The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton

"'They believe in the coup de foudre,' he said, 'the lightning bolt. The French say that it will hit everyone once in a lifetime. It could be someone you see on the other side of the street, maybe only one time, and never even speak to. It could be when you're a child or seconds before you die.'"



The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton by Anstey Harris is quite literally the best romance book I've read all year.

Grace Atherton is a mistress; but not the generic kind. Her partner of eight years, David, is married to a human rights lawyer, they have an agreement to stay friends for their kids, but take their sexual relationships elsewhere. In between romantic intervals to France, where David lives with his children, Grace runs a violin shop, with her Saturday girl Nadia, and loyal clientele like Mr Williams. This unlikely trio helps Grace build her confidence to play the cello in public again after it had been unceremoniously shattered during music college in her teens.

This book was compared to Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and I completely see why. Both Grace Atherton and Eleanor Oliphant are lonely characters. Yet, how can they feel lonely when they don't know what they're missing out on? I saw the similarities and I loved this book for it. They are two unlikely heroines; both worthy of public admiration.

The side characters are to be loved, also. Nadia is a well thought out, three dimensional seventeen year old harbouring secrets of her own. Whilst Mr Williams is a profound and caring character, that is full of glittering dialogue, capable of bringing tears to the eyes of even the most critical of readers. They were a joy to read about and I was so deeply emotionally invested in them I would have climbed inside the story if I could. (Although if such a thing was possible I would do it after I passed by O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts at Hogwarts.)

I loved this book, I have read the entire thing and I will definitely be purchasing this when it is published 10th January 2019.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I still can’t quite get over how much I loved this book. As in read it from end to end and lost a Sunday in the process, loved it. And that was made all the better because I didn’t expect to even like it very much. The Eleanor Oliphant parallels put me off, and I expected heavy music analogies that I wouldn’t be able to follow. Instead I discovered a beautiful story, highly evocative in its descriptive style, and a heroine in Grace who is contrastingly high in EQ. It’s a story about triumph, strong women and relationships in an incredibly real, relatable way. Grace reacts to her story’s twists and turns in such a believable way, and I as the reader, felt them in a very visceral way. Thought-provoking but incredibly easy to read, I enjoyed this book more than anything I’ve read in a very long time.

Grace is worthy of the time you will spend with her and such a great character!

Harris takes us on a gentle but complex and uplifting emotional ride. Her descriptions were beautiful, without being too twee.

The narrative is pleasing and enjoyable, a great feel-good read.

Love this one!

In this novel about shared partners, Grace is a wonderful character who believes she's found the love of her life with one drawback - he's married to someone else. Life goes on and Grace runs her cello making and instrument repair business with the help of a teenage prodigy and a courteous old man until the music stops suddenly and everything Grace holds dear is destroyed. The writing is engaging and the themes are handled well. I really enjoyed this book and I definitely would recommend it wholeheartedly. I would also recommend that readers listen to Libertango in various incarnations before reading "Grace".

A really enjoyable read with a fully fleshed out and appealing protagonist and immersion into a world and industry that I had never encountered before. A little bit predictable at times, and the ending was incredibly neat and a bit too good to be true. But I really enjoyed it.

The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton is a heartbreakingly, beautiful tale about relationships, the resilience of love, and the acceptance of loss all set to the backdrop of romantic cities and the arts.

Grace, a former musician with a traumatic musical schooling experience, enjoys a quiet life repairing instruments in a small English town. After a chance meeting a man named David, Grace and David are mad for each other and enjoy a long-distance relationship. One casual day while waiting for the Paris Metro, David performs a heroic act that catapults him to social media hero status which then turns the spotlight on his life. This turn of events showcased to Grace that things are other than what they seem. Leaning on unlikely acquaintances who become close friends, Grace attempts to unravel the truth while also attempting to live her life the best she can.

I enjoyed reading The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton. It was very well-written with well-developed characters. It wasn’t a typical love story but instead lent itself more to love, joy and happiness being partaken in many different forms. I’d really like to see what Grace does next; crossing my fingers that there will be a book two.

I received an advanced review copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I chose this book as I quite liked the description, a romantic story in Paris with violins and music? Sounds lovely. Although the book didn't grip me straight away, I got into it pretty quick and by the end, I loved it.

