Helpful Score: 3
Superb. Superb. Superb. Both the book and the narrator. I liked that the book went back and forth between present day, and the past. I usually don't like that type of switching, but in this book, it worked very well. Also, the narrator was truly brilliant. It was like being a kid again, and having someone act out the books for me - different voices, inflection, emotion, etc. Not every narrator does this, and not all are good at it who do. This one was particularly wonderful, and it just elevated the entire book to another level. Would recommend this to everyone.
Helpful Score: 2
I really enjoyed listening to this audio book. The narrator did a great job of differentiating between all the characters, male and female, with many different accents. It took a while to get acclimated to her Australian accent, but once I did, I had no problem understanding her. This happened at about the same time that I caught on to the flow of the book, as it went from past to present, and back again. Once I saw what the author was doing - how she was telling the story - I began to look forward to that "Oh! I get it!" moment in each chapter, as the pieces began to fall in place.
If you already know a bit of Hebrew or Yiddish, be prepared to puzzle out a few words here and there, as the Australian pronunciation is a bit different than what I've heard in America. If you don't know any at all, don't worry - the meanings of the various words are explained, along with the story.
All in all, a remarkable book. I shaved off half a point and gave it 4.5 stars instead of 5.0 because I didn't really like (or believe) the romantic aspect - a small point, but I felt that, because it was somewhat shallow, it detracted from the story, rather than added to it. The ending seemed a bit hurried after the slow and deliberate pace of the body of the book, but again, a small point compared to the wonderful experience of listening to the whole.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
If you already know a bit of Hebrew or Yiddish, be prepared to puzzle out a few words here and there, as the Australian pronunciation is a bit different than what I've heard in America. If you don't know any at all, don't worry - the meanings of the various words are explained, along with the story.
All in all, a remarkable book. I shaved off half a point and gave it 4.5 stars instead of 5.0 because I didn't really like (or believe) the romantic aspect - a small point, but I felt that, because it was somewhat shallow, it detracted from the story, rather than added to it. The ending seemed a bit hurried after the slow and deliberate pace of the body of the book, but again, a small point compared to the wonderful experience of listening to the whole.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Helpful Score: 1
I absolutely loved this book. The reader's voice is enchanting. I enjoyed the history in the book and the adventures of the character!
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed this book very much. As a quilt historian, we often speculate abot the people who made the quilts we study. This book has so much background that I never considered before about books. Excellenat read.
This was a very interesting and well written book and a total surprise to boot.
I only got through the first 2 1/2 CDs. The story might have been a good one; however, I think that the reader was terrible!!! Her various accents were unrealistic and she totally butchered the Hebrew. I have relatives who come from the various countries represented in the first few CDs and NONE of them sound like Ms. Wren. This is one book that I will read the hard copy.
