Sera
was eight when her grandfather took her to an art gallery
in Paris and she saw the portrait of a young violinist whose
shaved head and numbered tattoo was indicative of a concentration
camp victim. The portrait haunted her ever since. Perhaps,
after being jilted by her fiancé, she identifies with
the pain and hopelessness she sees in the young woman’s
eyes. When William Hanover III sends a copy of the very same
painting to Sera’s gallery on loan, willing to pay her
to find the original, Sera is determined to find the original.
She meets with William, who is liquidating his grandfather’s
estate, and together they work to discover the painting’s
location.
In 1942 Vienna, Adele Von Bron is the daughter of a high-ranking
member of the Third Reich, society’s darling and a young
concert violinist with the Vienna Philharmonic, who has fallen
in love with Vladimir Nicolai, a cellist. Aware he helps smuggle
Jews into Switzerland, Adele asks him to save a family. When
the escape goes horribly wrong, the Gestapo sends Adele to
Auschwitz. Forced to play in a woman’s orchestra, she
witnesses starvation and death, and learns how to fight for
her survival.
The Butterfly and the Violin is a masterfully written,
eloquent testament to the human spirit. Ms. Cambron has skillfully
rendered a depiction of concentration life and a powerful
reminder of the horrors of war, while at the same time provided
a portrayal of the power of faith in the face of death. This
is a tale of the ultimate power of love, with sensitive portrayals
of characters’ emotions and courage. It’s also
a deeply touching and beautiful story that brought tears to
my eyes. It’s definitely the best book I’ve read
all year and one I highly recommend.
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