It has been a while since I have posted a written review on here but I finally have another for you. This book is called Resilience by Jan Jongstra.
Synopsis: Karl is an unassuming young man in a tiny Polish village in the late 1930s. After tragedy strikes his family, Karl and his mother, Parisian by birth, who taught Karl French and playing classical piano music, decide to travel to Paris, where Karl can fulfill his dream of becoming a classical concert pianist. The voyage to Paris is the start of a long and arduous journey for Karl, driven by his dream of becoming a skilled classical pianist and coloured by tragedy and joy.
I enjoyed this book. It is historical fiction which is not my typical go to genre but I liked learning about Karl and the adversities he faced in the pursuit of his dreams. He wants to be classical concert pianist/composer and works very hard to attain this. He has to leave his home in poland and travel abroad to get the training and mentorship he needs to become sucessful in the world of music and we get to follow along with him during these travels and experience the many different people he encounters along the way.
The relationship between him and his mother is tested as she joins him on these travels and has a heavy influence on the decisions he makes in regards to his career journey and their wellbeing. The book also takes place during World War 2 so that has a huge factor on Karl and what he goes through in the book. It shares a good depiction of PTSD and how that has an impact on someone’s life.
I found the journey to be an interesting one filled with lots of trials and tribulations and enjoyed that it showed the harsh reality of our history but also the goodness that can be found in people during times of struggle.
If you are a fan of historical fiction and classical music, this would be a good book for you.
Book Rating: 3.5
You can find this book on Goodreads and buy it on Amazon.
Disclaimer: I was sent this book by the author to read an give an honest review.
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July was a decent reading month and here are my thoughts on all the books I read in July! Let me know what your favorite July read was in the comments below!
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