But the thing I loved most, was the way Ms Harris describes. I felt like I was right there in Paris with Grace and David, I was nestled in amongst the music lovers in Cremona, I was along side Grace in her Violin shop.

The story was quite beautiful, but the character who stole my heart wasn't Grace as you might expect, but Mr Williams. I'd actually love to read more and see where the characters have ended up.

A well written and hypnotic book showcasing a story that is captivating, powerful and one that reveals the real and ugly nature of life and love. This story doesn't leap out from the pages but instead sees you quietly observe Grace's journey in a hauntingly raw manner as you witness the layers of her character peel away revealing an honest and broken soul in desperate need of repair. Only on the edge of losing everything can a person begin to heal and repair producing a story of courage and brutal honesty that leaves you championing Grace on from the sidelines.

I particularly enjoyed the unlikely friendship between Grace, Nadia and Mr Williams creating an odd dynamic to the book that is both unexpected and enjoyable. There's a steady rhythm to the flow of this book that glides like the bow across a cello creating a piece of work that feels artistic in merit and execution. Grace as a character, in all her flawed glory, has stayed with me since finishing this book which I feel is a testament to the power of the writing and I am very much looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I loved this book. Graces story is so beautifully written and the beautiful places the story is set in add to it. I loved the theme of music and musical instruments throughout. This is a story about love, friendship and friends. It is also about living life to the full and realising your own self worth. It is a wonderful book that I would definitely recommend and will remember.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

What an inspiring book, Grace Atherton is about to find the people she can rely on. A great read about pulling yourself up from rock bottom and putting yourself back together again . A fascinating insight into the art of creating musical instruments and music, family and hope.

This is a wonderful music filled book. Gracie is passionately in love with David but her life as a musical instrument maker and repairer is turned upside down when a good deed by David thrusts him into an unwanted public spotlight. Gracie is knocked sideways by the truth revealed about David. She is lucky to be supported by an old friend and a young employee. We are lucky to be on this journey with Gracie. I loved the music part of it even though I am not a classical music fan. It's a lovely story.

This is just a lovely book where you get to know Grace and her struggles in life and throughout the book she hits a low (very low) only to overcome them in a satisfying way. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and completed it in two sittings. Just wonderful.

A FABULOUS rollercoaster of emotions really enjoyed this book can highly recommend
Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book. Such a great, easy read with a wonderful story of love, sacrifice, and heartache. ❤️

An emotional and heartbreaking story about realising how wrong someone is for you, how important your friends are and how big dreams can come true. Sweet and cosy, loved it. (I also learned lots about instruments that I didn’t know!)

A beautiful book that will earn its place at the top of the New Year's book lists. For music lovers - 'a must' but less musically literate readers like me will be enthralled with what starts out to read as a romance set in a world of music, but becomes so much more.
Grace Atherton has so much love to give and for eight years has given it selflessly to David, her married lover, rushing to his Paris apartment whenever he calls and savouring the time and attention he ekes out to her. Having seen herself as a complete failure after being thrown out of music college she has invested everything in her deep love of David. When a drama catapults their affair into the headlines, Grace loses all hope of a future with him and slides into deep, angry despair. It is the intervention of an unlikely duo, her spikey, swearing 17 year old Saturday shop assistant Nadia, together with the gay eighty plus year old kindly Mr Williams, who show Grace that life can be good and that happiness abounds if you know where to look.
Harris's prose is beautiful. I have not used the words 'life affirming' before in a book review but I do now. The three major characters are utterly believable. Even David, the charmer, is so well written that he charms the reader for a time, but Anstey Harris gives life even to minor characters, enabling them, in a few words, to jump off the page and live. I heartily recommend 'The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton'..

I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t stop reading it! It’s a really well-written, warm and uplifting novel and, in my opinion, deserves to be a big success. The three main characters, Grace, Mr Williams and Nadia, are appealing and easy to relate to. There are some heart-stopping moments where I had to put the book down and recover(!) but ultimately this is such a rewarding novel and I will definitely be buying it for friends and recommending it. I loved the world of classical music in which the book is set and enjoyed reading about Grace’s work, which is to make and restore stringed instruments. The author sets a scene very well so I felt I was there, in Grace’s violin shop, in Paris, in Cremona, wherever she decided to take us. I won’t forget the wonderful friendship between spiky, talented Nadia, kind, wise Mr Williams and warm-hearted Grace, who makes mistakes like everyone else but is courageous enough to put them right. One of the best, most emotional books I have read in a long time.

