Gone to Soldiers

By: Marge Piercy

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Length: 33 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's Summary

Epic in scope, Marge Piercy's sweeping novel encompasses the wide range of people and places marked by the Second World War. Each of her 10 narrators has a unique and compelling story that powerfully depicts his or her personality, desires, and fears. Special attention is given to the women of the war effort, like Bernice, who rebels against her domineering father to become a fighter pilot, and Naomi, a Parisian Jew sent to live with relatives in Detroit, whose twin sister, Jacqueline - still in France - joins the resistance against Nazi rule.

The horrors of the concentration camps; the heroism of soldiers on the beaches of Okinawa, the skies above London, and the seas of the Mediterranean; the brilliance of code breakers; and the resilience of families waiting for the return of sons, brothers, and fathers are all conveyed through powerful, poignant prose that resonates. Gone to Soldiers is a testament to the ordinary people, with their flaws and inner strife, who rose to defend liberty during the most extraordinary times.

©1987 Middlemarsh, Inc. (P)2016 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"This book deserves to have an entire book written about it.... A landmark piece of literary prose... The most thorough and most captivating, most engrossing novel ever written about World War II." ( Los Angeles Times)

Story might be good but can’t get past narrator!

The narrator’s voice and cadance destroys this book. 5 minutes...that is how much I could handle! How anyone can listen to that voice for over 33 hours is beyond me.

Do not use the sample as an indicator!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

An All Time Great

I read this book many decades ago and it in my all time favorite books. I waited and searched for years but I guess it was more than a year that I searched. I hurriedly bought the book and when I first started to listen I wanted to cry. I could not imagine being able to listen to my favorite book read by such a horrible narrator. I listened. My mind changed. I really enjoyed her narration in the end. I grew up among all facets of Jews in New York including having family who survived. Perhaps she really captures all the nuances. Anyway I felt she added to the experience.

Lucky

I really can't write a review as the narration is so horrible I could not listen for more than ten minutes max and.had to turn it off.

3 of 8 people found this review helpful

Absolutely faithful to the book

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

I'm investigating Audible software as a method of teaching English to foreign students. The language and pronunciation is precisely the same as that in the book, and will certainly teach the level of vocabulary and grammar that the author uses. I was impressed with the ability to hear punctuation, but not always the author's tone.

What did you like best about this story?

Not quite a fair question, since I've read the book several times, and use it as a teaching tool frequently. Marge Piercy gives a woman's view of what had heretofore been considered entirely a man's world – the battles, victims, and victors of World War II. The montage of so many different women's viewpoints makes this book the most powerful of Piercy's works, in my opinion.

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

For me, Ms. Eyre added nothing, and omitted a small bit in the tone, especially of internal thoughts. For my students, Ms. Eyre will add both the ability to study pronunciation and grammar by hearing it while reading simultaneously, and also give the mental image that people often fail to get when reading the written word.

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

"World War II as it's never been seen before!"

Any additional comments?

I recommend this highly as an ESL tool, because the student can choose a book of personal interest, instead of being forced to study a preselected syllabus. Of course, the teacher must be willing to be as flexible as the students, and a classroom teacher might, in the long run, develop a list of preselected options from which students can choose the few that will be covered.

1 of 3 people found this review helpful