The Violin Maker's Daughter Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Sharon Maas (Author), Annie McKenzie (Narrator), Hachette UK - Bookouture (Publisher)

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When the Nazis march onto the cobbled streets of Colmar on November 1st 1940, Josef, a Jewish violin maker, gathers his wife and daughters closely to him and tells them everything will be alright.

But one year later, three sharp knocks on the door at midnight turn his 17-year-old daughter Sarah’s world upside down. As the oldest child, Sarah must be the first to leave her family, to make her escape in a perilous journey across France via Paris to Poitiers. And she must hide who she is and take a new name for her own safety. For now, bilingual Sarah is no longer a French Jew but a German girl.

As she bids farewell to her beloved father and family, Sarah has hope, against all odds, that she will see them again when the war is over. But, travelling through the mountains she finds herself in terrible danger and meets Ralf, a German deserter, who risks his own life to save her.

Ralf and Sarah continue their journey together, keeping their identities secret at all cost. But when Ralf is captured, will Sarah pay the ultimate price for sharing who she really is?

A gripping and heartbreaking account of love, bravery, and sacrifice during the terror of war. A story of standing up for what you believe in, even if it’s going to break your heart. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Ragged Edge of Night.

Listening Length

12 hours and 47 minutes
Author

Sharon Maas
Narrator

Annie McKenzie
Audible release date

19 July 2019
Language

English
Publisher

Hachette UK - Bookouture
ASIN

B07V4TB2CN
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	12 hours and 47 minutes
Author	Sharon Maas
Narrator	Annie McKenzie
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com.au Release Date	19 July 2019
Publisher	Hachette UK - Bookouture
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B07V4TB2CN
Best Sellers Rank	48,959 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) 231 in World War II Historical Fiction 1,625 in Women's Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) 11,733 in Women's Fiction (Books)

Customer reviews

5 star		43%
4 star		29%
3 star		21%
2 star		5%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from Australia

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pfisher@one.net.au (Pauline)

Good Story.BUT.

Reviewed in Australia on 11 December 2019

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This was a good read. I enjoyed the book, BUT, the main character became unbelievable. I get her immaturity at the beginning ,but people grow up pretty fast when their life, or someone else's is in danger, the first 2 times I got it, but her character did not develop into one with more maturity which detracted from the story because all I could think was she wouldn't have survived in these circumstances as she continued to do stupid, thoughtless things. The end of the book was wrapped up very quickly and too neatly, except for wanting to slap the main character for her continual stupidity I enjoyed the book.

2 people found this helpful

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Margaret Shumack

A must read

Reviewed in Australia on 2 December 2019

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Although I thought the story was being ‘over-written’ throughout, I remained intrigued by the story-line. The author maintained a highly and lengthy descriptive background in the numerous side stories, as well as lengthy introspections.
The ordeal suffered by the violin maker’s daughter as she journeyed through war-torn Europe dominates the tale but continued reference to Nazi atrocities reminds the reader of the futility and heartache of that global conflict. Recommended.

One person found this helpful

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Rosemary Lewisroselewis

Disappointing

Reviewed in Australia on 16 October 2019

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Found this story very disappointing, was irritated by the portrayal of the main character as a silly young lady who whilst in very grave danger in the middle of a world war where she was In danger even from her own countrymen, would jeopardise it all for five minutes of being wanted.

3 people found this helpful

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Marta Guerra

Spoilt by childish writing

Reviewed in Australia on 16 March 2021

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I enjoy reading books based around WWII and the heroes/heroines of that time. However, although the story is far from childish and has great merit, the writing style is childish and leaves a lot to be desired. The worst was the "heroine", I mostly wanted to just slap her and tell her to grow up. Seems that she may in the latter half of the book, but by then I had given up.

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Elisabeth zillig-Goeltenboth

The Violin Maker’s Daughter

Reviewed in Australia on 23 July 2019

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Thank you for this wonderful book. It reminds me of my Grandmother who told me a lot of Stories about this time. She was Jewish but living in Germany had to hide this. As I grew up in Switzerland we were often in Colmar and Freiburg. That was after the Worldwar II but then again the dark times were gone and this were beautiful places. 🌺🌺

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Not for me

Reviewed in Australia on 3 September 2020

Verified Purchase

I found the story line so much like many other World War 2 fiction books I have read, I just couldn't find the interest to read more than 20% of the book. Her father has to banish his first born daughter from their home for safety from the Germans.

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Morningdew

Writing good, but characters and plot unconvincing.

Reviewed in Australia on 14 June 2020

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This author can write, but unfortunately the plot depends on the stupidity of the heroine, which is totally unconvincing. I can't imagine anyone, however young and naive, behaving as she did in the face of such danger. The ending was also unbelievable.
I lived through the war. It was very real.

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Chris B.

