The Art of Waiting

by Christopher Jory

Russia, 1943. A girl from Leningrad, a soldier from Venice, stand together on the edge of wilderness. He is a shadow of a man, trapped behind wire, an enemy in her land. She takes something from her pocket, slips her hand through the wire, and catches her skin on one of the barbs. Up comes a tiny sphere of blood. 'Have this,' the man takes the gift - a small crust of bread, a little piece of hope. Its memory will keep him alive on his long journey home. And when home again, which way will he tip, which sentiment will be strongest? His quiet love for the girl who saved his life, his unfulfilled desire for vengeance, a burning desire to see Fausto Pozzi finally pay the price for the terrible thing that he has done?

Genres: Historical Fiction, War, Romance

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2015

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of two people – Aldo Gardini, an Italian, and Katerina, a Russian. This novel weaves their story, both together and independently, from the 1920’s up until the early 1950’s. Although they come from very different backgrounds, they meet during the war, when Aldo is taken prisoner by the Russians. One day, Katerina approaches him as he leans against the fence of the camp and passes him a piece of bread. He, in turn, passes her a little wooden fish he has carved. The act of kindness inspires a hope in Aldo which has previously died. Although he can see no life beyond the camp, he is desperate to return to Venice and take vengeance for a terrible act which occurred before the war.

The author creates an evocative and moving story and I liked both the main characters; particularly the street wise and foul mouthed, childhood Katerina. I did feel the storylines did not always merge as well as they, perhaps, could have done. There was one strand about Aldo and his longing for revenge, the background stories of both Aldo and Katerina, side stories about music and ballet, the war itself and then the aftermath. Everything does tie together and I appreciated the fact that there was no mawkish sentimentality in a period of history which certainly has huge themes to explore.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-paced story of love, hate, trust, betrayal, loss and desire (most of all, the desire for revenge). Will the protagonist survive the horrors of the Russian prison camp? Will he ever see his beloved Katerina again? Will he ever avenge his father's death?

The author has clearly researched the historical setting well, as the plot twists and turns amidst the finely portrayed horrors of the Eastern Front and romance of Venice. There's no guessing how the story will end. You have to learn the art of waiting.

[Dannielle Potts · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Much As I Raced Through This Book Because It Kept Me Wanting To Know More, I Could Only Give It 3 Stars Because Of The Ending. I’m Becoming An Avid Fan Of Historical Fiction So This Was A Real Find For Me But Even After Everything The Characters Went Through (Which I’m Sure Parts Of It Were Very Close To Reality For The Time), I Was Left Disappointed About The Ending. I Guess, After It All, I Was Still Hoping For A Happy Ending ..

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a young Italian man and his love for a Russian young lady.
Aldo Gardini has a happy life growing up with his parents. His father owns a restaurant, Casa Luca, that is frequented by the locals however is not patronised by tourists. His business partner Fausto Pozzi wants Luca to upgrade and cater more for tourists in order to boost profits. Luca desists as he is happy with the restaurant as it is.
One day Aldo, his father and some friends go wild boar shooting and Luca sustains a fatal injury. It is thought that Aldo shot Luca accidentally believing he was shooting at a boar. Aldo denies shooting his father insisting that Pozzi fired a second shot, however Aldo is not believed.
With the outbreak of war Aldo is sent to fight on the Russian front. He is captured, sent to a POW camp, escapes and is sent to the Gulag. While at the POW camp he befriends Katerina a Russian girl, who passes morsels of food through the fence. They are instantly attached and vow to be together after the war. He remains in the Gulag for 8 years.
Aldo returns to Venice only to find no family remain and the restaurant is now owned by Pozzi. Determined to reap revenge on the person he believes is his father’s murderer. Revenge and Katerina are the only things that have kept Aldo focused during his time of imprisonment.
Unable to get a job he is forced to live scavenging in bins in order to survive and he is determined to find Katerina.
This story is compelling, horrific with no happy ending.

[Isabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably a good book. I was disappointed as it was not exactly what I expected. I must have misread the synopsis or put too much expectation on the title. But it is a good book about survival, resilience, but also revenge and how useless it is, a book about how it is sometimes hard to find out what the truth is, and a book about is it more important to find out what the truth from the past is, or live in the present and 'move on'...
The book is well written and also shows the power of the mind and how it helped people in camps, survive...

[Fran Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book for mystery lovers...

A tale of unbelievable twists and turns through the wartime of Stalin and Mussolini. A young man follows his heart and his fate as it leads him beyond his homeland and back again. There are ideas and beliefs that pull you through the best and worst of times and Aldo lives to prove it

[KSG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. The author has a real talent for fluid dialogue.

[katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

you know, this book wasn't actually that bad, unlike *ahem* the cover. like i thoroughly kind of enjoyed it. i honestly was very skeptical of it since the the cover wasn't appealing at all and yeah, people say don't judge a book by its cover and stuff but you gotta admit that an ugly cover just throws you off sometimes. so yeah, the cover is pretty ugly lol and the story was set during ww2, or around that time so i just wasn't very excited because books that are set during a war and the war itself is a huge part of the book and plot and characters just aren't my cup of tea. anyways, so this book was kind of good. i mean, i fairly enjoyed reading the events that unfolded, well at least those that had some action you know, those where things are actually happening. i also like the different perspectives kind of, like everything is still third person but katerina and aldo gets their seperate sections for their backstory/background/basic information you know. and i actually really like the plot twist like i was not expecting it at all and it just further proves that no one is like what they seem and what you think they are because everyone has their own story you know. i'm glad everything turned out like how they did at the end to be honest because yeah, katerina and aldo's story was sweet and stuff and they love each other but they're just too different, you know. it's a shame, it really is but they're from like seperate worlds so it's like not meant to be. and i didn't think i would be thinking this because i've always kind of disliked isabella because aldo was literally getting played and led on but then i guess she truly loved him after all. and with aldo, like no matter how good of a person he is, he still commited a crime so it would be wrong for the author to let him live and get away with his crime, you know. but despite all this, i gave the book a 3/5 stars because the writing style just wasn't mine. like it was too slow for my taste and there would be longggggggg descriptions of the war and what everything was like and i know that that was important because this book probably serves as an insight into wars and how they were like but i didn't enjoy those parts, not that i think they were unnecessary, i just didn't like those parts because it made everything too real and vivid and i don't really like to read about wars and stuff. so yeah, there were good parts in the book but the boring, slow parts just kinda outgrow(?) them like they took up so much of the book so the book is a 3 stars in general for me, well 2.75, it's sooo slow

[Isla Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thoughtful read - its got a good mix of description and dialogue and is quite a tear jerker in parts. I also thought it was quite an evocative read - I felt sorry for a number of characters and was keen to discover what became of them as time moved on. Speaking of that, I did feel a little confused by the chronology at times but never the less it was a generally good read and I felt there were some quite important themes covered in the book. It is war based but its not entirely about war as such - it has an allegorical sense to it and I found it quite gripping toward the end. It is a bleak read but its a worthwhile read never the less and as such I'd recommend it.

[Bachyboy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book, beautifully written with tough, believable characters. Aldo, a native Of Venice, is conscripted to fight in Russia and of course is captured. The sections with the prisoner of war and the gulags, are harrowing and awful. It's a complex tale of love, revenge and survival against the odds. Really worth reading.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I just finished it and i’m a bit of a wreck, this book brings you on an emotional roller coaster. The writing is beautiful and well paced and puts you right in the centre of it all. I wish it was more appreciated but i’m glad i found it.

[Wade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a big fan of the writing style. I was half way through and almost stopped reading. I am glad I finished it though. It came together nicely in the last quarter of the book.

[Maragret Oreilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it but was not a fan of the ending

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read, taking us from Venice before the war to Russia with Mussolini's army, then back, all with Aldo, a reluctant conscript - with a diversion into the childhood of the girl from Leningrad with whom he eventually falls in love. Aldo is a likeable, kind character to whom very bad things happened: he suffers rises and falls in fortune and when he brings misfortune on himself it is painful to read. This is not a war book, but the story of an individual and some of the people he meets: I think it's probably a 4.5, as there is something just slightly unsatisfactory about it but I'm not quite sure what it is - my failing, and possibly just my taste. But on the whole a good read.

[Jo-anne Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aldo grows up in a warm, loving family in Venice. His father runs a neighbourhood restaurant and he is an apprentice shipwright. However after a series of mishaps Aldo finds himself fighting in Russia as part of the Italian army in the Second World War. After escaping with a Russian girl he is sent to the Gulags and finally returns to Venice to seek vengeance for old wrongs.

This book is very easy to read and on a superficial level quite enjoyable. The plot rattles along and the writing is simple. However it is neither fish nor fowl, it is neither the sweeping romantic epic that it could be, nor the gritty story of survival and revenge that it might aspire to be. Aldo 19s supposed motivation for revenge is clear but the character, who has been overwhelmingly moral to that point, commits a callous murder with little guilt. I did enjoy the book but it left little impression on me.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've given it 3 stars, but only because it held my interest enough to make me keep reading, although I didn't like the characters at all. I'm not sure if I disliked Katarina or Aldo more, and the only interesting plot line was that of his father's death and finding out what happened. I cannot see that there is a point to this story - it was forgettable for me.

[Laura (Reading is a Doing Word) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started really well, painting likeable characters in Aldo and Katerina. The war is portrayed cleverly, as is the relationship between the soldiers. The end of the novel lacks something however. You're left unsure of the truth of what's happened and wondering what was the point of Aldo's persistence.

[Rachel Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super book with lots of twists and turns - it's true this book is about love but it is much more than that. It's about how war and terrible things shape lives.

[Debbie Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, not a nice book, no fluffy bunnies and happy endings here but an engaging read