From Sand and Ash

It's been such a joy to discover Amy's books. She has the uncanny ability to grip hard human strengths and weaknesses. Breaking them down to simpler verbs and nouns, she spins a tale so fearsome and fearless, it fills you with dread and yet doesn't dim the light of hope. I was mesmerized by her skillful prose, emotional dialogues, and honest truths, it was as if she became instrument of God Almighty to bring such a wondrous story to fruition. I fell in love with her first book and my mission is to read all her books and keep hope alive that I shall meet her one day. It's a harrowing and tragic tale of forbidden love surrounded by death and danger. Two kindred spirits, childhood sweethearts standing in the rubble of devastation with their world exploding around them Angelo Bianco and Eva Batsheva Roselli are doomed from the start lovers, or wannabe livers, separated by sense of duty and Law. Church and Synagogue. Catholic and Jew. It's like the odds were always stacked against them and kept getting higher and higher. My name is Batsheva Rosselli, not Eva Bianco, and I am a Jew. Angelo Bianco is not my brother but a priest who wanted only to protect me from the very place I now find myself. This story is about wars and battles. Raging inside human beings and outside in the world in the tragic 1930's and 40's. World has gone crazy, Hitler is on a usurping spree, his greed and appetite growing by the second, his disillusionment and dementia reaching sky and he is racing to achieve Judenrien a Jew-free world. Blinded by rage, ordering elimination of an entire race, his ego crushes any person daring to think about raising any opposition against him or his Fascist party. History shall remember this as the blackest chapter in the history of the world (sounds familiar!) It's like the Panzer tanks, the SS, Reichswaffe, the Gestapo all rolled right through my heart, leaving deep imprints. My whole being just trembled as I read the atrocities committed by the Nazis, lying and playing with Jews as cat plays with mouse. Their chokehold restrictions, stripping Jews from their culture, dignity,banning them from education, jobs,literally wiping out their identities (sounds familiar!) And amidst of it all, a Jew girl falls in love with a Catholic boy and it's the most difficult of a love story as it can possibly be. She tries to hide in her music like her Uncle Felix does and "Babbo" Camille encourages. Music is a door, and the soul escapes through the melody. Even if it’s only for a few minutes. And everyone who listens is freed. Everyone who listens is elevated. Though affluent, Rosellis are in danger. War didn't spare any Jew in Italy in that era. The Jewish people have been stripped of choice. They have been stripped of liberty. They have been stripped of dignity. And they cannot save themselves.” They try and fold unto themselves trying to make themselves invisible and integrate in Italian culture but neighbours turn on neighbours, friends turn friends over and greed overshadows relationships. And churches become safe havens and portals to hide and distribute Jews in safer locations. The church was now in the business of hide-and-seek, and Angelo was the eyes and ears, a young priest with a limp and an affinity for languages, with a special understanding of the Jewish people.he was just another cog in the wheel of clergy who had begun the enormous task of trying to hide the hunted. One legged Priest limping around Rome, trying to save people, bartering for scraps, haggling & negotiating for supplies, food and hiding spaces. In closets, under ground, in crypt, basements, holes in the floors. It was a long way to Rome for a crippled man with a broken heart. This disgusted my senses, how could the world watch just mutely while a Hopping Mad Dictator was going around stomping on people, their culture and race, trying his best to wipe their traces from humankind !!!(SOUNDS FAMILIAR !!). His cronies & Bloodthirsty Sycophants all gathering around him , trying to come up with a Final Solution, herding people into cattle cars and driving them to gas chambers....i wanted to tear up in frustration at every unfortunate soul that perished, every piece of history that was wiped out and I'm jot even a JEW !- India wasn't even effected by Nazis. "It is one thing to kill someone. It is another to degrade and humiliate, to strip away a person’s dignity like stripping away flesh. One made a man a murderer. The other made him a monster. " Even though I've read many many books on WW2, Nazis, the Third Reich. (I was a history major and this was my research paper) I've been obsessed with this historical era ever since I read EXODUS by Léon Uris in 7th grade. This subject still fascinates me. The sheer scale of genocide, the astounding neglect from the rest of the world and then the Allied initiative to oppose it has been a topic of millions of books, movies, documentaries. Like Amy Harmon herself wishes My prayer is that the people of today will know the past so they won’t repeat it. Amen ! A sensitive and yet brutal tale of persistent and tenacious love, threatened and endangered by vicious times, is the most heartbreaking and heartwrenching love story I've read in recent years. The underlying theme of not ignoring your fellow world citizen's hardships ever again, has been poignantly penned by Amy. She's a very sensitive and dexterous writer. Words play in her hands and are brought to life as if it's God's mission. It was her calling to tell the story. HE chose Amy to highlight the sacrifices of Rabbis like Nathan Cassuto, Vatican Monsignors, Jake Priors and many many priests and churches that were instrumental in keeping a race alive. The Third Reich highlights the brutality of unnecessary wars to satisfy an egomaniac lust and let this be a lesson for all in present times, as to what it can lead to. Loss of life, resources,art, history, culture, environment and peace. At such times neutrality is a curse and compliance and cowardice. One cannot and must not stay as a silent spectator. Choose a right side and fight, oppose, rebel, revolt or history will never forgive you and you WILL have to pay the price of being an aider and abetter of Crimes Against Humanity by sheer dissasociation . This war isn’t about two equal but opposing forces who disagree. This war is about right and wrong, good and evil. And evil must be stopped. It will be stopped. And people like you will be caught in the cross fire when that happens.” I'm officially drained and exhausted and I don't want to pick up any other book for a while. THANK YOU Amy for enriching us with such a soulful and heroic book. It must've taken a huge toll on you too, so thank you for your tears, for our tears and tears shed for every victim of Nazi atrocity and racial bias. I loved the fact that it wasn't highly politicised and militarized, but the language was simple and broken down at people level. Even though there's gore and dread, it also has tenacity and resilience. pain and endurance go hand in hand. Hopelessness and hopefulness are juxtaposed. Role reversals of friends and does are miraculous and life saving. Bravery and survivalist Human spirit is celebrated with joy. Death and birth are balancing on thin line of chaos and safety. I loved that though God is silent, HE is definitely not quiet and Miracles DO exist ! . Our immortality comes through our children and their children. Through our roots and our branches. The family is immortality. And Hitler has destroyed not just branches and roots, but entire family trees, forests! All of them, gone. Eva was the only Rosselli left, the only Adler left. As Shoshanna and David Cassuto wrote we were 3 when we arrived in Israel and now we have 82 descendants. Children grandchildren and great-grandchildren. THIS is our answer to those who wanted to destroy us. Our story is a wondrous story of revival of a Nation on it's Land. Tell this story to your kids and tell them to pass it on,generations to generations. This history lesson shouldn't be trapped in pages of books, we should not forget those who perished.

4.5 stars. I've read a lot of historical fiction set during WWII. The locations of some of those books have included England, France, Poland, Germany, and America, but I've never read a book set in Italy. For some reason, this made an old story fresh again. I didn't know what happened in Italy during the war, so the uncertainty as I read this tale was fresh. As law after law was passed and compromise after compromise came, I felt the insidiousness of WWII all over again. When the characters weren't sure whether to flee to Rome or Florence, I didn't know which city was safer. That not knowing made the journey of Eva and Angelo so much more poignant and real. Harmon's writing style in this book is excellent. All of her books have an almost lyrical nature and explore themes of love, fear, faith, hope, forgiveness and friendship in unique ways. This book, though, felt like one of her best. I highlighted so many sentences in this book because they were just so beautifully written. I appreciated the respectful way Harmon explored the Jewish and Catholic faiths through her main characters. There was beauty in them both, and I was awed to read the story of what the Italian Catholic church did during WWII in Italy. They saved 80% of the Jewish population through the bravery of their people. So amazing & humbling. There is a love story here between Eva and Angelo, but I didn't really feel like it was the focus of the book. I thought war and faith were the focus, and Harmon made the war more personal by creating two characters who loved each other and faced unique struggles during the war. The beginning was a little choppy for me as we jumped between years, but it quickly smoothed out and became a wonderful story. I would highly recommend this one.

