The Prisoner's Wife

De: Maggie Brookes

Narrado por: Alicia Suszka-Fielder, David John

Duración: 12 h y 50 m

Resumen del Editor

Inspired by the true story of a daring deception that plunges a courageous young woman deep into the horrors of a Nazi POW camp to be with the man she loves.

In the dead of night, a Czech farm girl and a British soldier travel through the countryside. Izabela and prisoner of war Bill have secretly married and are on the run, with Izzy dressed as a man. The young husband and wife evade capture for as long as possible - until they are cornered by Nazi soldiers with tracking dogs.

Izzy's disguise works. The couple are assumed to be escaped British soldiers and transported to a POW camp. However, their ordeal has just begun, as they face appalling living conditions and the constant fear of Izzy's exposure. But in the midst of danger and deprivation comes hope, for the young couple are befriended by a small group of fellow prisoners. These men become their new family, willing to jeopardize their lives to save Izzy from being discovered and shot.

The Prisoner's Wife tells of an incredible risk and of how our deepest bonds are tested in desperate times. Bill and Izzy's story is one of love and survival against the darkest odds.

©2020 Maggie Brookes (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“The Prisoner’s Wife is a powerful love story that exquisitely depicts the courage and strength of the human spirit in the face of the tremendous cost of war. Historical fiction lovers will be immersed in the rich detail and impeccably researched setting. A wonderful book!” (Chanel Cleeton, New York Times best-selling author The Last Train to Key West)

"A powerful page-turner, The Prisoner's Wife shares the inspiring tale of a courageous historical woman as she risks her life through a countryside ravaged by World War II and suffers through the dangers of living as a man in a POW camp to stay with her beloved husband. Based a breathtaking true story, the novel explores the indomitability of one woman's spirit, and offers a unique perspective on a lesser-seen side of war." (Marie Benedict, New York Times best-selling author of Lady Clementine)

“You will be spellbound by this stellar debut. So richly imbued with sensory details you’ll be feeling every anguished moment and every golden ray of hope. What a beautifully wrought tribute to the real prisoner’s wife, wherever she may be.” (Susan Meissner, best-selling author of The Last Year of the War)

Stunningly beautiful

This story had me in tears at the horrors and goodness that were present during that horrible time. Overall such a great book.

Heart wrenching

So difficult to hear yet so important to know the stories from this time in history.

Wonderful!

This really brought home the horrible conditions and brutality of the Nazi prisoners of war.

An excellent addition to a WWII Library

Captivating from beginning to end. I liked how the narrative switched from male to female throughout. Both were excellent narrators. Very different from most WWII novels. A different perspective.

Listen to this book!

Awesome story! It is based on a true story and it is very compelling! The female narrator had a wonder storytelling voice.

Captivating Story and Presentation

I don’t usually rate and review, but I wanted to with this one. The story is incredible and it is delivered beautifully by Alicia Suszka-Fielder. Not only is the story gripping, but it’s told in a poetic and poignant way. I’ve read/listened to many war time stories, but this one stands above many of the better known and widely recognized titles. This one deserves an award or two.

What incredible courage

This story is about people who have more courage and determination to survive you can’t help but be amazed by them. I loved this book.

Really liked it

I wasn’t a big fan of the reader but the book itself was really good

FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, ENDURANCE, COURAGE…

Overall, I enjoyed this story, but I began to enjoy it more after Bill and Izzy married and took off on their own. Up until then, I found Izzy’s character to be much like that of a love-struck 14-year-old instead of a young woman of twenty. Many of her behaviors struck me as impulsive, childish and selfish. Once on the run, Izzy had to grow up fast and in hindsight, she realized that in her selfishness, she had made choices that put both her life and Bill’s in danger.

Once in the prison camp, the willingness of the men to protect Izzy’s identity as a woman from the Nazi prison guards really touched my heart. Despite all they had been through, they were willing to risk severe punishment to protect Izzy (and by extension, Bill also). They had only just met Izzy and Bill, yet they didn’t hesitate to help. They treated Izzy with such kindness and care — giving her extra privacy in the bathroom, trying to share what little food they had with her... It was so sweet, considering how LITTLE they had. Izzy repaid them with her love, kindness and acts of caring in return. Bonds were made that could only be broken by death.

This was not my first WWII novel, yet throughout the story I couldn’t help but be shocked at how cruelly and inhumanely men could treat one another, simply because they believed themselves to be a superior race. The cruelty WWII prisoners, especially the Jews were forced to endure, boggles my mind and breaks my heart every time I read about it; yet at the same time, these stories are such a strong reminder of the tremendous resiliency of the human mind, body, heart and spirit. It is the job of this generation to make sure these stories are NEVER forgotten. If erased from our collective memories, these atrocities will surely be repeated, and this simply CANNOT be.

I must say, I was disappointed in the end of the story. It would have been nice to find out once the war ended what happened to Izzy and Bill — where did they go after leaving the prison camp? Did they go back to check on Izzy’s mother and brother on the farm? Did they move forward to England to make their permanent home there? After investing all that time in the book, the author could have given us just a little glimpse of Izzy and Bill’s future together. I feel a little cheated.

It was such a nice change of pace to have a MALE narrator doing the male parts (and wonderful accents) in this story — instead of a female doing all the male parts too (and usually doing a not-so-great job of it)! I wish EVERY Audible book did this!

The narrator for Izzy had not only a lovely speaking voice, but also a BEAUTIFUL accent (although not so much in English). The narrator seemed to be sitting too close to the microphone as I could often hear her inhaling deeply before beginning a new sentence or paragraph. At times, I even hear what sounding like her smack her lips a bit, which was distracting. Minor complaints — the story was still very compelling — enough so that I wanted to keep listening despite these minor flaws.

Overall, I found this book to be worth the read. I found myself engaged and wanting to know what would become of Izzy and Bill and of the men that befriended them in the prison camp.

💖

Sweet and poignant Holocaust love story

Really loved the characters in this love story set during the Holocaust. From the forbidden romance between a young British P.O.W. Bill and native, impulsive farm girl Izzy, to the surprising friends they meet, I loved them all.