Even in a brutal war, love can reach beyond the horrors

Reviewed in Australia on 2 October 2019

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This novel appealed to me for many reasons. It was a love story and a shocking revelation of the horrors of the Nazi regime, but it showed clearly that not all Germans were Nazi's and many risked being treated as traitors rather than supporting the war effort. There were some unexpected twists in the story that I enjoyed. The character portrayals were interesting even though in at least one, the development was extreme. To say more would spoil the read. It was a satisfying book to read. I enjoyed it.

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Sue R

Slightly Disappointing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 August 2019

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After reading The Soldier’s Girl, which I thought was excellent, I was disappointed with this book. Firstly I didn’t think the story telling flowed that well and was panned out by repetitive prose describing Sarah’s feelings throughout the book.
Sarah, I felt, was a very naive, silly girl who made some really stupid decisions which proved to be very dangerous - it was as if she didn’t realise the reality of her situation and, although she was young, I don’t think anyone could use that as an excuse for being as stupid and childish as she was and not having any common sense. She irritated me no end, especially when she continued to write down the fact that she was a Jew in a houseful of Nazi collaborators! To leave such evidence lying about, which also described the fact that her boyfriend was in the French Resistance, was ridiculous. A child of 12 would not have done that, let alone a 19-year-old!
The descriptions of her spying activities towards the end of the book were not detailed enough and there was no tension whatsoever. After reading several books about SOE agents, I don’t think it was ever that easy!
All in all, it was a very slow-moving book which I hoped would improve but, sadly, it didn’t. Not one of Sharon Maas’ best.

5 people found this helpful

wej foxall

Heart Breaking Flight from Nazi Oppression

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 September 2019

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This is a long novel, 49 chapters plus an epilogue, but never seems long. Indeed it is a work that when I had to suspend reading, I could not wait to get back to it. It concerns the appalling situation in Nazi occupied France, but in particular Alsace Loraine, which had changed hands several times, and therefore was a frontier between France and Germany.
The family at the front of the story is Jewish which is non practising and carries the German name Mayer. As such they do not make it public that they are Jewish - for obvious reasons in this Nazi climate - until some traitorous and mischievous person betrays them and so the Nazi heavies set about removing them.
The story, so engagingly told, then tells how the family of 6 has to split to escape and Sarah the young, unworldly, but eldest of the brood, first makes her way West into France. A frightening episode on the climb over the Vosges from Colmar throws up a startling about turn by one of the German soldiers who had captured them, but who, witnessing an attempted rape, saves them and thereafter accompanies and befriends Sarah. The adventures are told with nail biting tension and most beautifully written.
This is a very fine and major novel and is enthusiastically recommended without reservation.

4 people found this helpful

stel

The Violin makers daughter

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 August 2019

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The main character Sarah I found really annoying.Through her stupidity she nearly got her friend killed .I found it unbelievable that for someone so stupid she became a top spy for the allies .There were many mistakes eg the mother of the children she looked after said her son was named Julian yet he was actually named Lucien . I nearly gave up reading it when it seemed to turn into a Mills &Boon romance. Also when she travelled with the German army back to her hometown surely flirting and chatting gaily would have made tbe German soldiers suspicious considering she didn't appear worried about her dying mother that she had told them about as the reason she needed to go home

6 people found this helpful

Reggy A

Very badly written. Boring, predictable and unrealistic.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 December 2019

Verified Purchase

I wish I had read the two-star reviews before buying this book! Please read them. This made light bedtime reading that sent me to sleep quickly. I stuck with it to the end; wish I hadn't. I agree with all the comments about the unbelievable heroine; she just isn't real. Descriptions of her feelings are very poor and extremely repetitive. The storyline should create tension, drama and powerful, emotional reading; it doesn't. It's boring and predictable, and totally unrealistic. Writing standards are shoddy throughout (use of the word 'indeed' three times within two sentences for example). If you are used to strong WW2 fiction, ignore this one. If you like light romantic novels and want to read a little about WW2, you might enjoy this. I bought this as a cheap Kindle offer to introduce me to a new author; I will avoid all her other work as a result.

One person found this helpful

Maggs

Extremely disappointing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 January 2020

Verified Purchase

I will read til the end but I'm not sure why. Badly written, sketchy characters and totally implausible. One example: in the house where she worked, the housekeeper says that she didn't want Sarah to know that she too had read her letters - how did she know that Monique had read them? And, as others said, nobody would be as stupid as to write such things down and hide them under the mattress in such a house! Nor would they discuss being Jewish and the Resistance in a cafe in a Nazi occupied town. It's impossible to believe in the story or the characters or to have any feelings for them. I think mainly my interest in the book now lies in an analysis of how not to build characters, dialogue and narrative. Apologies to the writer, but I feel this was churned out without any creative investment.

One person found this helpful

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The Violin Maker's Daughter Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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