Mischling

By: Affinity Konar

Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson

Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

"One of the most harrowing, powerful, and imaginative books of the year" (Anthony Doerr), about twin sisters fighting to survive the evils of World War II.

Pearl is in charge of the sad, the good, the past.

Stasha must care for the funny, the future, the bad.

It's 1944 when the twin sisters arrive at Auschwitz with their mother and grandfather. In their benighted new world, Pearl and Stasha Zagorski take refuge in their identical natures, comforting themselves with the private language and shared games of their childhood.

As part of the experimental population of twins known as Mengele's Zoo, the girls experience privileges and horrors unknown to others, and they find themselves changed, stripped of the personalities they once shared, their identities altered by the burdens of guilt and pain.

That winter, at a concert orchestrated by Mengele, Pearl disappears. Stasha grieves for her twin but clings to the possibility that Pearl remains alive. When the camp is liberated by the Red Army, she and her companion, Feliks - a boy bent on vengeance for his own lost twin - travel through Poland's devastation. Undeterred by injury, starvation, and the chaos around them, motivated by equal parts danger and hope, they encounter hostile villagers, Jewish resistance fighters, and fellow refugees, their quest enabled by the notion that Mengele may be captured and brought to justice within the ruins of the Warsaw Zoo. As the young survivors discover what has become of the world, they must try to imagine a future within it.

A superbly crafted story, told in a voice as exquisite as it is boundlessly original, Mischling defies every expectation, traversing one of the darkest moments in human history to show us the way toward ethereal beauty, moral reckoning, and soaring hope.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 Affinity Konar (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

" Mischling is a phenomenal book - harrowing and heartbreaking, intimate and epic - and Affinity Konar is a wise and compassionate writer with talent in spades. An achingly beautiful novel that will stay with me for a long, long time." (Molly Antopol, author of The UnAmericans)

"This novel, haunted by history and the unknowable power of family, is made bearable - indeed, necessary - by the spectacle of a literary imagination that observes no limits. Konar has produced a tremendously unsettled work of art." (Ben Marcus, author of The Flame Alphabet)

"Affinity Konar's Mischling is a tale of courage, courageously told - spare and beautiful, riveting and heartrending. Half of me wanted to linger over every page, the other half insisted I race ahead. It's a case of extraordinary storytelling from first page to transcendent last." (David Wroblewski, author of the New York Times best seller The Story of Edgar Sawtelle)

Mischling

Had me hooked from the beginning. I have read a great deal more about the historical views. This fictional view wrapped so many stories and feelings into the story and brought the personal trauma of those victimized who lived with the consequences of the Nazi experimentation.

WONDERFUL NARRATOR READER!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book because it is so well written! AND so well spoken! Glad I LISTENED!

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the development of Pearl and Sasha.

Which character – as performed by Vanessa Johansson – was your favorite?

Vanessa Johansson has the most melodious voice I've yet heard! Any character would love their story told in her voice. Of course, Sasha and Pearl received her gift!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The story tears you apart. Yet, Affinity presented the horrors in a gentle way if that could be possible! I have twin granddaughters and it hit me hard.

Any additional comments?

The reason I didn't give it five stars was because I felt shocked that she found her father. Like where did that jump out from. I had to listen twice to make sure I heard it correctly.
I felt the very last chapter could have lingered further. I wondered how and what she fed the baby in he end as well.

Amazing....

If you could sum up Mischling in three words, what would they be?

perseverance, loving bond, spirit

What did you like best about this story?

that the chapters were broken down by sister narrating each

Any additional comments?

When I hear stories of such adversity, of such atrocities, of the human spirit.. I wonder if I would have such strength to go on. This story is just that.. the pure perseverance and strong spirit of two sisters. That their love and connection together and apart allows them to draw on the strength of their bond. The writer only scratches the surface of what really happened to the children, and our imaginations regarding that horrific situation can never compare to their reality.

