The Secret of Clouds

to please; the glassy, sleepy-eyed child; and the one who s perpetually lost in a daydream. But there are those rare moments when a student sits before you and you immediately are certain and you can t know why, it s just a feeling in your bones that they are different.

This child is not to be confused with the student who s the most ambitious, or the one who is naturally strong at taking tests. No, this child, the one you sense is extraordinary, is the one who returns everything you give and more. He or she becomes your beacon, as every word you utter in the classroom suddenly has a destination. It s as if you are teaching toward their light.

In the fall of 1999, I met Yuri, a student who one day would teach me lessons I could never have learned in school. I was young, just two years out of Columbia Teachers College. I had abandoned my first job after graduation as a personal assistant at a well-respected New York City PR firm, where my days had been so demoralizing and brain-sucking that I often thought eating glass might be less painful than spending twelve hours tending to my boss s Godzilla-like needs. Hoping to switch into something that could restore my faith in humanity and also give my life purpose, I followed my mother s suggestion and went back to school for a degree in teaching.

To be honest, I became nearly evangelical in my passion for teaching after I switched careers. The thrill of teaching children is that they don t edit themselves, like adults do. Truth can be found in every classroom, and I savored that purity like a refreshing glass of water. I wanted to be the teacher who read passages out loud to my students, like my own English teacher had done when I was in sixth grade, so we could all hear the music in the words. Deep down, I believed a story could change us, and that if we read it deeply enough, a good book could transform our souls.

It was my second year teaching sixth grade

gently at the heart. Her story stands as a reminder to never take any day for granted. Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Masterpiece

"Alyson Richman weaves an emotionally rich story of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. The Secrets of Clouds will soar off the page and into your heart." Jamie Brenner, national bestselling author of The Husband Hour

"Alyson Richman captures the gift of love for family, and those who feel like family with her pen dipped first in truth, then crystalline tenderness, and finally compassion. The Secret of Clouds immersed me in the world of a teacher s caring, an immigrant family s heroism, and a child s courage. Richman writes like a dream." Randy Susan Meyers, internationally bestselling author of The Widow of Wall Street

In her new novel, Alyson Richman weaves storytelling magic with an extraordinary cast of characters: a compassionate young teacher, a precocious but ailing student, and an immigrant couple with a uniquely tragic past. Readers have come to expect Richman s luscious prose and vivid details, but in The Secret of Clouds, she delivers even more I was thoroughly captivated by this deeply personal tale of perseverance, acceptance, and the heart s capacity for love. Lynda Cohen Loigman, author of The Two-Family House

[A] devastating novel bolstered by Richman s perspective on how teachers and students can learn from each other, resulting in a heartening tale. Publishers Weekly

Praise for the novels of Alyson Richman

A truly beautiful, heartfelt story I couldn t put it down once I started it. Ms. Richman is a very special talent. Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author

Richman deftly weaves fact and fiction to create a carefully wrought story of love, of what the heart chooses to give up, and what it chooses to keep. Karen White, New York Times bestselling author

A book as full of treasures as the Paris apartment that inspired it....A masterful mix of the glamour of the Belle Epoque and the shadows of impending war. Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author

Staggeringly evocative, romantic, heartrending, sensual, and beautifully written. John Lescroart, New York Times bestselling author

If you love graceful, mellifluous writing, you should read this book. Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author 

Grabs your heart and doesn t let go Moving, unforgettable and so expertly told. Sarah Jio, New York Times bestselling author

Lyrical and rich filled with beauty and tragedy, romance and heartbreak. Jillian Cantor, author of Margot