Those Who Save Us

By: Jenna Blum

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

Length: 15 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Trudy, a college history professor, is collecting oral histories from World War II survivors (both German and Jewish). Her mother, Anna, refuses to talk to her, but Anna's story is revealed in flashback. She conducted an affair with a Jewish baker who was summarily killed. Afterward, Anna caught the eye of a high-ranking Nazi officer. She was coerced into an abusive affair with him, which she went along with in order to ensure her survival - and that of her baby.

©2005 Jenna Blum (P)2007 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Blum's spare imagery is nightmarish and intimate, imbuing familiar panoramas of Nazi atrocity with stark new power. This is a poised, hair-raising debut." ( Publishers Weekly)
"An absorbing tale of two women's struggles with the burdens and responsibilities of remembrance." ( The Boston Globe)

Heavy, Hellish, and Unforgettable

I have read quite a few nonfiction Holocaust/Nazi Germany books and am usually leery of fictitious books concerning the Holocaust. However, this book was rather 'enjoyable'. It is, of course, a very heavy book and not a "fun" read, but it is enjoyable! It not only felt real (I constantly had to remind myself not to discuss what went on in this book so that I would not get it confused with reality), but it had me on the edge of my seat.

Typically Holocaust stories are about the Holocaust victims and most people shy away from the topic of what the Germans went through (guilty/not guilty/etc...). I thought that the author was able to bring about this topic beautifully and even mentioned several books that "Trudy" is reading and that I myself have read ("Hitler's Willing Executioners", etc...) and that are wonderful resources for anyone to read that wants to know more about Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.

I highly recommend this book!

A book on tape that will keep you awake in the car

Where does Those Who Save Us rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the few books whose narrator has kept me awake while driving hours and hours late at night. Usually I start dozing and switch to music, but I couldn't stop listening to this book, and was sad was it had ended.

Those who save us

Excellent story told from the innocent of the war. Hard to listen to what the women did to keep their children safe.

Couldn't stop listening !

Completely different view of WWII. Warning: some of the material is raw..and NOT for youngsters.
I am German...and always had an intense compassion/empathy for the Jewish peoples. I've read MANY books about the horrible treatment of the Jews in WWII (since 1970s 'The Hiding Place', by Corrie Ten Boone) and this book offers a rare and sensitive 'German' perspective. I traveled an emotional rollercoaster through this book....but in the end, it was worth it! Highly sensitive, highly imaginative, and HIGHLY insightful.

Heavy read

The almost too detailed description of Nazi Germany was realistic and horrifying. I am disheartened that humankind is still so cruel and did not learn from the horrors of Hitler.

A different look

A very good book and the first one I have read by this author. It was another view of the war by a German woman who also struggled to survive
I was intrigued by the author's use of two separate timelines. I would recommend it.

Those who save us

loved this book, I've read a lot of books about the Holocaust but never any that shed light on how the German civilians really felt about their role in the preservation and annihilation of the Jews and any other people that Hitler deemed impure . I like the fact that the author shielded nothing, she write about the good and the bad side, making this book more poignant.

Okay

I purchased this book because I ran across a "buy one, get one free" sale. If I had used my whole credit for this one book, I think I would have been disappointed. It was interesting in that it followed the life of a regular German citizen during World War II. A rare perspective when most stories follow the life of a Jew or perhaps an SS officer. I did find the pace very slow and I thought it had too many sexual encounters described in detail. The narration was okay, nothing spectacular.

phenomenal story.

author clearly did her homework. the stories from both the German persecutors and their victims shows each side perspective well

Couldn't get through it

Reviews were great, I've tried a few times to keep going. Maybe it's me, but I found the story sluggish.