If you loved the Keeper of Lost Things and Elinor Olliphant is Completely. Fine you will thoroughly enjoy this book too.
A powerful tale of an extremely bright woman who finally sees what can be achieved and how to change your life. I found it quite emotional because I could really relate to the characters. The characters are delightful and I look forward to reading more books by this wonderful author.

This is a lovely gentle book. Apart from an heroic rescue from the tracks of the metro, nothing dramatic or earth shattering happens. Instead we can enjoy a beautifully written and thoughtful love story. The characters are sympathetic and finely drawn; the story is credible and sensitive.
A peaceful, worthwhile read.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

This book starts as a love story. The author has created very strong characters who are living in their own bubble of romance. He is married,she isn,t. (Grace and David).They meet often in his Paris apartment. This romantic idyll is challenged when he assists a woman who has fallen onto the tracks of the Paris metro. As a result his picture is in all the newspapers and social medial The author then takes us on the journey that wends its way through emotional turmoil as well as some stark revelations. Other characters are brought to life in the book. These are the people who know Grace through her work as a cello and violin maker. They all have a story that is intricately woven into the events that happen. I really had a sense of these characters lives and how they had coped with their own different life events.

I enjoyed the book tremendously, especially as it developed and demonstrated how Grace managed to turn her life around. Without her friends though it could have been a different story!

My only criticism was the ending. Somehow it didn't seem to have a great deal of substance in contrast to the rest of the book where substance and detail had sat comfortably with the story.

A good read though!

I adored this book, literally binge read it as was addicted from the beginning. I drew many parallels from Grace Atherton, trusting and loving the wrong people, not letting the right people in, and blaming the past for the actions of the present. The story unfolds as Grace opens up to those who deserve her trust and love and a life she should have been living unfolds. I cried for her and with her, laughed for her and with her, had such feelings of pride for her and her true friends. A truly inspirational story.

This was a wonderful book, beautifully written, with great characters. I loved them all - well, all but one. I never give any details of the story in a review, as you can get that from the fly leaf or on Amazon, and maybe knowing that the making of musical instruments plays a large part could put some people off - but please don’t let it.
I haven’t enjoyed a book so much for quite a while and didn’t want to put it down - and when I had to, I couldn’t wait to get back to it.
The story and writing seem quite stilted and stylised as first, but that’s just setting the scene. If you don’t read this book, you’ll miss something quite special.

I loved this book. So much so that I've gone to sleep later than I should have done several days this week.
It wasn't quite what I expected; Grace's relationship surprised me for a start, and the music. I love books where you can feel music in their soul, where you want to look up the music referenced, which really bring out the character of the instruments (I loved the Piano Shop on the Left Bank for this very reason).
The book is effectively the story of before and after a key event in Grace's life (as alluded to in the abstract). There are a couple of shocking moments for any music lovers, but I love how the story unfolds, how the characters develop and gel together. The book risked a fairy tale ending, but thankfully the author resisted this, going for a much more satisfying alternative. I'd definitely recommend this as much as Eleanor Oliphant (and the Piano Shop on the Left Bank which I now want to reread!).

This book is a real gem of a find! It tells the tale of a lost soul who finally finds her way out of the mist to start living again. But of course she has to hit rock bottom before that can happen...

Beautifully written, the chapters are hardly noticed as the text flows so easily between them. The musicality also jumps out and hits you so much that I ended up listening to Bach, Shostakovich and Vivaldi to fill me with essence of the book. The description of the most amazing string instruments is just lovely, such attention to detail.

I loved it and I'm sure I won't be the only one. This is going to be a huge bestseller and deservedly so.

I loved 'The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton'. I was swept up by Grace's story from the start and enjoyed watching her blossom as she rebuilds her life after hitting rock bottom. The musical elements add richness and depth to the story and the redemption of the other characters in her unlikely trio ( troubled but brilliant teenager Nadia, and kind but lonely Mr Williams) makes the book triply satisfying.

