Inge's War
A German Woman's Story of Family, Secrets, and Survival Under Hitler
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $23.31
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Kristin Atherton
-
Written by:
-
Svenja O'Donnell
About this listen
"An extraordinary saga." (David Grann, New York Times best-selling author of Killers of the Flower Moon)
The mesmerizing account of a granddaughter's search for a World War II family history hidden for 60 years.
Growing up in Paris, the daughter of a German mother and an Irish father, Svenja O'Donnell knew little of her family's German past. All she knew was that her grandmother and her mother had fled their home city of Königsberg in the far east of Germany near the end of World War II, never to return. But everything changed when O'Donnell traveled to Königsberg - now known as Kaliningrad, and part of Russia - and called her grandmother, who uncharacteristically burst into tears. "I have so much to tell you," Inge said.
In this transporting and illuminating audiobook, the award-winning journalist vividly reconstructs the story of Inge's life from the rise of the Nazis through the brutal postwar years, from falling in love with a man who was sent to the Eastern Front just after she became pregnant with his child, to spearheading her family's flight as the Red Army closed in, her young daughter in tow. Ultimately, O'Donnell uncovers the act of violence that separated Inge from the man she loved; a terrible secret hidden for more than six decades.
A captivating World War II saga, Inge's War is also a powerful reckoning with the meaning of German identity and inherited trauma. In retracing her grandmother's footsteps, O'Donnell not only discovers the remarkable story of a woman caught in the gears of history, but also comes face-to-face with her family's legacy of neutrality and inaction - and offers a rare glimpse into a reality too long buried by silence and shame.
©2020 Svenja O'Donnell (P)2020 Penguin AudioWhat the critics say
"The author, a graceful, eloquent writer, follows a trail that sometimes takes her through deeply troubling terrain, and she amply reveals the cruelty and compassion that characterize times of war. Haunting family stories that serve as a metaphor for human suffering everywhere." (Kirkus Reviews, starred)
"Vivid and meticulously researched.... An incisive and multilayered account of family trauma, the dangers of nationalism and anti-Semitism, and the plight of refugees. This exceptional account transforms a private tragedy into a universal story of war and survival." (Publishers Weekly, starred)
"Enlightening and timely.... This compelling testimonial details the deprivations German citizens faced during the war and reveals a dark part of Danish history.... [It] deserves a wide audience." (Booklist, starred)
What listeners say about Inge's War
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-03-26
A master plaice
Free well written very well read very well done I found this book very entertaining and I could not stop
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!