Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for this ARC! This is the second Alyson Richman novel that I have read and I think it's safe to say that her books are a guaranteed good read. At first, I will admit I was disappointed that this was not a historical fiction like her other novels, and she was writing about a topic that I thought might bore me (baseball). I was wrong! Richman masterfully weaves in the story of Sasha & Katya and how the Chernobyl nuclear disaster may have affected their son Yuri. I read this in two days and I look forward to reading her other books.

All the feels & the stars for Queen Jodi’s latest. Another timely book that’s not afraid to tackle tough subjects with her traditional flair.

One thing I love about Jodi's books (and I've read every single one) is that she's never afraid of any subject. From gay marriage/childbirth, school shootings, cord blood babies, wrongful birth and more, she addresses these subjects with tremendous amounts of research which radiates through the story without coming off as a reference book. The characters are always the heart of Picoult's books and A Spark of Light has a ton of memorable ones. In Spark, Picoult takes a risk using a backwards timeline but it pays off here and adds a new element to an emotionally charged story - a gunman has taken an abortion clinic hostage. Leading the hostage negotiations is Hugh, who unbeknownst to his fellow police officers, has a daughter and sister inside the clinic.

With twists that only Picoult could think of but never feel pulled out of nowhere, characters that will stay with you for years and topics that will make you want to question your own values, A Spark of Light is everything I've come to know and love from a Jodi Picoult novel.

Thank you to Random House for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own

"I believed a story could change us, ...read it deeply enough, a good book could transform our souls."

Principal asks teacher to tutor a needy, sick student in English Art
Teacher has buried story; like anyone, it can only remain so long
Student was born with a heart defect, too weak to attend school. He needs tutoring at his house
to keep him on grade level. So, the two meet.

After a rocky and silent start, the teacher finds a pathway through to him with baseball.
Shoeless Joe and Field of Dreams are a home run for this young fan at heart.

Good baseball = good times

Changes occur: promises, milestones, and surprises

This book made me want to hug some teachers of mine. I highly recommend it

It’s a sweet story about the important connection great teachers can make with their pupils and the things remembered long past graduation.

Maggie is a language arts teacher, tutoring a young boy who is too ill to come to school. As Maggie develops a close relationship with Yuri, we get to understand his parents’ reasons for coming to America from the Ukraine. Richman does well with developing the story of understanding and hope between student and teacher. I think the early relationship with Bill did nothing to enhance the story and could have been left out to leave more time with the growing relationship between Daniel and Maggie. Teaching is most successful when honest connections are made, and Maggie exemplified this. Recommended.

What an amazing author! Alyson Richman is hugely talented and as I said about Pam Jenoff above, I will read anything she writes. I cannot speak highly enough of Alyson’s previous novels. If you haven’t read The Lost Wife then stop whatever it is you are doing and get it right now.

The Secret of Clouds is her new novel and it offers the reader sympathetic characters, an emotional storyline and of course, top-notch writing.



Check it out:

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..

I am eager to start this novel, it’s on my Kindle and ready to read this weekend. I have cleared my schedule and will be reading all day tomorrow and probably Sunday too. Due out on February 26th, you can pre-order now.

The cover of this book is beautiful and the great news is that the story within this cover is even more beautiful. It's a wonderful story with characters that I quickly loved and cheered for while I was reading. It's an emotional and heart warming story about teachers and how they strive to teach and encourage their students. As I read it, I thought about several teachers who did the same for me.

This novel is about the lives of two main characters - Maggie a 6th grade language arts teacher whose goal as a teacher is to help her students get excited about learning. She is asked by the principal at her school to tutor a student who is unable to attend school due to a heart problem. She agrees and starts visiting Yuri two days per week. At first he is very resistant to her but she begins to connect with him through his love of the NY Yankees and they have a wonderful relationship. The other story line is about Katya, Yuri's mother. The family has emigrated from Kiev where Katya was a ballet dancer but now her main focus is on her son's health.

The story is not just about a teacher's love of teaching but also about teachers realizing that they can also learn from their students if they just listen. It's a story about hope and love and family. It's a wonderful story with characters that will stay in my mind long after the last page.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This book is like a warm blanket on a cold day. The characters come to life and become friends, you feel their hopes, their joys, and their fears.. In this novel, Alyson Richman has captured the joy of teaching as well as the heartaches that go along with it. Cozy up and read this book.

This is an exquisitely written, heart-felt story about a a promising and dedicated young teacher who is involved in the life of a young family. They had suffered an unspeakable tragedy in their homeland of Kiev and now, in the US, their child is being tutored at home. A bond is formed between the teacher and young boy., and then another tragedy occurs, which, in the end, gives the teacher courage to make changes in her own life. Have lots of kleenex!

The Secret of Clouds had moments filled with sadness and the compassion of Maggie Topper towards her at-home student Yuri was honorable. It was, to me, a predictable story.