Music and books are my favourite things in all the world and the two come together beautifully, with an intricately woven plot and characters nothing short of delightful. The friendships cultivated between people from completely different backgrounds is heartening, plus I now have a whole new playlist of gorgeous cello tunes to remind me of this lovely novel - though I rather suspect I’ll be reading it again at some time in the future. Definitely one for the bookcase! I loved it.

Absolutely loved this book. A story of doomed romance, but so much more. The author words describing Grace's violin shop were so descriptive I felt I was there. The explanations of violin making were captivating, as were her references to music. The author had really done her homework.
The friendship that blossomed between the three characters as the story developed was very pleasing.
This book is different to Eleanor Oliphant in many ways but it gives the reader the same kind of satisfaction.

My thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton.
After a life-changing incident in her youth, Grace shuts herself away with her cello, to practice constantly, convinced she is capable of finding the sweet-spot of sound she knows the cello can achieve. In her adult life, she is a solitary woman with few friends, but after a chance meeting at a party, begins a relationship with David who becomes the love of her life. Unfortunately, David is married, although has an arrangement with his wife that even though they agree their marriage is over they will remain friends for the sake of their children. Grace's story shows just how easy it is to be bowled over by someone who is a pathological liar and who believes his own lies. Grace comes across as a lovely caring person, but rather naive, and willing to take things on face value David flits in and out of her life like a moth, only inviting her to Paris when the time is right for him. She clearly adores him and believes that one day they will be together. But things with David are not as he would have her believe. The characters in this amazing story are so well drawn I could see them. Nadia and Maurice Williams are a complete joy, and the ending is extremely satisfying. I couldn't put this one down.

Than you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to download this book. What a wonderful read, I was hooked from the first page. Anstey Harris tells a story that we can all belive is true, its about love, betrayal and true friendship. I was engrossed and moved by the writing in this book, even when reading brutal passages about Grace's life, the writing was calm, beautiful and uplifting. To be rescued from your way of life by an old man and a young girl and thrown back into living life to the full was a heartwarming read. I also learned a lot about string instruments but in an interesting informative fashion. i would recommend this book wholeheartedly.

The publisher’s comparison to Eleanor Oliphant is unfortunate, for although Grace is damaged in her own way, she’s not so socially out there as Eleanor. Eleanor is uniquely Eleanor, and I felt it did a disservice to her and to Grace to compare the two.

A novel I will reread, for I read it too fast to follow the plot. I didn’t like the few long descriptions about the technical aspects of music, but warmed to Grace and her life as a loner with a passion for music. Her descriptions of the love she and David share are sweet but poignant, for the reader can see all the compromises she makes as the mistress to a married man. How she eventually finds herself makes for an enjoyable read.

This book is great! The character of Grace really draws you in and makes you feel warmly and empathetically towards her. It's not a typical girl romantic 'happy ending' but that possibly makes it more enjoyable, you feel Grace is surrounded by the people that she deserves to be. There are also strong lessons in female friendship and valuing other women as well as looking after and believing in ourselves.

I raced through this absolutely beautiful book and highly recommend it. A story of relationships not only between people but also with music, I loved the writing and characterisation and didn't want this book to end. Following Grace as she negotiates her complex love life and powerful relationship with music, the book skips in time to show us Grace's teenage years at music college and the difficulties she faced there that have followed her throughout her life. Thank you so much NetGalley for the chance to read this wonderful book.

This is a truly beautifully crafted book. The writing is evocative, sympathetic and yet not in any way mawkish. The characters gradually build up as the story unfolds.
Grace is one of those people who exists in a vacuum, focussed on working hard at her luthier business, assisted by the lovely Nadia with whom we empathise, finding her way through a difficult life at age 17.
Nicola's lover David, a married man, comes across as self centred and egotistic, but charming nevertheless. As indeed does the sweet elderly gentleman , Mr Williams, who plays a much bigger part in the story than we first expect.
The story has many twists and turns, dwelling on relationships ,forgiveness and new beginnings.. The writing is super. I didn't want the book to end,
Thanks to Net Galley for a review copy.