Heavy story without gory details

The story is told from the perspective of 12 year old twin girls. The horrific details of their suffering are implied but not told outright.

Provocative, evocative, beautifully crafted

Konar creates a world between the two young girls whose twinhood sustains them in the face of unimaginable tortures. The beauty of the language used to describe the horrors of Mengele's zoo makes them all the more devastating. This tale, woven around history, is compelling, breathtaking, will lay the reader bare and make tears fall. That anyone survived the camps is always amazing, but the story of these two girls, of what they endure and how they endured is awful, terrifying and beautiful.
I may go back to the beginning to listen again to appreciate the brilliant writing even more now that I know the beautiful story.

Great listen, wonerful narration .

Would you listen to Mischling again? Why?

Yes I would. I believe everytime I did listen to it again , I would hear details I missed the first time.

What other book might you compare Mischling to and why?

'Orpan Train" was reminiscent of "Mischling ". It was a fantastic book, and the the story was from a child's viewpoint, but told by an actual survivor of the camps.

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

She brings so many nuances to each character. You can actually tell who is speaking , she does so without sounding strained.

If you could take any character from Mischling out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Dr Mengele , a very strange choice, I'm certain. But, I would just try to draw him out and see how he ticks. I believe every terrible treatment he put his patients through was to satisfy his own hypothesizes about the science behind psychology and physiology.


He was the most twisted, evil, sadistic man I can think of who had an unlimited supply of "patients " . Also going unpunished, I would really like to arrange a vacation for him to a Nazi unfriendly area!

Any additional comments?

I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in war accounts. the narrator does such a great job. I've always believe in the axom " Those who do not remember the past, are doomed to repeat it" Anyone who keeps up with world history , ` there are thousands of the

always atocious examples of this truth.``

I loved this book in particular because it does not describe, in detail the torture twins endured. Certainly, these terrible exams, humiliations, and so-called experiments are included. The reader feels transported to the narrators world. The Zoo , as the twins area was called , were treated special due to their special status.

Busy but couldn't not finish!

This is a very moving story. It will bring you to tears. Not just because it is about the Holocaust but, because it takes us into the lives of two young courageous women. Excellent aspect of the Holocaust to research. Great story and characters. I am awaiting the play!

Loved the style of writing perspective!

Part of me found it difficult to get through this because the author brings to life dark things that happened long ago that we try to forget. However, I loved seeing both twin's perspectives alternating between chapters... Which I think is brilliant!
Also, Vanessa Johansson is very talented as a narrator. I will likely choose my Nextbook based solely on the fact that she narrated it... She is that good!

A sincere and powerful book.

If you could sum up Mischling in three words, what would they be?

Compelling and provocative.

Which character – as performed by Vanessa Johansson – was your favorite?

Vanessa Johansson brought life to every character - good and evil.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I am so glad I listened to this narrative. It flowed with grace, even during the darkest moments. This story was meant to be told, although we've different versions of it since WW2 ended ... this version crept deep into my soul. Its a tale of sadistic violence countered with tender faith and hope. A novel I will surely listen to again and share with my children.

Devastating and beautiful

Given the subject material, Mischling should have been much more difficult to get through. But Konar is such a brilliant writer she was able to illuminate the smallest fragments of goodness that, against all odds, continued to exist both within the confines of Auschweitz and outside. The use of two alternating voices -- those of identical twin girls Stasha and Pearl -- was useful because it provided two differing views to both the experiences under Mengele's sadistic watch, as well as two approaches to survival. Of note is that Stasha represented the urge or need for revenge while Pearl focused on forgiveness.

Mengele and the twins, simply put, represent the flip sides of humanity: evil on one side, goodness on the other. This is a painful but necessary read. Humans are capable of inflicting such cruel acts upon each other, but we are equally able to move beyond that evil and choose a life of renewal, optimism, and love.

in the end, I found Mischling to be profoundly life-affirming without resorting to overt sentimentality or preciousness. Well done!