Gone to Soldiers

By: Marge Piercy

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

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)

Powerful story

Powerful story. Interesting to see where the author takes us. Lots of important issues. Worth your time

Outstanding important book

This has become my favorite book of thousands I’ve read due to the depth of characterizations and story flow. I can no longer read the Rivka sections as they are too painful further showing how well written this book is. An important book I will recommend to my grandchildren to read when they are of age so they can experience WW2 on a detail level.

All encompassing WWII Novel

I want to address the narrator first, she did an outstanding job capturing the accents and wide range of voices. She reads fast at the beginning of the book, but slows down after a few chapters. Give her a chance please!

The book is written with easy to follow narratives of the Pacific front, European front, French resistance, the home front, Jews and Gentiles, and the inside workings of war. Beautifully written and easy to follow as the stories are told by key characters.

Don't miss out on this wonderful book because of negative narrator reviews. I listen to this book every year starting in December, which is the time the book starts. It ends with all the characters finding their way after the end of the war.

Epic Story of WWII Jewish Americans

I have nothing but praise for Piercy. Her prose cuts to the core of the times she describes. I'm right there with each person profiled in this epic novel. I learned so much from her, but moreover, a much deeper awareness of what WWII meant for Jewish Americans. However, I had a really hard time with the narrator, but I stuck with her despite her tendency to have an affect of "creaky voice." After about 10 hours of listening, I can tolerate her narrating and I focus only on Piercy's words. But really - couldn't the author and publisher picked another person? Still, I recommend listening to this novel despite it's length. It's deeply moving, at points chilling, and I have grown to love each character in their own way. Thank you, Marge Piercy for writing this book.

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.