near the end that seemed a bit abrupt, though it gave Richman the opportunity to tie up some loose ends. And explain the title of the book. But overall, my advice is don’t miss this one.
Exquisite and haunting. Richman writes with the soul of a poet, and her captivating new novel enchants while tugging ever so gently at the heart. Her story stands as a reminder to never take any day for granted.
Maggie Topper has moved from New York City to eastern Long Island where she will be teaching English at a middle school. This is a major career change and her first time working at a school. Her move to rural life was also motivated by her desire to live with her long-time boyfriend.
One of her early assignments is to tutor a child who is too ill to attend classes. Yuri Krasny has a congenital heart condition which keeps him home and isolated. He would love to play baseball and engage with other children but his body is too frail for a normal life. Over time Maggie and Yuri form a bond which impacts Maggie beyond the classroom.
The Secret Of Clouds is a story about family, love, and friendship. Alison Richman is a wonderful storyteller whose books always depict rich character development. This book demonstrates the author’s unique talents in interlacing multiple time periods.
Alyson Richman weaves an emotionally rich story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. The Secrets of Clouds will soar off the page and into your heart.
When Maggie, a young middle school English teacher, begins tutoring Yuri, a child with a life threatening heart condition, her life is forever changed. Alternating between 1986 Russia and 1999 Long Island, New York, the story follows Maggie and Yuri as they form a bond while also learning life lessons from each other.
“I wanted to believe that even if Yuri’s weak heart prevented him from ever playing baseball, his mind had no limits. It could still be filled with dreams.”
While reading this sweet, touching and heartwarming story, I could feel love and warmth radiating from its pages. If you have a soft spot in your heart for teaching or for teachers, then you will love it!
“I believed a story could change us, and that if we read it deeply enough, a good book could transform our souls.”
Location: Kiev, Ukraine, Russia and Stony Brook, New York
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
In 1986 a young couple Sasha and Katya are living in Kiev when the Chernobyl accident happened. Sasha was a student and his wife was a ballerina. They left their home and immigrated to America. They have a son in America, Yuri and his heart has a malformation and he needs surgery but it is very risky. His health is declining. Maggie a young teacher is asked by her principal to tutor Yuri at his home. A friendship develops between Maggie and Yuri and his family. At the end of the book, I felt like Yuri became the teacher and Maggie the student. Great book. Touching and thought-provoking.