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A review by literarychronicles
The Keeper of Secrets by Julie Thomas
5.0
“The violin is a three-dimensional combination of architecture and mathematical precision, unique in the extent of its ability to influence emotion through sound.”
Keeper of Secrets is the story of the journey of a priceless violin across many decades and the best word to describe the book is ‘beautiful’. The story is absolutely beautiful and I am grateful to my friend Kaushalya for recommending it to me.
The violin is a 1742 Guarneri Del Gesu, one of the best violins ever. It was the property of the Horowitz family and the 14 year old Simon Horowitz adored it. But the family lost everything including the violin when Nazis invaded Europe. Simon, his younger brother and his father was sent to the concentration camp in Dachau. Our hero Simon finds unexpected kindness in a Nazi guard and survives the years at the camp.
Generations later, Horowitz family has another 14 year old violinist with a world class talent. At the tender age of 14, Daniel Horowitz even wins an international competition for violinists. Daniel may be the most talented Horowitz ever, but Daniel doesn’t have his grandpa’s famous Guarneri. If Daniel is so good without the Guaneri, how awesome would he be with the Guaneri? Will he ever get to play it?
The violin, held with Germans during the war, passes on to Russians and so on. In Russia, it becomes the loving property of another family called the Valentinos. For more than 60 years, the Valentinos had it and it became their family heirloom. Years later in 2008, the Horowitz see their violin again.
So, to whom does the violin belong? The family who owned it for 150 years or the family who has owned it for the last 65? Both families have suffered huge losses and survived the darkest times in human history and both have enormous emotional attachments to the famous violin.
What will happen to the Violin now? Will the business tycoon Sergei Valentino ever part with his beloved Guarneri he lovingly called Yulena? Will the Horowitz ever get their precious violin back?
To find out the answers, you have to read this heart wrenching story about love, music, horror and survival.
The book was a page turner from the start and is recommended for all readers.
Finally, as Daniel Horowitz says, “This is not so much my story as the story of a German Jew, a Spanish Catholic, a Russian agnostic, and a rather special violin called Yulena.”
P.S. The author has a remarkable knowledge about classical music and violins. :)
Keeper of Secrets is the story of the journey of a priceless violin across many decades and the best word to describe the book is ‘beautiful’. The story is absolutely beautiful and I am grateful to my friend Kaushalya for recommending it to me.
The violin is a 1742 Guarneri Del Gesu, one of the best violins ever. It was the property of the Horowitz family and the 14 year old Simon Horowitz adored it. But the family lost everything including the violin when Nazis invaded Europe. Simon, his younger brother and his father was sent to the concentration camp in Dachau. Our hero Simon finds unexpected kindness in a Nazi guard and survives the years at the camp.
Generations later, Horowitz family has another 14 year old violinist with a world class talent. At the tender age of 14, Daniel Horowitz even wins an international competition for violinists. Daniel may be the most talented Horowitz ever, but Daniel doesn’t have his grandpa’s famous Guarneri. If Daniel is so good without the Guaneri, how awesome would he be with the Guaneri? Will he ever get to play it?
The violin, held with Germans during the war, passes on to Russians and so on. In Russia, it becomes the loving property of another family called the Valentinos. For more than 60 years, the Valentinos had it and it became their family heirloom. Years later in 2008, the Horowitz see their violin again.
So, to whom does the violin belong? The family who owned it for 150 years or the family who has owned it for the last 65? Both families have suffered huge losses and survived the darkest times in human history and both have enormous emotional attachments to the famous violin.
What will happen to the Violin now? Will the business tycoon Sergei Valentino ever part with his beloved Guarneri he lovingly called Yulena? Will the Horowitz ever get their precious violin back?
To find out the answers, you have to read this heart wrenching story about love, music, horror and survival.
The book was a page turner from the start and is recommended for all readers.
Finally, as Daniel Horowitz says, “This is not so much my story as the story of a German Jew, a Spanish Catholic, a Russian agnostic, and a rather special violin called Yulena.”
P.S. The author has a remarkable knowledge about classical music and violins. :)