And the Violin Cried - Susan Joy ClarkSamantha Andrews is a sixth grade Christian girl who is best friends with a Jewish violin player, Annie Rosenberg, also a sixth grader. A group of boys, who call themselves the Black Knights, do a series of anti-Semitic and bullying acts in school, affecting Annie and her older brother David, including breaking Annie's heirloom violin which dates back to Holocaust times in Hungary. Samantha and her family have an opportunity to show Christian love to Annie and David.
1 comment:
Although lebelled as a youth novel, many adults have enjoyed reading this book. The characters are well-developed, and various chapters tell the story from the viewpoint of various characters. So you get inside their heads and empathize with them. I felt that I couldn't put the book down from the time I finished the first chapter.
The chapters involving the Jewish family's experiences during the Holocaust seemed like a historical novel because of its connection to real historical figures and events.
The author treats the tensions between the Jewish and Christian faiths, as well as between orthodox and liberal Jewry, with great sensitivity and respect. A careless remark by a well-meaning Christian and a gang of juvenile boys who dabble in antisemitism create situations that not only strain the friendship between the Jewish and Christian families, testing their faith, but also causes one of the gang members to question where his gang activities are taking him.
This novel has an exciting and gripping plot, but beyond that, it makes you think about how one's faith should guide you through life's trying circumstances, and how to communicate your faith honestly and kindly to others.
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