Publication: 10th January 2019 – Simon & Schuster UK
For fans of The Keeper of Lost Things, The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton is the story of a woman who has her heart broken, but then puts it back together again in the most uplifting and exquisite way.
Between the simple melody of running her violin shop and the full-blown orchestra of her romantic interludes in Paris with David, her devoted partner of eight years, Grace Atherton has always set her life to music.
Her world revolves entirely around David, for Grace’s own secrets have kept everyone else at bay. Until, suddenly and shockingly, one act tips Grace’s life upside down, and the music seems to stop.
It takes a vivacious old man and a straight-talking teenager to kickstart a new chapter for Grace. In the process, she learns that she is not as alone in the world as she had once thought, that no mistake is insurmountable, and that the quiet moments in life can be something to shout about …
I first read THE TRUTHS AND TRIUMPHS OF GRACE ATHERTON back in November and I couldn’t have chosen a better book to start my 2019 reading list. It is such a beautiful and captivating novel. I read it in two days and I loved every single page.
Grace Atherton is such a fascinating and well-crafted character and I liked her very much, even in her lowest moments. A former music prodigy, a cellist who was thrown out of music school for reasons that are slowly revealed, Grace now owns her violin shop where she makes and repairs string instruments. She has no family left and she spends most of her time between her shop, with her music, and Paris, where she consumes her eight-year-old affair with David, a married man with children. David has promised her that he will leave his wife as soon as his children grow up so that they can start their own family and, while she waits, Grace crafts a flawless cello to enter the Cremona Triennale Competition in Italy and to prove to the world, but especially to herself, that she can still play the cello.
A shocking event brings to light the truth about her relationship with David and forces Grace to face both her past and her future, but it also makes her realize that she is not alone, as she finds comfort in her friendship with two people: Nadia, a troubled teenager who works part-time at her shop, and Mr. Williams, an older customer who helps her through a difficult time in her life. I loved these two characters. Nadia is bold, sassy, funny, she says everything that goes through her mind, and she is much wiser than she seems. Mr. Williams is kind, generous, and considered, always full of good advice. Anstey Harris created a cast of lovable, vividly-drawn, and relatable characters. Grace, Nadia, and Mr. Williams are well-developed and completely different from each other, they are all hiding something, they are all suffering, but they find solace and resolution in their unlikely and beautiful friendship.
Set between a small town in England, Paris, and Cremona in Italy, THE TRUTHS AND TRIUMPHS OF GRACE ATHERTON is a moving, heart-warming, and riveting story and I found myself completely immersed in it and I’d like to thank Sara-Jade and Simon and Schuster UK for providing me with an early copy and giving me the chance to read this remarkable and captivating novel.
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