The Hare with Amber Eyes

A Hidden Inheritance

By: Edmund de Waal

Narrated by: Micheal Maloney

A New York Times Bestseller
An Economist Book of the Year
Costa Book Award Winner for Biography
Galaxy National Book Award Winner (New Writer of the Year Award)

Edmund de Waal is a world-famous ceramicist. Having spent thirty years making beautiful pots—which are then sold, collected, and handed on—he has a particular sense of the secret lives of objects. When he inherited a collection of 264 tiny Japanese wood and ivory carvings, called netsuke, he wanted to know who had touched and held them, and how the collection had managed to survive.

And so begins The Hare with Amber Eyes, this extraordinarily moving memoir and detective story as de Waal discovers both the origins of the netsuke and of his family, the Ephrussis, over five generations. A nineteenth-century banking dynasty in Paris and Vienna, the Ephrussis were as rich and respected as the Rothchilds. Yet by the end of the World War II, when the netsuke were hidden from the Nazis in Vienna, this collection of very small carvings was all that remained of their vast empire.

"To be handed a story as durable and exquisitely crafted as this is a rare pleasure. . . . This book is impossible to put down. You have in your hands a masterpiece." —The Sunday Times (London)

Great summer listening

Beautiful story to listen to - an excellent rumination on people and things. I only wish that I could have been following along on a map. The descriptions of cities and places are rich and delicious, but having never been to any of those mentioned, it came off as a bit abstract and intangible - funny, for a story about so many tangible things. Excellent endeavor overall - offered a new and unique lens to reflect upon WWII era material.

Marvelous Story Well-Told

I didn't know what to expect with this book. Art, history, memoir? But it grabbed me from the start and kept unfolding with more and more history (artistic, socio-political, etc.), fascinating details, and family revelations. Sensitively written, superb listening experience, strong recommendation.

I consider this book one of the best...

What did you love best about The Hare with Amber Eyes?

I loved the way de Waal wove together his family's narrative from multiple countries and through multiple generations. His portrayal of the characters and life in the different societies painted a clear picture for my imagination. Ultimately, this is also a story of devastation and survival of Jews in the Holocaust.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hare with Amber Eyes?

I loved learning more of the history of the family's street in Paris, where I had recently visited. The family's history is so interesting that it led me to research more about the author, his artwork, the family and the locations.

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

Maloney adds another element of emotion through his reading.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The history of a great European dynasty.

Any additional comments?

There's a short interview with the author at the end of the story. Great to hear his voice and gain more insight into his life and his work.

Stunning in Every Way!

Both amazingly delicate and overwhelmingly authoritative at the same time!

NO one could've performed this masterpiece better than Michael Maloney.

A captivating story of life, love, loss, memory

A captivating story. This is beautifully written and take you through the rise and fall of a great family. These little figurines become so much more than they seem. They become a read through time. From one area to another they hold the longings and aspirations and also the heartaches of the family. This book is a wonderful history of the last one and a half. Centuries and an incredible amount of change and atrocity and yet beauty and discovery.