From Ashes to Song

What a beautifully written story this is. It begins in the breathtaking vineyards’ of Italy in 1911 when Pietro is a young man, still not knowing what direction his life is going to take him when disaster strikes. The vines become contaminated and have to be destroyed just weeks before the harvest, and it is all too much for his grandfather to take, and he passes away. Pietro is only left with his music, and a promise to honour his grandfather’s wishes, to follow his music and a new start.


Pietro heads for America, meeting people who will become a massive part of his life and influence his ability to create beautiful music. The story is based on fact but wound around a fictional story where somethings have been changed. It is bursting with larger than life characters, who, on the whole, are good people that help each other out. The only way Pietro can make ends meet is to work down the coal mines in Pennsylvania. Different people he comes across, influence his music, but one woman makes him see every movement as music, but she is married.

It is such an emotional journey reading this book, the hardships and losses from sickness and terrible accidents at the mines. Every day is so incredibly hard for them all, but it always seems to band them together never pull them apart. It is the simple things in the book that made my heart skip and feel so humbled. The way the author describes Pietro’s music made me have goose lumps to the point that I could feel it through the people that listened to him.


It isn’t all sadness, as there is one particular story in the book had had me crying with laughter over some chickens. It is such a gem of a book. The story follows Pietro’s life and those close to him. A superbly crafted story from the heart.

I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.