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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
La storia di due sorelle russo/ucraine, durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, sopravvissute alla Shoah suonando il pianoforte, sotto falsa identità, per gli ufficiali nazisti. Il libro, scritto dal figlio di una delle due ragazze, ripercorre l'infanzia delle due protagoniste dall'inizio della loro carriera musicale fino al dopoguerra.
Un libro consigliato per chi è appassionato di pianoforte e interessato alla Shoah.
Un libro consigliato per chi è appassionato di pianoforte e interessato alla Shoah.
I was intrigued by the story of Jewish sisters and musical prodigies surviving the Holocaust by assuming fake names and performing for German soldiers. It was interesting to read about their experiences, growing up with music as a foundation of their lives, getting into a number of prestigious schools and performing opportunities. Then, to see how things changed in an instant and how the future - once promising and bright - became only nothing more than a question and a hope for survival as they were forced to leave their home and became submerged in the horrors of the Holcaust.
Despite the story that was there, I think it could have been much better written. The author, the son of the woman whose story is told, actually admits he wondered if his work as a newspaper column writer provided the experience necessary to pull off a book. I think he may have overestimated his success. All the elements for an engaging biography were there, but the storytelling part was really lacking. There were ridiculous grammatical errors ("four" instead of "for") that really anyone should have caught. A number of phrases were unnecessarily repeated as many as three times in different parts of the story, and the chronology was sometimes hard to follow, especially in the latter chapters as more stories crossed and backgrounds were given for each person.
Despite the story that was there, I think it could have been much better written. The author, the son of the woman whose story is told, actually admits he wondered if his work as a newspaper column writer provided the experience necessary to pull off a book. I think he may have overestimated his success. All the elements for an engaging biography were there, but the storytelling part was really lacking. There were ridiculous grammatical errors ("four" instead of "for") that really anyone should have caught. A number of phrases were unnecessarily repeated as many as three times in different parts of the story, and the chronology was sometimes hard to follow, especially in the latter chapters as more stories crossed and backgrounds were given for each person.
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
This was a very good book about how a Jewish girl was able to escape the Nazi's and their death march. She began playing piano at a young age, and uses her talents on the piano to help her get through the war years. She was eventually adopted by and American soldier and became one of the first Jewish refugees to get a place in the Julliard School. I thought this story was moving and encouraging. I really enjoyed it. I own this book, but saw that it was available on Audible Plus, so I listened to it instead.
A nice read, shedding more light on a tragic and unfathomable period of history, speaking volumes on the power of music.
The story about how music saves a girl's life... Literally
Very inspiring!
Very inspiring!
Wow.
As a pianist with a growing Russian obsession, it was dazzling and gritty and powerful. I loved the theme of music (obviously, but there's more to it than that), and the insights into Russian culture and history (eep). Every time I saw a piano piece mentioned I desperately wanted to hear it but I didn't have my phone with me. I still want to go back and make a playlist with all the songs mentioned. (At the end I discovered a repertoire of their pieces from the war, but it's not enough; and did I mention my heart dropped a bit when I turned the page and there was no next chapter?) There are some pretty grisly things that would keep me from giving this to a younger child, but that's to be expected for a book set during the Holocaust. But anyway, it's an incredible story, and I'm glad I read it.
As a pianist with a growing Russian obsession, it was dazzling and gritty and powerful. I loved the theme of music (obviously, but there's more to it than that), and the insights into Russian culture and history (eep). Every time I saw a piano piece mentioned I desperately wanted to hear it but I didn't have my phone with me. I still want to go back and make a playlist with all the songs mentioned. (At the end I discovered a repertoire of their pieces from the war, but it's not enough; and did I mention my heart dropped a bit when I turned the page and there was no next chapter?) There are some pretty grisly things that would keep me from giving this to a younger child, but that's to be expected for a book set during the Holocaust. But anyway, it's an incredible story, and I'm glad I read it.
Well written Biography about how two girls survived WWII by playing the piano for Nazi soldiers!