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Happy Tuesday! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour celebrating the release of The Secret of Clouds by Alyson Richman! Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the invitation! Stay tuned for information on how to win a copy at the bottom of this post! Alyson Richman is a favorite author of mine, so brace yourselves for lots of gushing! ♥️

About the Book:

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.

My Thoughts:

I can rely on Alyson Richman for an emotionally resonant historical novel, and The Secret of Clouds delivered. At its heart it is two things: a tribute to teachers and love for child. 

Told in two storylines, past and present, the first takes place in Kiev in the 1980s around the time of the disaster at Chernobyl. Katya is a promising ballerina, and Sasha is a graduate student. The two are in love when tragedy strikes. They later have a child, Yuri, born with a health condition due to the after effects of the disaster. 

The present storyline blends a dedicated, loving teacher, Maggie, into the present day with Katya, Sasha, and young Yuri. Requiring a teacher in the home due to his significant health needs, Yuri and Maggie take some time getting to know each other, but when they develop a bond, Maggie draws inspiration from Yuri’s wisdom and zest for life.

Easy-to-read, full of emotion, I was invested wholeheartedly in the characters of The Secret of Clouds. Maggie as a teacher epitomizes most of the teachers I know – selflessly giving their time and love to their students, advocating for their best interests. 

You simply have to read the book to know where the title comes from, and the story behind the “Family Cloud.” The afterword is also not to be missed as Richman describes her inspiration for the book and her thankfulness for the teachers in her and her children’s lives. Overall, The Secret of Clouds was moving and insightful, and I’m grateful I read it. 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. 

About the Author:

Alyson Richman is the author of six historical novels including “The Mask Carver’s Son,” “The Rhythm of Memory (formerly published as Swedish Tango),” The Last Van Gogh,” and three international bestsellers: “The Lost Wife.,” “The Garden of Letters” and “The Velvet Hours.” Her books have been translated into 20 languages. She loves to travel, cook, ride her yellow bicycle, and do ballet. She currently lives in New York with her husband and two children.

Check out these reviews by the other Book Besties:

Berit at Audio Killed the Bookmark

Holly at Dressed to Read

Kendall at Goodreads

Mackenzie at PhDiva

***Book Giveaway***

For a chance to win a copy of The Secret of Clouds, please visit my instagram page!  Giveaway generously sponsored by the publisher. 

Have you read The Secret of Clouds, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR