Julie's Review: The Secrets of Clouds

Author: Alyson Richman
Series: None
Publication Date: February 19, 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 384
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Tear-Jerker that will make you want to reach out to your teachers
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: 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... ~amazon.com 

Review: We all have those teachers that hold a special place in our hearts but what we perhaps might not be aware of is how we impacted their lives as well. The Secret of Clouds tells the story of Maggie and Yuri, teacher and student and how each of them impacted the other's life. 

After a few unhappy years working in a PR job, Maggie went back to school and got her teaching degree. Now in her 2nd year of teaching, her Principal has a special assignment for her, being an English tutor to a boy who is unable to attend school. Maggie is excited to pass her love of English to Yuri but she finds an apprehensive kid during their first few sessions. It isn't until she finds out that Yuri has a deep love for the Yankees and baseball that they start to connect. It isn't until Yuri starts to open up in his journal that they start to understand each other. 

What happens is the blossoming of a wonderful friendship between a student and teacher. Knowing Yuri has open Maggie up to things that she might have passed on before and having her as his advocate allows him make friends and try to be like any other kid his age.

This book will touch your heart and soul, if it doesn't then do you have either of them? It will make you cry and make you laugh. It is about hope, love, sacrifice and loss. All of those things and our experience with them, shape our lives.

I would definitely recommend this one to anyone.


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