A brief interlude playing violin in junior school confirmed to my parents and ALL of our neighbours that I was not a musical prodigy - unless screechy, jumpy versions of Twinkle Twinkle are a sign of greatness?
Despite that, I have always had a secret hankering to play the ‘cello, which lives on to this day. I can’t explain why, I just do (thankfully, for our current neighbours, we neither have the room nor the money for me to get one).
In her book, The Truths And Triumphs of Grace Atherton, Anstey Harris describes her character playing the cello in such a way I could almost hear the notes floating off the page.
It stirred something within me - and just as Grace loses herself in music, I lost myself in reading this book.
Here’s the thing, though, I avoided it for weeks for one reason; the publishers included the line ‘For fans of Eleanor Oliphant’.
Such comparisons do not do books any favours, in my humble opinion.
However, I kept seeing more and more hype (and I really liked the blurb) and eventually my curiosity got the better of me.
It’s not like Eleanor (I have yet to find a book that matches up) but I did enjoy it.
Anstey has a lovely writing style, bringing places and people to life. Even with some more technical parts about playing and making instruments, I felt the story moved along smoothly, with some surprises along the way to keep it interesting.
If you look at other reviews you will find a mixed bag for this book but it's a solid four from me.

I loved this book. It is a very enjoyable and thought-provoking read, and not the straightforward romantic story I expected it to be.
The relationship between Grace and her man David is complicated, and not just because they live on opposite sides of the English Channel.
Grace is a talented maker of stringed instruments, and also a very talented musician. The intriguing glimpse the reader has into the world of instrument making, and the connection with world-class musicians, is fascinating. This aspect of it encouraged me to revisit and enjoy some music pieces I’d not listened to in a long time
The damage done to Grace’s confidence in her own musical ability, and in her social interaction, has been desperately damaged by the relentless bullying she suffered at the hands of her tutor when she was studying music at university.
The unlikely friendships which develop between Grace, her teenage Saturday girl Nadia, and her 80 year old neighbour, Mr Williams is beautifully described, as the friendships are nurtured and grow in strength. Their Increasing reliance on each other is mostly due to the adversities that they each encounter throughout the story.
This story has several different layers, each one gradually revealed as the book progresses. The writing is seamless, and a joy to read. Grace’s story has a gentle, timeless quality, despite describing occasional use of mobile phones, which is necessary to the storyline.
This was a refreshingly different story, I will seek out more of this author’s work. I highly recommended this book.
My thanks to Netgalley and publisher Simon &Schuster UK Ltd for my advance copy.

Well,for the first third or so I was hugely irritated by Grace and David.Grace for being so gullible and David for being a dick.There was an awful lot of talk about music and I wasn't hugely captivated However,it all goes Pete Tong between Grave and David(thank god!) and then I much more enjoyed the book.It takes a lot for me to go from being 'meh' about a book to really wanting to finish it.Yes,a little predictable,but utterly charming overall.

I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton'. A heart-warming story of friendship interwoven with the delights of music too. Despite various challenges, Grace goes on to ultimately triumph in her complicated personal and professional life. A lovely book to curl up with in front of the fire on a wet Sunday.

I always find it dangerous when publishers say things like "If you liked that, then you'll love this", because invariably it's not actually true and they're obviously just trying to push their new title. I've mentioned this in other blogs, where a thriller has been dubbed 'the new Gone Girl' or 'if you loved Girl on a train', etc. With this book, it was 'for fans of Eleanor Oliphant'. Now, I absolutely loved Eleanor Oliphant, I mean, the whole world loved her. She was the first of her kind and that was why we loved it. Just because another book is about a single woman with a few problems, does not make her Eleanor. The publisher may even try to copy the title style by using the character's name in the title, but come on. Give your author the individuality they deserve.

This is one reason I didn't like this book. I felt let down and slightly cross by the comparison. The main reason though is that I just didn't like Grace. She's having an affair with a married man, and she thinks he's going to give it all up to be with her. Her whole life seems to revolve around him (aside from her other passion - her cello, and her job as crafting and mending broken string instruments). By the way, why is there not a cello on the cover? That is a bigger passion for her than her life in Paris with her lover. I didn't like David the lover, I didn't like Nadia her assistant - how can such a classicist have such an awful temperament and rowdy social life? I got bored with the details of the cello making. The only person I liked was Mr Williams, the elderly customer who had become a friend. He seemed to be the only normal person in the story. I understand the comparison of her cello with her love life, how she cared for it and took love and attention over crafting a beautiful thing - it's how she dreamt of her life with David. Then when things went wrong with the relationship, so it was duplicated with the incident with the instruments.

