Book Review: The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton by Anstey Harris

For fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and The Keeper of Lost Things, The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton by debut author Anstey Harris is the story of a woman who has her heart broken, but then puts it back together again in the most uplifting and exquisite way.

Title: The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton

Author: Anstey Harris

Published: January 10th 2019 by Simon & Schuster

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Blurb: Grace Atherton has fallen out of love... and into life

Between the simple melody of running her violin shop and the full-blown orchestra of her romantic interludes in Paris with David, her devoted partner of eight years, Grace Atherton has always set her life to music.

Her world revolves entirely around David, for Grace’s own secrets have kept everyone else at bay. Until, suddenly and shockingly, one act tips Grace’s life upside down, and the music seems to stop.

It takes a vivacious old man and a straight-talking teenager to kickstart a new chapter for Grace. In the process, she learns that she is not as alone in the world as she had once thought, that no mistake is insurmountable, and that the quiet moments in life can be something to shout about…

Review: I fell completely in love with this novel. The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton is a captivating story about love, disappointment, grief, friendship and above all, music, and how it can change lives. 

Grace is a very interesting and intriguing main character. When we meet her, she is a lonely luthier, whose life revolves around her (mostly unavailable) partner David. From the beginning you can sense that there is so much more to her though. And as you learn more and more about her past, her forgotten dreams and her secrets, you soon realize what a complex and nuanced character she is. 

One of my favourite parts of the story was reading about how Grace builds the instruments in her shop. I found the whole process fascinating and I could actually feel the love that goes into every single one of them. It definitely gave me a greater appreciation for these instruments.

A special mention too for side characters young Nadia and old Mr Williams. They helped Grace when she thought she was really alone in the world. Nadia's hard truths were exactly what Grace needed and Mr Williams' advice and wisdom definitely inspired both Grace and me. 

The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton is a multi-layered and very well crafted story with beautiful writing and characterization. Music is at its core and I definitely recommend listening to the pieces Grace listens to or plays while reading about them. It adds a very special touch to the story and it made me really connect with it. I might have listened to Libertango a few dozens times. This is definitely one of the books to watch out for this year. 

Rating: 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.