Romance, political unrest, war, and love that stands the test of time are the main themes in The Last Waltz by G.G. Vandagriff. The main character, Amalia, is thwarted by love many times throughout this novel that spans four decades of her life. Her social standing is threatened as men come in and out of her life and her country is torn by war. Amalia is Austrian, with the leading men being from Germany, Prussia, and Poland. The Last Waltz is meaty novel filled with foreign phrases, descriptions of the political unrest Amalia is faced with, her experiences with war, and a look at what life might have been like for a young woman in the time of World War I and the upcoming World War II. Anyone with a fascination with this time period and people living in this part of the world will be engrossed in this author’s detail and knowledge in the subject matter. Those looking for a romance novel might find the detail a little on the boring side. Although the love story, or stories, are captivating and romantic, Amalia often makes rash decisions that turn the story into a farfetched and frustrating constant series of love triangles. The length of the book is daunting, yet fitting for the time being spanned and the detail included. The language, dialogue, and writing of the book was excellent and fitting of the time period.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Shadow Mountain

Content Analysis:

This is good “clean read” but the romance itself seems inappropriate for teens under 16. The theme is mature and with this being a historical fiction highlighting war, the book seems inappropriate in it’s nature for young teens and children. There are gun fights, death, a few mild “romantic scenes”

Mature Subject Matter:

None

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None