Hidden Letters of Velta B Author:Gina Ochsner FINALIST FOR THE OREGON BOOK AWARDS?KEN KESEY AWARD FOR FICTION — — ?Intimate, vibrant, and richly colored.??Portland Monthly — ?[An] extraordinary feat of storytelling . . . A spellbinding novel as tough as it is beautiful.? ? Helen Simonson, author of The Summer Before the War — — ?A beautifully spun tale . . . An astonishing alchemy of history... more », romance, and fable.? ?Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Maris was born knowing things: his very large, very special ears enable him to hear the secrets of the dead, as well as the memories that haunt his Latvian hometown. As a boy, Maris finds himself heir to an odd assortment of hidden letters, letters from which he would weave a story that could finally expose?and maybe even patch?the holes in the fabric of his family and their town.
With humor, heart, and her characteristic ?luminous writing [and] affection for her characters? (New York Times), Gina Ochsner creates an intimate, hopeful portrait of a fascinating town in all its complications and charm. From the onset of World War II through the cold shock of independence, we see how, despite years of distrust, a community can come through love and loss to the joy of understanding.
?A captivating novel of secrets, love, and memory . . . This terrific novel knocked me out.? ?Janet Fitch, author of Paint It Black
?A gift on par with Joanne Harris?s Chocolat . . . Quirky, ethereal, hilarious, and sorrowful.? ?Shelf Awareness« less