#1 of 2016 MY TOP READ OF 2016 FROM SAND AND ASH BY THE BRILLIANT AMY HARMON $3.99 +$1.99 for the Audible It has taken me almost a month to write this review...for the simple fact- something as simple as a review can not do this book justice. Because this is my top read of 2016 i'm gonna give it a try, this will be long but hopefully it will make one person purchase and read this story. Many readers are put off by the fact this book takes place in the past and or is a time period piece. I implore you , do not let this hold you back!! Yes many of us are romance readers however if you enjoyed Outlander, The Bronze Horseman, The Thorn Birds, The Nightingale, you will enjoy this book. For those of you who have not read any of the above books I ask you...Has Amy Harmon EVER let you down? From Sand and Ash is an epic life story. A love story of epic proportions. Sometimes love can't dissuade war but love can be found in the depths of it. Eva is a strong girl who grows to be a strong young woman. She and her family befriend Angelo regardless of their religious differences but this too can sometimes have limits. Choices are made during an era when time and feelings can be taken for granted. Despite their religious differences Eva is confident and brave facing her growing feelings for Angelo. She doesn't run from them or push them aside until the decision seems to have been made for her. She finds herself surrounded by devastation, despair, and unbelievable circumstances. Circumstances she can no longer be sheltered from. Angelo, a young man, comes from a Catholic family and though society may feel his options in life are limited (you'll understand when you read the book) Angelo didn't seem to feel limited or restricted. It was part of him but I never once felt he was in need or felt sorry for him. The author does a good job at conveying his abilities and "manliness". He becomes a protector for many. Even though Angelo acknowledges his love for Eva he chooses to join the Catholic church out of his devotion and love of God and family. This is the love he recognizes and knows. Throughout the story readers feel the friendship and or romantic feelings these two yearn for whether together or apart. A relationship which buds during our immaturity in our youth and angst develops into the true meaning. The conflict of devotion and to whom to be devoted is questioned in different relationships throughout the story. Peril surrounds Eva, Angelo, and Italians during this time. Regardless of what I thought I knew from the atrocities of WWII I was not aware of the horrific devastation in Italy during this time. I can not imagine the toll some of the scenes took on the author, my heart literally shattered in many parts of this story. The author writes a well balanced story and it doesn't feel like a history lesson. Throughout the story I asked myself, 'could I do that?' 'would I be that brave?'. This poignant beautiful story is a reminder; we are humanity, we all are part of the same story. Romance, friendship, duty, integrity, grace, bravery, forbidden love, religion, history, sacrifice are all elements found in From Sand and Ash. Once the last page is turned the reader will be overwhelmed, more feelings than one word or thought can describe. The writing is poignant, poetic, layered, and beautiful. Will the beauty of acceptance and love prevail? The beautiful way in which the author crafts her words surrounding the religious aspects of this book alone is brilliant. I know I am a better person and reader for having read this book. A relationship between a reader and an author is a gentle unique one. One that is filled with trust, as books to readers and their reading time is so very precious. To find an author where each book surpasses the last, their craft continues to develop beyond what readers can hope for in a book, and their talent is so diverse no topic is out of reach is quite simply a gift. Amy Harmon is my Boo, my BAE , our relationship , though one sided, is a strong one. I will never read another blurb , teaser, reviews for her future works. They will be one clicked and devoured without question.

Bravo! This was absolutely outstanding! I love Amy Harmon books or any book written by an author who isn't lazy and invest in their stories. Anyone can come up with a romantic Cinderella story, and that's not to say I don't enjoy those as well—but stories like this, I praise. I praise them because the artistry is so deserving of it. As with The Law of Moses, and Making Faces Amy Harmon created another complicated tale that will make you think, fall in love, hate, really really wanna kill someone...you know, the usual. If you haven't plotted a murder, you may wanna rethink your reading content. Lbvs! I like feeling like I'm being educated when I read a book. Originally, reading was meant for learning. She added facts to fiction and created a breathtaking story centered around World War II. It was amazing! As complicated as it seemed at times, it read with ease. It was fluid, factual in parts (I know cause I checked) and simply beautiful. It dived largely into religious beliefs; specifically Judaism and Catholicism. Very detailed about their rituals and practices. It was quite the experience. It also had a strong focus on war, rasism, family and forbidden love. It walked you through the miscarriage of a race of human beings due to ignorant hatred. Made you wish you could rape the pages and somehow thrust yourself in, to be of service. I've experienced only a portion of this kind of hatred first hand, but still, not only understood but empathized with the characters so much it hurt. There was no crusty, overdone love triangles, or insignificant arguing or fighting to ignite a over detailed love scene that share similarities with every other romance.