From Sand and Ash

This book was one of my top five ever. Deeply embedded in my heart. Raw, real and revealing.

The reason I am adding to my five (really ten) stars rating is to make sure there is a one-star review that does tell this book is not clean romance. If someone only wants a clean read this book is not for you. As I read I could see it was not one of those, so skipped over the graphic parts in order to keep reading. Because I only read clean, as in lacking graphic sex scenes, I skipped over the pages I could see were there. I stopped reading to evaluate what the book offered me and chose to keep reading. I felt the story told was gripping and taught so much about melding two religions. I learned about history in Italy and was drawn to the characters and their struggles. Her writing is excellent and there is depth to this book not normally found in my “reading for pleasure.” It is an epic story, more than just a light romance with details thrown in for “interest.”

From Sand and Ash is a harrowing story of love and faith shrouded in death and despair. Amy Harmon brings together the best and the worst of humanity on these pages, paving this journey with violence and bravery, horror and love. It’s a ruthless barrage of emotions, this story, a relentless war between life and death, between good and evil, illustrated exquisitely by an author whose writing prowess knows no bounds. I was torn between eagerly unearthing the twists and turns that would surely come with each turn of the page, and dreading what was to come, dreading this book ending at all. The story of Eva Rosselli and Angelo Bianco is as enchanting as it is chilling. The love they share is forbidden, both by duty and by law. But their attraction, the absolute truth of their lifelong love is a beautiful, palpable thing that consumes the reader despite the horrific circumstances in which that love exists.

I’ve read many books of the true accounts of holocaust survivors, seen the movies and documentaries, taken classes concentrating on this area of study. But never before have I been made to fall in love with an individual, with a couple, with a family, before I took such a horrific journey with them. To feel as though you know their strength, to get to know their life up until the moment it is stolen away, to know their helplessness in the face of something so unjust and so terrifying, it changes the way you look at the world, to see such atrocities through their eyes.This may be a fictionalized account inspired by true events, but you won’t convince my heart Eva and Angelo aren’t real. This story weaves it’s way under your skin and into your soul so you feel every step of their journey, of their fight, of this miracle. It’s both beautiful and tortuous what Amy Harmon does here, but it’s so right. It’s so important. We don’t truly know fear and loss and hopelessness until we take this journey ourselves. Opening this book, turning these pages, moving along with Eva and Angelo is taking the journey ourselves.

This is absolutely a story of survival and love. But, more, From Sand and Ash is a poignant reminder of where we all come from, that no matter where we live or who we pray to or what we believe in, we all come from the same place. We are all made of the same things. We all seek joy, we all look to find purpose. We all love and play and pray and laugh and hope, and we all just want to be understood. Above all else, we just want to be understood. That message screamed at me on every page, in every word. Our world would be such a beautiful, peaceful, harmonious one if we sought to understand each other instead of judging each other for the ways we are different, for the God we pray to, for where each of our trees first took root. The Law of Moses taught me that we should be celebrating our differences instead of being afraid to point them out, to label them. From Sand and Ash takes that sentiment and drives it home in a way that simply can’t be ignored. It’s a brutal demonstration of what comes when we stop trying to understand each other, when we stop trying to relate, when we take what makes us different and use it as a means to divide us, to hurt each other, to push each other away. We need this message. We need this book. We need this reminder that when we refuse to learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat it.

I’m asked often what book has changed my life. I can’t say I’ve ever had a clear answer. I’ve read books I’ve loved, I’ve read books that have made me see things in ways I never have before, I’ve read books I’ll never forget. But From Sand and Ash is a life changing book. This book will change the way you go forward by forcing you to go back. It’ll change your heart, it’ll change your mind, it’ll make you seek to understand rather than condemn. It’ll make you choose to see the good where there seems to be only darkness. It’ll remind you that we’re all the same where it matters, that we’ve all come from the same place regardless of where we’re going. It’ll inspire you to be better. It’ll demand you pay closer attention to the opportunities to do something important. It will humble you, empower you, it’ll strengthen your awareness of your world, your history, your place in it. You can’t read this book and not come away changed.

