The Violinist and the Ballerina

by Angelin Sydney

The instant their eyes met Cathy's well-constructed world almost fell apart. She recognised him instantly, though she doubted he did. Later he realised, she was the same Cathy Goodes he had taunted, tormented, and relentlessly bullied for two years until she moved to a different school. Is forgiveness possible? Can love still blossom?

67 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2017

Reviews

[Baroness · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not the story I imagined it was…

[_candyreads]

this was such a short yet beautiful book. I’ve been in a slump lately, and short books like this reminds me as to why I love literature. The dynamic between the characters were lovely, the brief introduction of cultures such as the Filipino culture also made my heart feel more warm, since as a Filipino, no matter where we are located, our endearments to the people we love and cherish couldn’t beat the affection we vicariously share through our love for food and relationships. The book also made mention of Chinese culture and how Chinese families go about marriages and heirs. It had mentions of their own family business as well.


Other than that, this short book strengthened my love for ballet and the violin. It’s a beautiful combination, music and dance, and I am always interested in books that tackle ballet or even contemporary.



Although I did get quite confused with the names because they weren’t introduced (?) early on and were described as characters more often, it was quite a hassle for me to learn their names (for instance the name of the two eldest sisters. They were mentioned a few times in the start, but I only got to know their names a little while after.) I think it’s also because I personally struggle with remembering names haha, but it’s just something to consider!

Besides that, I don’t often give ratings, but if you want a short book to read if you have the time, I recommend picking this up :)

[Sohini De · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Violinist and the Ballerina is a simple yet heartwarming story of two different individuals whose path coincides, bringing them together. Amidst the blooming love story between Jonah and Cathy, the story highlights certain sensitive issues with subtlety.
This book takes a dig at how parents often push children to pursue business or science overlooking the real creative interests of the kids. Success is measured by the numeric values of the grades, and a monotonic pressure to secure high scores coupled with a competition with peers become the primary reasons for stress. Another delicate issue that the book brings forth is the persistence of male chauvinism amongst orthodox families. Many families, till date, look down upon their female kids. But as a reader, it is commendable how Angelin Sydney has loosely threaded around these subjects with care and reflected the consequences of these actions on the children's mind.
Pick up the book on a chilled winter morning over coffee, and learn more about Jonah and Cathy, and their lives. For me, it was a perfect quick read, with a feel-good effect.

[Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the author is right when she states less is more. This was an extremely beautiful romantic story and it wasn’t as long as the other novels I’ve read before but it was just as good. It starts off with something that Jonah did years ago to Cathy and he apologizes later. It’s still traumatic to Cathy and it is hard for her to want to talk to him because to be honest, who would? But she finds it in herself to forgive him because it is clearly shown how terrible he feels for what he did and love comes into play and makes the story even more beautiful. The story is about forgiveness, remorse, friendship, and of course, love. It is amazing in every aspect and with the special added touch of having music and dance included just makes it so much better.

[The Endless Unread · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice, short and sweet story. Short but as with each and every book that this author puts out her obvious passion shows through.

I love the fact that she does stories to make you feel better about life in general after reading it. Her books are highly universal that a wide range of people will love reading her books over and over again.