I'm sad to have finished G. G. Vandagriff's epic historical romance, The Last Waltz, and grateful for the splendid read. What a grand, eye-opening adventure! I feel like I've lived in Austria and Germany since Page 1 and enjoyed every minute of my visit.
This novel of love and war carries messages from which nations today could well take heed. Dangerous politics that produced World Wars I and II also brought immeasurable tragedies to individuals and families.
Along with heartbreaks come selfless heroics, and individual growth. And this to me is the theme of The Last Waltz. One piece of dialogue that stays in my mind is found on Page 206 when the main character, spunky young Amalia, asks her friend Louisa, "And what is the ultimate tragedy, then?" Louisa replies, "To become less than we were born to be."
To quote from the back cover:
"In this gripping tale of love and war, a dazzling young socialite of the old world contends with deeply contradictory notions and personal crises to become a woman who would be extraordinary in any age."
Amalia has to choose between a love so deep it refuses to die, and a different kind of love that holds her heart with loyalties born of sacrifice, devotion, and an iron will.
I highly recommend this book for everyone who enjoys soaking up history in foreign lands and at the same time getting teary-eyed over a wonderful love story. I can well imagine The Last Waltz as a breath-taking movie production that fills movie theaters worldwide.
From the publisher, Shadow Mountain: "The Last Waltz is a culminating work for the author. She started it decades ago during a study abroad in Austria and has been revising and researching it ever since. When she wasn't publishing one of the other half dozen novels she has published, she was working on this historical romance novel."