From Sand and Ash is a rich work of art, a stunning masterpiece that has moved me, altered me, captivated me. It’ll take your breath away, it’ll break your heart in ways it’s never been broken before, it’ll leave you speechless. I was overcome with so much emotion while reading this brutally beautiful story. I was painfully terrified. I was both angered and uplifted, both defeated and empowered, broken yet healed. These characters, this fictionalized truth swathed in Harmon’s unparalleled storytelling and her breathtaking writing style make for an epic story of bravery, love, resilience and loss that is both haunting and heartwarming all at once. As long as I live, I will carry this story with me.

I tried to brace myself for this story. I really did. I knew it would be a tough read and I knew what would eventually happen. But the mark of a great Amy Harmon book is her expertly crafted story that builds so very slowly – she builds you up and up and before you know it youve fallen for her characters and then it happens – the downfall that completely shatters you. I was not prepared for the onslaught of emotions this story brought out in me. There was one point when I just sat and wept over the horrific events that the innocent victims of this senseless war endured. And in true Amy Harmon fashion, she manages to find beauty within the horror, and teaches us lessons in even the ugliest of circumstances.

Amy does not get overly detailed about politics or the war, and everything was broken down into simple facts and explanations. She spared us the gory details and yet still manages to paint such a distinct portrayal of the suffering that took place during this time. The common theme within all of her books is that love and faith conquers all, and how hope and resilience can help you rise above even the most difficult of situations. I think her trademark message has never shined more brightly than it does in From Sand and Ash. Eva & Angelos story is one that I will never ever forget.

I really hope that people give this book a chance. Even if youre not a fan of historical fiction, the message in this book is one that we need to be reminded of. We need to remember the atrocities that happened in Europe during WW2 so that millions did not die in vain, and nothing like this will EVER happen again. Thank you Amy, for honoring the memory of my Jewish ancestors and the millions of others who lived during this awful time in our history.

These are just a few of the dozens of powerful quotes I highlighted. Amys writing has never been better:

In him I have found a slice of the divine, a morsel of peace, and when his lips are on mine, his hands on my skin, there is reason to believe that life is more than pain, more than fear, more than sorrow. I am hopeful for the first time in years. And strangely enough, I find myself convinced that God loves his children all his children that he loves me, and that he provides moments of light and transcendence amid the constant trial.

Many will seek to tell me what Gods will is. But nobody knows. Not really. Because God is quiet. Always. He is quiet, and my anguish is so intense, so incredibly loud, that right now I can only do my will and hope that somehow, it aligns with his.

“Our immortality comes through our children and their children. Through our roots and branches. The family is immortality. And Hitler has destroyed not just branches and roots, but entire family trees, forests. All of them, gone.”

I adored this book. I have read many books and seen many films based on World War 2 and this was up there with the best of them. It was different in that it was based in Italy. Very few of this genre are and I for one learnt a lot about their circumstances that I had no idea about. This author, who is one of my all time favourites, managed to convey the horror of the circumstances while somehow voicing the points of view of many different people from all walks of life involved and from many perspectives. All while still being able to capture the emotion of a beautiful love story. That’s no mean feat!
Obviously well researched and beautifully written, this epic tale is a lesson in human kindness, human wrongs and in why we should never vote fascist narcissists into power. A lesson a scary amount of people appear not to have learnt, despite the unquestionable historic evidence of the devastation it causes.
I’ve loved all of Amy Harmon’s books but think this one is good enough to be made into a film and should be.
I definitely recommend.

This novel, although a fascinating, informative and compelling story, is certainly not a “comfortable” read. We are reminded again, most powerfully, of the incredible depths of depravity that the Nazis were capable of in their determination to rid Europe of the Jewish people. We are also overwhelmed by the bravery of those who fought against this, including many within the Catholic church, and encouraged by the fact that good eventually triumphed over the absolute evil that has marked this terrible time in our history. Set against this background is the poignant love story, fraught with difficulties, between Angelo, an ordained priest, and Eva. The novel is different from some of the others on a similar theme in that it is set in Italy and provides the Italian perspective of the Nazi occupation and the collaboration with Mussolini’s Fascists. The writing is superb, carrying the reader along with events in a roller-coaster ride of emotions. I have read many novels on the theme of World War II but this has to rank amongst the best.

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