Overture of Hope, Isabel Vincent
ISBN: 978-1-68451-349-9 (Hardcover 288 pp., $27.99, 2022) Regnery History
For opera fans interested in 20th Century history, here’s an absorbing and ultimately uplifting read, perfect for the Holiday Season.
Overture of Hope tells the true story of Ida and Louise Cook, two British sisters, who were big opera fans in the 1920’s and 30’s. They somehow managed to befriend Austrian conductor Clemens Krauss, who was a favourite of Hitler. Krauss secretly asked the Cook sisters to help save Jewish musicians from certain death during the Third Reich. Through their collaboration with such opera stars as Amelita Galli-Curci, Rosa Ponselle and Elisabeth Rethberg, Ida and Louise Cook managed to help arrange many Jewish musicians out of Austria and Germany to the safety of UK.
Since its publication earlier this fall, this book has received rave reviews by many, including soprano Renee Fleming. It’s an eye opener for me, as I didn’t realize that Krauss was involved in saving Jews – from what I read in the past, he was a Nazi through and through.
The author of Overture of Hope is New York-based Canadian investigative journalist Isabel Vincent, who used to write for the Globe and Mail. Highly recommended.