The outcome is obvious, the story rather dull. Gosh, I've been rather awful here, but I just didn't like it.

If I could give this 3.5 stars I would. Firstly, I enjoyed it. It’s not highbrow but sometimes that’s exactly what you want in a book. I liked the musical detail and I did feel I learned something about the ‘cello - though that’s probably by the by. At times I was a bit frustrated by Grace and her gullibility- her total belief in David was naive to say the least and I spent quite a bit of time waiting for the other shoe to drop,. The competition was a great climax and though not entirely believable was nonetheless enjoyable.
Altogether a great piece of escapism.

Unique and unusual storyline in the world of the Cello! I enjoyed learning about something completely new and loved the descriptions around playing and building the instruments. Grace is an extreme introvert that has still managed to build a fairly good life - her own moderately successful business building violins, a dashing considerate lover and lots of independence. Digging a bit deeper we discover a trauma in her youth which led her to sacrifice her love of playing the Cello and her lover is actually a married man.
The story feels original and interesting and the unfolds at a good pace. We journey with Grace through some of her worst and best moments, feeling like we are part of her world.

There are so many rave reviews online that I feel that this was simply not the story for me. I could not relate to Grace but it would appear that many others warmed to her. I do think that Anstey Harris is a wonderful writer. Every part of her story was clear, beautifully written and there was not a thread left untied by the end, making for a satisfying read overall. The descriptions of music and the creation of instruments are where Harris really shines and at times it was as if you were there with Grace, feeling the curve of the cello and the vibration of the strings. I felt that the story ended just as Grace came into her own and gained the agency she had been lacking for most of the book. But, perhaps this means there will be a follow up where she see this new Grace take control of her life and continue to grow?

A beautifully written book about music, love, betrayal and unlikely allies helping Grace put the pieces of her broken life back together. The writing style meant I could vividly visualise the scenes, feel the emotions that the characters were feeling and even hear the music in my mind, making it a truly remarkable book.

It would have been a 5 star rating if it was not for the fact that her relationship with David annoyed me a bit too much. I have little sympathy for a mistress who is prepared to wait in the wings for 8 years, in the hope that her man will eventually leave his family. However, once he was out of the picture, it became an uplifting and heartwarming read and I loved the 'vivacious old man' and the 'straight talking teenager' who empowered Grace to become the strong woman she was always meant to be. I'd like to read more about the three of them in the future. 4.5/5

I loved this book, it grabbed me from the start. And once I reached the last third, I couldn't put it down. The unlikely but believable friendship and bond between Mr Willians, Nadia and Grace, is lovely.

Harris evokes the rich tones of the cello through her story telling and creates a warmth that leaves the reader willing Grace on.

Lovely.

A love story centred around Grace who is a cello/ violin maker and her lover David who is married.A well written book and I loved reading about Classical music,cells and violins.
Would definitely read more books by this author.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

A story of love and deceit which is a gentle read. This novel was very well written with great descriptions and good characters. It wasn’t the usual romance or chic lit, I learnt a lot about how to make a cello ! Was sorry when it finished .

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for providing me with a free copy of this book for an honest review.
I picked this book thinking it would be like Jojo Moye's writing as I do enjoy her work, however, this is not a good comparison. That being said, I enjoyed this book. I had it finished in two sittings; I thought it was so good that I could not put it down. Despite not being to relate to the main character, I don't have a musical bone in my body, she was written in such a way that kept me interested throughout he book. I liked the idea that she was a flawed character pining after something she couldn't have.

Overall, I loved the book, and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Hovering at the literary end of the commercial fiction spectrum this was an easy pleasure of a read. A strong (although she doesn’t realise it for some time) female protagonist kept me turning the pages eager to find out how she was going to deal with the demise of the relationship that had defined her adult life and even though it wasn’t entirely unpredictable I cared about the sensitively drawn characters and very much wanted to know what happened to them. It was nice to see a range of ages represented and the music element added an interesting dimension to the story. Well put together - I really enjoyed it.

This story of love and music is very hard to review. I absolutely adore the music weaving through the book, the descriptions of the settings and the fascinating world of instrument creation. I was enthralled by it and have spent my afternoon searching the internet for more information, pictures and performances. Not many books inspire me this way.

