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A review by thoughtsfromapage
The Silver Music Box by Mina Baites
5.0
4.5 stars
The Silver Music Box is one of the best Kindle First books I have read. I started it this morning when I had a little free time and couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. The book is beautifully written – it was originally written in German and then translated into English so occasionally a turn of phrase or expression is a little unusual but that didn’t impact the story one bit. The tale starts out slowly but really picks up about a third of the way in.
The silver music box is at the heart of the tale. As the book opens in 1914, Johann Blumenthal creates an ornate silver music box for his son Paul so that Paul will remember his father while Johann goes off to fight for Germany in World War 1. The story continues through the decades until the mid-1960’s following Paul and his family members and close friends with the silver music box remaining the thread that ties them all together. At times uplifting and at other times heartbreaking, the story sucked me in until I made it to the very last page.
My favorite part of the book was Lilian’s story, and the path she is lead down when her adoptive parents die. Have tissues handy!! I also liked that a list of characters is included at the front of the book; it is very helpful because there are a lot of people in the book. I also enjoyed the Author’s Note at the end where she discusses her exhaustive research and the facts she altered a bit for the purpose of maintaining the flow of the book. I was happy to learn that one of my favorite characters, August Konrad, was based on a real person – what a pleasant surprise!
The Silver Music Box is a wonderful and heartrending tale that will stay with me for a long time. When I read a story like this one, I can’t help thinking about the extreme divisiveness plaguing the U.S. today and wondering if humans will ever learn.
The Silver Music Box is one of the best Kindle First books I have read. I started it this morning when I had a little free time and couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. The book is beautifully written – it was originally written in German and then translated into English so occasionally a turn of phrase or expression is a little unusual but that didn’t impact the story one bit. The tale starts out slowly but really picks up about a third of the way in.
The silver music box is at the heart of the tale. As the book opens in 1914, Johann Blumenthal creates an ornate silver music box for his son Paul so that Paul will remember his father while Johann goes off to fight for Germany in World War 1. The story continues through the decades until the mid-1960’s following Paul and his family members and close friends with the silver music box remaining the thread that ties them all together. At times uplifting and at other times heartbreaking, the story sucked me in until I made it to the very last page.
My favorite part of the book was Lilian’s story, and the path she is lead down when her adoptive parents die. Have tissues handy!! I also liked that a list of characters is included at the front of the book; it is very helpful because there are a lot of people in the book. I also enjoyed the Author’s Note at the end where she discusses her exhaustive research and the facts she altered a bit for the purpose of maintaining the flow of the book. I was happy to learn that one of my favorite characters, August Konrad, was based on a real person – what a pleasant surprise!
The Silver Music Box is a wonderful and heartrending tale that will stay with me for a long time. When I read a story like this one, I can’t help thinking about the extreme divisiveness plaguing the U.S. today and wondering if humans will ever learn.