Book Club,  Book Review,  Fiction,  Women's Fiction

BOOK REVIEW: The Secret of Clouds by Alyson Richman @alysonrichman @berkleypub #thesecretofclouds #bookbestiessecretofclouds

February 19, 2019 /

Tearfully beautiful and filled with a certain sort of magic that only an inspiring story can deliver, Alyson Richman’s The Secret of Clouds is a book I encourage everyone to open their heaart to. I’m still a bit choked up over this story in a wonderful way. It spoke to the child in me who still remembers that one teacher that really changed my life, and it spoke to the adult in me who knows how special the imaginations of youth are. And it also is just an incredible story about the love of a family, all wrapped up in the connection between teacher and students. Wonderful!

About the Book

From the #1 internationally bestselling author of The Lost Wife and The Velvet Hours comes an emotionally charged story about amother’s love, a teacher’s journey, 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 nativeKiev.  Years later, when the couple has safely emigrated to America,their son, Yuri, will be born with a rare health condition that isolateshim from other children.  When a passionate and dedicated teacher, MaggieTopper, is assigned to tutor Yuri, she finds herself forced to confronther own painful childhood memories.  As the two forge a deep andsoulful connection, Yuri’s boundless curiosity and unique wisdom will inspireMaggie to make difficult changes in her own life.  And she’ll neverrealize just how strong Yuri has made her — until she needs that strength themost.

The Secret of Clouds is a journey of a mother andher son, and a teacher and her student.  A story that will make readersexamine what it means to actually live life with a full heart.

Reflection

When Maggie Topper is first assigned to work with Yuri, achild suffering from a congenital heart defect that prevents him from attendingschool with his peers, she is hesitant to accept. Maggie remembers a friendfrom childhood Ellie who passed away one summer, and she has never reallyrecovered from that heart ache.

But from the moment Maggie meets Yuri, it is so clear that thereis something special about him. I loved seeing Maggie and Yuri get to know oneanother. At first, Maggie doesn’t know how to engage this frail, despondentchild. But eventually her friend and colleague Suzy suggests that kids arehighly perceptive. They know when you are putting on a brave face. Yuri is achild who has never been treated like a real kid due to his condition. As theybond over a shared love of baseball, pizza, and writing, I fell in love withtheir story.

There is also the storyline of Yuri’s parents Katya andSasha, who fled Ukraine for a better life in America. Katya was a ballet dancer,and her quiet grace as a person shined through the pages. She had such fiercelove for Yuri. She was so afraid to let him live, because of her fear of losinghim. Sasha is also a wonderful character. I think readers will be mesmerized bytheir story, and what they had to go through to get an opportunity to livetheir life and provide medical care for Yuri. Heart-warming!

Maggie also has a storyline outside of just her work withYuri that I really enjoyed. I won’t say too much, but I found it to beincredibly authentic and showcased the ups and downs we go through in life, aswell as how our passions can make tough times bearable.

One other non-spoiler thing I loved about this book was the food in it. Maggie’s family is Italian and they show love and caring through food. I found my mouth watering often hearing what Maggie or her mother were cooking, and I loved reading about the meaning of the small acts of preparing a meal. Food is also the first thing that really bonds Maggie and Katya, as Katya explains her own Ukarainian dishes that hold meaning and provide comfort. I found these food traditions to be so wonderful, and they helped these two women connect in a way that words alone could not.

Book Besties Approved

I read this one with the full group of book besties and we really loved it! This story was really touching and filled with love. I encourage you to make sure to read the afterward from the author, where she describes her own inspiration for the book and the title. Many thanks to Berkley for our partner copies. Make sure to read the Bestie reviews:

Berit at Audio Killed the Bookmark
Holly at Dressed to Read
Jennifer at Tarheel Reader
Kendall on Goodreads

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21 Comments

  • carhicks

    March 1, 2019 at 7:03 pm Reply

    Wonderful review Mackenzie, your first line hooked me. This book is right up my alley being a retired educator and spending a lot of time in special education. Thanks for sharing thi sone.

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