*Insert blow job, rough sex, dirty talk and angsty pettiness* There was, however, a meaningful story that will stay with you long after the final page. At its roots, it was simply a love story between Eva and Angelo—who had every reason not to be together but loved each other still. Angelo Bianco immigrated to Italy after the death of his mother to stay with his extended family, not related by blood. There he me the beautiful Jewish Eva Rosselli. They were adolescents when they met, determined to become family but fell in love instead. Angelo wanted (or so he thought) to become a priest, feeling the need to obey his father's instructions about not being a burden. Eva, forever Jewish and ridiculously carefree, tried to loosen up the shy newcomer. As time passed and their feelings grew, so did the country's hatred for Jews. His joining of the seminary and her being Jewish, along with laughably outrageous laws, began to make their love seem an impossibility. Struggling to survive the harshest of circumstances, they clung to each other for hope, while Angelo struggled to resist his love for Eva and trying to hold relentlessly to his faith. He wavered between the two and found himself questioning everything he believed in. Would he give up his beliefs to be with the woman he's always loved? You'll have to read and see. I couldn't imagine spoiling such a poetic read. My heart fills so full right now. The issues in this book weigh heavy on my spirit. I think this is so beautiful, the story and the writing. It's is a story for mature readers and also ones who can live without having the entire plot being based on romance. It has that too but there's a more urgent story being told. One that has been forgotten, one that is tragic. It's told with honesty and necessity. It's powerful. I loved it...obviously:)

So. It has officially been over a month since I finished From Sand and Ash. 35 days later and I still don’t have the ability to put together words that will do this one justice. I’ve tried a few different times but today I have run out of time, so what you’re going to get is a bunch of my ramblings and you’ll just have to deal. In 2013 I read my first Amy Harmon book, A Different Blue. I remember reading it on the plane ride to Jamaica and being so in love with the writing and the story but more importantly sitting there in awe of how much time the author must have put into making the story perfect. There was so much history woven into the book in a way that was just perfect and never overbearing. I didn’t think any book would ever blow me away again like that one did. Since then, I have read every single one of Amy’s books and every one blew me away in one way or another. Whether it was the unique characters, the history lessons or the incredible “aha!” moments she always seems to get me with. Most importantly she continued to amaze me with her ability to step out of her box and try something new and then completely hit it out of the park as though she had been writing that genre since the day she was born. From Sand and Ash is no exception to any of these things. It is literally the most incredible story I have ever read and I can’t wait for the world to get their hands on it. Amy Harmon put her heart and soul into this story and it showcases every single bit of what makes her the best of the best. For me, this book is like A Different Blue in that it has a TON of history wound through it all and I truly appreciated every single bit of it. Sure, I know about the holocaust and how awful it was. I read The Diary of Anne Frank as a young girl and it will forever stick with me. I’ve seen documentaries, TV shows, and movies and I’ve read what the history books tell us. None of those things have ever impacted me like this story. This work of “fiction” taught me more truths about the ugliness that was than all of those other things combined. Without giving anything away, I will just quickly say that this book answered a question I have had most of my life. I always wondered how people could have just sit by and let this stuff happen right in front of their eyes. This book showed me just how wrong I was and how many people did play a part in saving lives. It showed me the involvement of the Catholic Church which I truly never knew a thing about and it warmed my heart in a way I can’t explain. This book isn’t all about history lessons though, please don’t get me wrong. It is a beautiful story of love, loss, friendship, family, bravery, selflessness, heroism, war, evil and so much more. It truly has everything anyone would want in a story and I just know that this one will touch the hearts of so many different people. Most importantly, the ever-present theme of faith and the power or prayer will hit home with people through all walks of life. Amy’s ability to show how alike we really all are despite our differences is one of the things I love most about her stories. At the very least, I will say that this story ripped my heart into pieces and then put it back together again more times than I can count. I was a ball of anxiety for much of it. I laughed. I cried. And then I cried some more. When I read the last line I saw there and sobbed for quite a while. Literally, the tears wouldn’t stop. Then I moved on to talk to my friends that had read it. And then I cried some more. This story will stick with me forever and I know it will for many others too. I truly hope you will pick up this story even if Historical Romance isn’t usually your cup of tea. I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying the writing, the lessons, the characters and every other bit of it. Infinite Stars for From Sand and Ash, a story more beautiful than the rest from one of the most amazing authors this world has to offer. Thank you for sharing your light with us, Amy. We are all better because of it.