What I really didn't enjoy was the somewhat spineless main character, the disjointed narrative and most of all, the inaccuracies that kept jarring me right out of the book. Things like character inconsistencies, when mock exams are sat, how scans are performed and fertility investigated, and hospitals releasing unconscious patients to near strangers. Lots of little things that bugged me more and more as they added up.

The writing is good and I was really moved by some of the imagery surrounding the music and Harris really brought the places in her novel to life. And the music, that will stay with me for a while.

Love and friendships lost and found through music

A beautiful story, full of music and romance. Grace and David are long-term lovers, spending much of their brief time in Paris, city of romance. Grace's passion for David has survived although despite his marriage. Then they witness an incident on the Metro. David's bravery and the publicity surrounding it changes their lives.

Grace is a cello and violin maker with her own shop in London. She is also a gifted player but only ever plays her beloved cello in private. David and Nadia, her young Saturday assistant, have arranged for her to enter the prestigious Cremona instrument maker's competition. The story as to why she never plays in public is intertwined with results of both the Metro incident and her competition entry, making for a fascinating, up and down romantic storyline.

As Grace's story unfolds, you sympathise with her situation. You wish her happiness and success. Her friends Nadia and Mr Williams play an important in this. The musical theme of the book is a delight. The descriptions of concerts and musical events should appeal to anyone who's ever been to a concert, belongs to a choir or enjoys listening to music. Even if you're not particularly musical, the story is powerful and satisfying with a pleasing ending and an interesting cast of characters. For fans of Amanda Prowse and anyone who's ever been in love.

I loved the passion that I found between the pages of this book, the reality of the characters and the complexities of Grace. I loved the way its written and the way in which feelings and situations are described. It was so raw and real! Before I read this book, I didn't know anything about instruments and it was lovely to learn about violins and cellos here.

I didn't think the book was similar to Eleanor Oliphant's story but it was a very nice read and I'd love to see what Anstey Harris decides to write next.

This book tells the tale of Grace Atherton, a talented cellist who no longer has the confidence to play in front of anyone. Instead she works as a luthier, pouring her love and energy into the instruments she makes and repairs. She divides her time between home and Paris, where her boyfriend has a flat, but as the novel progresses we discover that this relationship is not as straight forward as it first appears. Grace must face her past and the truth about her present life in order to become her true self.

Grace is supported by her two friends: there is the teenage Nadia who both knows and speaks her mind and the wonderful Mr Williams, who declares himself to be 80, although his passport may reveal otherwise. If only we all had a Mr Williams in our lives, to provide unconditional support and good food, however messy life gets. The development of these two characters continues to the end of the story, and through their ability to make the best of a situation, Grace learns to step forward into her new life.

I found this book immediately engaging and enjoyable, but initially wondered if it would be somewhat underwhelming. From about half way through, however, I was completely hooked. There were a couple of moments which made me gasp out loud and from then I couldn’t put the book down.

I thoroughly recommend this book. It takes you to Paris and Cremona, allows you to delve into a musician’s world, and leaves you with the feeling that it is worth getting up each day and moving forward because wonderful things may be just around the corner.

I almost gave up on this book as I don't like reading about women who knowingly sleep with other women's husbands. But I am so glad that I stuck with it as it is so much more than a tale of adultery. It's a love story - the love of music, of Paris, of a particular man, and of many other people too, and It becomes a story about love of self. The details about music and the making of instruments was fascinating, I like a book where I learn something I wouldn't otherwise know about. It was a rocky ride for Grace but the ending was rewarding if frustrating as I did not want to leave Grace, Nadia and Mr Williams. Definitely one to recommend to friends.

<i>The Truths and Triumphs</i> was such a good weekend read! It is sweet and heartwarming if - and only if - you can get past Grace's relationship. The genuine friendship that develops between Grace, Nadia and Mr Williams is utterly adorable - they support each other and help each other not only heal, but to grow. Cross-generational friendships are a beautiful, pure thing and it was lovely to see the way this trio developed across this novel.

The plot was a bit predictable, but honestly you want it to be! The adventures, the journey they go on, it is all meaningful to those characters and the voice of Grace throughout is one you want to root for.

This book has made me want to go to Cremona, and it did make me read all day :)

______

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advance copy in return for an honest review. This review will also be posted on Instagram @JesikasBookshelf and at goodreads.com/jesikasbookshelf.