Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Feb 2019
368 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
From the #1 international bestselling author of The Lost Wife and The Velvet Hours comes an emotionally charged story about a mother's love, a teacher's promise, and a child's heart...
Katya, a rising ballerina, and Sasha, a graduate student, are young and in love when an unexpected tragedy befalls their native Kiev. Years later, after the couple has safely emigrated to America the consequences of this incident cause their son, Yuri, to be born with a rare health condition that isolates him from other children. Maggie, a passionate and dedicated teacher agrees to tutor Yuri at his home, even though she is haunted by her own painful childhood memories. As the two forge a deep and soulful connection, Yuri's boundless curiosity and unique wisdom inspires Maggie to make difficult changes in her own life. And she'll never realize just how strong Yuri has made her - until she needs that strength the most...
A novel that will make readers examine what it means to live life with a full heart.
"Devastating...this tear-jerker is bolstered by Richman's perspective on how teachers and students can learn from each other, resulting in a heartening tale." - Publishers Weekly
"In a change from the historical fiction of her previous works, Richman (The Lost Wife) writes a captivating and heartrending contemporary novel of making unexpected friendships and living life to its fullest." - Library Journal
"With lyrical writing and a compelling story, and featuring discussion topics and even recipes, this book is tailor-made for book groups. " - Booklist
"Long renowned as a master of historical fiction, Alyson Richman spreads her wings and soars with the contemporary story…The Secret of Clouds is an unforgettable gift." - Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale
"A story of family bonds, heartbreak, healing and hope - one that reminds us it is not how long we live but how well we live that matters most. The tenderly written ending will bring you to tears, but in the best possible way." - Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours
"A tender, captivating, and ultimately satisfying story about the emotional gifts exchanged between a caring teacher and a student in need. Thank you, Alyson Richman, for another heartrending tale." - Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
"Exquisite and haunting. Richman writes with the soul of a poet, and her captivating new novel enchants while tugging ever so gently at the heart. Her story stands as a reminder to never take any day for granted." - Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Masterpiece
"Alyson Richman weaves an emotionally rich story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. The Secrets of Clouds will soar off the page and into your heart." - Jamie Brenner, national bestselling author of The Husband Hour
"Alyson Richman captures the gift of love - for family, and those who feel like family - with her pen dipped first in truth, then crystalline tenderness, and finally compassion. The Secret of Clouds immersed me in the world of a teacher's caring, an immigrant family's heroism, and a child's courage. Richman writes like a dream." - Randy Susan Meyers, internationally bestselling author of The Widow of Wall Street
This information about The Secret of Clouds was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Alyson Richman is the international bestselling author of The Velvet Hours, The Garden of Letters, The Lost Wife, The Last Van Gogh, The Rhythm of Memory, The Mask Carver's Son, and Grand Central. She lives on Long Island, New York, with her husband and two children.
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