“Life is like a long note; it persists without variance, without wavering. There is no cessation in sound or pause in tempo. It continues on, and we must master it or it will master us.” . Wow, what a gripping story! No matter how many times I read about World War II and the atrocities of the Holocaust, I can never really quite fathom how humans can treat other humans so despicably. . This story is about Eva and Angelo. Eva is an Italian Jew and Angelo is a Roman Catholic who eventually becomes a priest. Even though their love is forbidden, it persists from their childhood and strengthens during the war. From Sand and Ash takes place in Florence and Rome and gives a look into how the war played out in Italy. I especially like reading this PoV as I gravitate toward anything with an Italian setting and about the Italian people. I appreciated this perspective very much. . I enjoyed Eva and Angelo's chemistry. I found the individual characters and their romance to be very compelling and I was cheering for them from beginning to end. I also enjoyed the many themes in this book, but especially humanization and a delve into how and why humans can treat each other in the manner they did during the war and the Holocaust. Additionally, the writing is beautiful. Amy Harmon has so many beautiful and thought-provoking lines in this book! . If you enjoy historical fiction, romance, and lyrical writing, read this book right now! :)

-Very powerfully written story taking place before and during WWII in Italy. Where many books written describing the Holocaust take place in one of the countries taken over by the Germans, the campaign against the Jews was very different in Italy. Though Italy was an ally of Germany in the beginning of the war, they didn’t subscribe to the same level of persecution against the Jews, though there was oppression. But it was the chaos within Italy as Italy fell to the Allies that caused real havoc within the country, as the Germans now invaded and forced their ideology on the people. -Taking actual events as the basis of her story, the author builds on the fact that, where about 20% of the Jews of Europe survived, about 80% of the Jews of Italy survived because of the courage of the Church and many Italians. It’s a very interesting look into history as details are revealed of the efforts by so many Italian citizens to protect the Jews at the risk, and at times, the sacrifice of their own lives. -This well written and suspenseful story is centered around two people. Eva Roselli, a Jewess, whose father owned a very large glass factory in the Florence area, and Angelo Bianco, a Catholic who was the grandson of a husband and wife who worked and lived in the premises of the Rosellis. Angelo was born in the United States, in New Jersey, but was sent back to Italy to live with his grandparents when his mother died. -Angelo was 2 years older than Eva, but due to an accident during his birth, he lost a foot and had to wear a prosthetic device on his leg. Because of his disability, his father had persuaded him to become a priest and when he returned to Italy, he entered the Church. Despite this, he always had a love for Eva and she for him and it became a major cause of tension in their relationship throughout the story. -When Italy entered the war, there were a series of prohibitions against the Jews, as in Germany, and the feelings of outrage by the Roselli family, who were wealthy and prominent citizens, is very well portrayed. Eva’s father had no choice, though, but to transfer ownership in their home and business to other non Jews who they trusted. -Eva’s father, hearing that his own father was taken by the Nazi’s in Austria, went there himself under a false name but he was taken by the Germans and was never seen again. Eva was now alone and the story proceeds to the chaos within the country which now was devoid of law and order as the Italian government collapsed and Germany moved in. It now became a struggle to survive. At the same time, the attempts by so many Italians to protect the Jewish population that are being hunted by the SS is now focused on, as the church officials, including Angelo, must now do what they can to stop the Germans from rounding up the Jews. -The story builds in tension as Eva must pretend that she’s Angelo’s sister, and is then hired by a German officer to work in his office. She risks the discovery that she’s a Jewess, as she tries to now use her position to get information on the German plans to capture the Jews that are in hiding. -Enjoyable, though the religious ramifications of a Jew and Catholic ending up together is not something that’s delved into and it’s also not something that I’m comfortable with. Despite that, the story line, the tight writing and dialogue, all contribute to a very good story.

Captivating story line, beautiful love story during the worst of times, historically accurate, simply spellbinding. This is my second Amy Harmon book. The first was A Girl Called Sampson, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Sand and Ash was, although hard to believe, better than the first A.H. read--it really spoke to me. A Girl Called Sampson is set in the time frame of the Revolutionary War. The setting for this book is European World War II era. I am a post WW II era baby and am more familiar with that era--my father and three uncles served in WW II. My parents married following the war. I was born late 1940s. I grew up hearing stories of my Dad's and multiple uncles' experiences and memories, that is, the stories they were willing to share. There were, as expected stories they declined to share, usually the case for those directly involved in warfare. This author captures human emotion with skill and authenticity. Sand and Ash and A Girl Called Sampson immediately pulled me in and immersed me in the stories of her characters. The women in both books pulled at my heartstrings and I quickly connected with the characters. FS&A is more than a love story; it is also a history lesson that depicts the resilence of the human spirit despite the horrors of war. I highly recommend this book and this author. After two winners in a row I look forward to more of Ms. Harmon's hard-to-put-down heart-rending stories. I am also a writer, mostly short stories. As such, I am definitely critical of fellow authors and I appreciate excellence in writing. Amy Harmon is my new favorite contemporary author. Keep giving us great historical novels, Ms. Harmon! And thank you for your riveting stories that cause me to lose sleep and ignore my boring household chores. LOL