The Berlin Zookeeper
An utterly gripping and heart-breaking World War 2 historical novel
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Narrated by:
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Katy Sobey
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Written by:
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Anna Stuart
About this listen
Two women. One shocking wartime secret. And a family mystery just waiting to be discovered...
Berlin Zoo, 1943: Ten-year-old Adelaide and her newborn sister are orphaned after a devastating night of bombing. Heartbroken and frightened, Adelaide runs to her mother’s closest friend, Katharina Heinroth, and the kind zookeeper takes the two little girls under her protection. As the bombing intensifies, Adelaide tries to shut out the horrors of war by caring for her tiny sister and playing with the adorable baby monkeys. But when Katharina organizes a dangerous operation to enable children and animals to escape the battle-scarred city, something goes wrong. And Adelaide has to promise her adopted mother to keep a shocking secret. A secret that will change Adelaide’s life forever.
Berlin Zoo, 2019: Bethan Taylor notices the elderly lady sitting on the bench next to her seems confused, her thoughts flitting between past and present. Ada talks of her childhood, played out in an underground bunker beneath the animal enclosures during the war. As Ada’s story unfolds, Bethan is surprised to hear a name she recognizes...
Katharina Heinroth is at the top of a list of German names Bethan found in a hidden compartment of her late mother’s jewellery box. Bethan’s father couldn’t tell her anything about the crumpled piece of paper and she’s been searching for the meaning ever since.
As the two women are brought together by the pain of the past, can they help each other to heal? And after decades of silence, can Ada help Bethan to uncover a long-buried family mystery?
An unforgettable and heart-wrenching novel of a brave orphan girl and a shocking wartime secret. Inspired by a true WW2 story and perfect for fans of Orphan Train, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and The Alice Network.
©2021 Anna Stuart (P)2024 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.You may also enjoy...
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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The German Wife
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- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Germany, 1939: Annaliese is a doctor’s wife, living in an elegant grey stone house with ivy creeping over the balcony. But when her husband is ordered to work at the Dachau labor camp, her ordinary life is turned upside down by the horrors of war. And Annaliese finds herself in grave danger when she dares to fight for love and freedom. America, 1989: Turning the pages of the newspaper, Annaliese gasps when she recognizes the face of a man she thought she’d never see again....
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This was a great book . Loved it .
- By dcfor3 on 2023-06-04
Written by: Debbie Rix
What listeners say about The Berlin Zookeeper
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Ksky
- 2024-04-04
Twists and turns of an Ancestry
It is a captivating story, as it tells the aspects of being in the country inside a Zoo,, the impact on the animals and the keepers during the war. I was not aware of this.
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- Amanda
- 2023-10-18
Engaging and beautiful
I Couldn’t stop listening! This is an Amazing story and narration. A setting i had never thought about!
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