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The Orphan's Tale  By  cover art

The Orphan's Tale

By: Pam Jenoff
Narrated by: Jennifer Wydra, Kyla Garcia
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Publisher's summary

Look out for Pam's new book, The Lost Girls of Paris, a story of friendship and courage centered around three women and a ring of female spies during World War II - coming soon!

A New York Times best seller!

"Readers who enjoyed Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale and Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants will embrace this novel. " (Library Journal)

"Secrets, lies, treachery, and passion…. I read this novel in a headlong rush." (Christina Baker Kline, number one New York Times best-selling author of Orphan Train)

A powerful novel of friendship set in a traveling circus during World War II, The Orphan's Tale introduces two extraordinary women and their harrowing stories of sacrifice and survival

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep… When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. And in a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night.

Noa finds refuge with a German circus, but she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. But as the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another - or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything.

©2017 Pam Jenoff (P)2017 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

What listeners say about The Orphan's Tale

Average customer ratings
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Don't judge a book by its review.

I really enjoyed this book. No it didn't go into a lot of details about WWII which was a disappointment according to some reviews. But even the description stated WWII was the time period. One review even said the book was just a story about a circus which couldn't be farther from true. The circus was the backdrop for the story. The story takes place during WWII and follows a group of people who are persecuted, and or rejected and hunted by Nazi Germany that work for a traveling circus. It tells of their hardships, their unity, the distrusts and bonds formed during this time period. It's tells so much more than just about a circus. However, you wouldn't get that from some reviews. So stop reading the reviews to judge whether or not to read the book and just read it and form your own opinion. Remember opinions are like belly buttons, some are cute and some are ugly but everyone has one. Read the book and form your own.

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137 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Liked, didn't love. Blame narrator.

I love historical fiction. I liked this story but had a hard time loving it. I honestly believe that what affected my ability to love it, on part, and as the narrator who read for Astrid. She was entirely too theatrical - overly dramatic. It interfered with my ability to connect with Astrid every step of the way that she narrated. In fact, I could only get lost in the story when the narrator who read for Noah was performing. Still a good storyline - not the strongest historical fiction - but a unique perspective.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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great

Very enjoyable. Kept me engaged the whole time. Family friendly. Will recommend to my friends.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An excellent book, enhanced by the performance of the two readers

This excellent book, was hard to stop listening to. It captures human emotions with all their ups and downs. The plot is full of surprises.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A Gifted writer, superb drama

I thoroughly enjoyed EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of this novel! I highly recommend it to enjoy

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow - Loved this story

I wasn't sure about this book set in a circus and war backdrop, but I was so wrong. Very glad I decided to buy, it was well worth a precious credit. Memorable story and characters - one of those books that will definitely stay with me. I actually listened all the way thru twice back to back. I don't do that very often.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful book

I could not put this book down. It was a great read from beginning to end. Worth the credit

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love and sacrifice

Would you consider the audio edition of The Orphan's Tale to be better than the print version?

What a beautiful story of love and sacrifice. Heart-wrenching at times, heart-warming at others, this is a great novel.

What about Jennifer Wydra and Kyla Garcia ’s performance did you like?

Pleasant voices that brought the characters to life!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Overall it's a great book!

The story is a little slow at times, but overall, it's worth a listen. The narrators are awesome!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very fine book!

I loved the twist, I failed at guessing the deaths. The main character wasn't who I thought it was!

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