';A beautifully spun tale' set in a tiny town in Latvia';an astonishing alchemy of history, 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, he finds himself heir to an odd assortment of hidden letters, from which he would weave a story that could finally exposeand maybe even patchthe holes in the fabric of his family and their town. With humor, heart, and her characteristic ';luminous writing [and] affection for her characters,' 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 (The New York Times). A finalist for the Oregon Book Awards Ken Kesey Award for Fiction, The Hidden Letters of Velta B. is ';a captivating novel of secrets, love, and memory…This terrific novel knocked me out' (Janet Fitch, author of Paint It Black). ';Intimate, vibrant, and richly colored.' Portland Monthly ';A gift on par with Joanne Harris's Chocolat…Quirky, ethereal, hilarious, and sorrowful.' Shelf Awareness ';[An] extraordinary feat of storytelling…A spellbinding novel as tough as it is beautiful.' Helen Simonson, author of The Summer Before the War
