Winter Journey

By: Diane Armstrong

Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein

Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Halina Shore is a Polish born forensic dentist living in Australia. When she travels to Poland to take part in the investigation of a war crime, she finds herself at the center of a bitter struggle in a community that has been divided by a grim legacy. As the investigation proceeds, her professional assignment becomes a confronting personal odyssey as the truth about her own past begins to emerge.

Inspired by a true incident that took place in Poland in 1941 but was concealed for 60 years, Diane Armstrong's gripping novel is a detective story that is part mystery, part history, and part forensic investigation. It is also a tale of love, loss, and unimaginable sacrifice.

©2005 Diana Armstrong (P)2005 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.

Critic reviews

"The best and worst of the human spirit are dredged up in this profoundly moving, compelling, and superbly written story." (Australian Women's Weekly)

Hidden history comes alive

I love a well done historical saga. you will not be disappointed in the performance or the intriguing family mystery unveiled.

Excellently developed story, writing, and narration.

Just finished listening to Winter Journey second time in a row, so the characters and time and place are vivid. Though it took me a while to get into the story the first time, it builds and creates a memorable narrative. It was not until I finished that I learned that this book is based upon actual events, and I am grateful to Diane Armstrong for her excellent research and writing expertise. With each reading my closeness to the many characters grew. It is an unusually satisfying read.

Highly recommend this book!

Great story based on true events. The narrator was great. Even the technical aspects where interesting.

excellent book

wonderful book and its accounts of history. at first i wasn't sure if it was one I'd want to read during the first chapter but after that it was captivating and i didn't want to stop listening until the end!

Moving

Excellent writing, interesting subject matter and well researched actual events. Very moving.

An amazing book

This story is mesmerizing from start to finish. It captures a horrific piece of history in such a human way and helps the reader to experience it as it happens. The characters are well drawn and so human as to make the reader feel he or she is in the same room with them. A must read for everyone.

Based on a True Story

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend it with the warning that it is about 2 hours too long and all of the Polish names make it confusing at times making it hard to follow the story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Winter Journey?

The most striking thing is that it is based on a true story from 1941 and it would be worth looking up that true story.

Which scene was your favorite?

Nothing really stands out as a favorite...the descriptions of the people trying to save themselves was vivid.

Was Winter Journey worth the listening time?

Yes it is worth the time to listen, I just feel it could have been a few hours shorter and been really good instead of just good.

Story that Needs to be Told

What did you love best about Winter Journey?

I think this is a story that needs to be told; so we humanize events, that are so horrific our tendency is to demonize them and avoid uncomfortable emotions. It was wonderful to read about how future generations were taking action in kind and caring ways that brought healing instead of harm. This book is not for the faint of heart, and I highly recommend it.

I am of Polish decent with some Jewish ancestors, and had heard about Polish atrocities against people of Jewish Faith, but never could have imagined the gruesome tale depicted in this story. It is because of this, that I am confused about awarding a fair rating. The story itself had a lot of coincidences or moments of synchronicity, that could have been written better. It is a small town, so one could expect some people coincidentally being related to a person of interest, but it almost read like a novel where the character is reincarnated and everything is a replay of the past. I guess there is the investigators memory (or lack there of) that also plays into this, so I am giving some grace here and would award 3.5 stars.

What does Deidre Rubenstein bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She was fairly successful at Polish, Jewish and Australian accents, so I awarded 4 stars (but in truth if I went on personal preference without considering these technical issues, I would have given 3.5). I am not sure if it was the story, the editing (& tone they wanted) or the narrator, that made the story ear piercing at moments when it could have been not as high pitch and maybe -anything else- and thus more successful at conveying the intensity of the scene? She has a beautiful voice and I would listen to her again (if there are no high pitch issues repeated). This story is so horrific, that I am not sure I want to read it. It's almost better to listen to it; so stillness can hold and comfort you as you take it in. Some moments are so horrible, it was difficult to continue. So yes, listening was better than reading for me.

Unforgettable read based on Polish history.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audio book from beginning to end. Story evolved well and never slow with the well researched history and events of this time During Second World War. Read it you will not be sorry.

Lovely book

Beautifully written story about the holocaust and the aftermath for one town and one woman. As expected, it is not always easy to hear, but quite believable. The narration was very good except for some really bad voices other than the book's narrator and the main characters - screechy women and overly-growlly men.
The editing was a disaster: hardly a breath between the last sentence of one chapter and the announcement of the next. ( One of my pet peeves. )