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Winter Journey  By  cover art

Winter Journey

By: Diane Armstrong
Narrated by: Deidre Rubenstein
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Publisher's summary

Halina Shore is a Polish born forensic dentist living in Australia. When she travels to Poland to take part in the investigation of a war crime, she finds herself at the center of a bitter struggle in a community that has been divided by a grim legacy. As the investigation proceeds, her professional assignment becomes a confronting personal odyssey as the truth about her own past begins to emerge.

Inspired by a true incident that took place in Poland in 1941 but was concealed for 60 years, Diane Armstrong's gripping novel is a detective story that is part mystery, part history, and part forensic investigation. It is also a tale of love, loss, and unimaginable sacrifice.

©2005 Diana Armstrong (P)2005 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.

Critic reviews

"The best and worst of the human spirit are dredged up in this profoundly moving, compelling, and superbly written story." (Australian Women's Weekly)

What listeners say about Winter Journey

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Historical Story Marred by Unnecessary Fluff

First off, let me say that the historical parts of Winter Journey were fascinating, horrifying and educated me on one more atrocity of WWII that I never knew existed . . . the killing of several hundred Jewish citizens in Jedwabne, Poland by it's own citizens, NOT the Germans . . . it is a true story (the town renamed for the book) . . . but I was sadly "put off" by the author's continuous need to place Halina in one sexual escapade after another . . . the forensic dentist, Halina, talented and experienced at her craft, would have been at the very least in her fifties, but most probably older . . . and the graphic sex detracted from the story line . . . the forensics, the delving into her past, that's what kept me listening . . . but I felt like it took way too long to get there because I had to wade through too much mud . . .

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145 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A great listening experience

A captivating story which was beautifully read. This was a book that I took a chance on as I hadn't read a review or heard about it prior to download. At times heart-wrenching but a definite page turner that kept my interest until the last word.

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59 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Amazing Narrator enhances good story

Interesting book, based on a true story about a forensic dentist Halina Shore, from Austrailia, who because of her Polish background, is one of the people chosen to go on war crimes assignment to dig up a mass grave in a town in Poland. The village people are divided and and angry about this intrusion in their lives, because it might show that they, the Poles, were responsible for the 1,000 jews that were burned alive there, and not the Germans, as they claimed.
Digging up the mass grave, uncovers much more than the answer to the question about who dunnit, it uncovers truths about Halina's own life. Good story, a little confusing at times, with all the names and characters, but an overall a good book.
Deidre Rubenstein deserves an award for her performance reading this book. Her emotion and skill draw you in. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed reading this one as much as I did listening to it.

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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent 10 Stars in my view.

This is one of the best books I bought.
It is a true story and I can not agree with other poeple that this is over dramitized. I cound not stop listening!!
Very well written and it give a true reflection of human nature. The reader was excellent. She was able to bring to life Jewish, Polish, & Australian characters with just the right accents and inflections.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A mixed review

First, the good news: the reader was excellent. She was able to bring to life Jewish, Polish, & Australian characters with just the right accents and inflections. Now, the bad news: there were a few too many coincidences for me with regard to the main character; and in the end I realized she would be a much older character than she seems throughout the novel. I do enjoy listening to novels that have some basis in history - so I would still recommend the book even though I found some flaws in the timeline.

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Fascinating Story

I'm not sure what time line the other reviewers were using but a little research shows Poland entering the European Union around 1990, which would make the main character around 50, not 70. While some people may be surprised that a woman could be involved in a romantic relationship at that age, I found it very refreshing and thought the entire story was very moving and interesting.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Its ok

I like this book. If it is indeed a true story, it is a remarkable story. It is well written and the characters and their circumstances are good.
It is not a mystery like most but the ending took me by suprise.
If there is anything missing, it is something that is missing from most books written about this black period. Soul searching.

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20 people found this helpful

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

THE RELENTLESS DELVE INTO EMOTION WAS TIRELESS

HIS VOICE WAS AS DARK AND MELLOW AS THE BRANDY SHE HAD BEEN DRINKING
This is so not what I thought I was getting. This is chick lit. Women issues takes center stage. Nothing happens without us looking at it in how it affects women. The writing is often disjointed and stilted. One minute we are in Cambodia, the next we are in court. The only time the book flows well is in court and when the main character is having sex with her married boyfriend. I gave it a little over three hours and I would have liked to have known what happened in Poland, but not enough to listen to a documentary for hours. Most of the sentences are statements. Huge periods are put at the end of most sentences. There is an audience for this book, but it is not for anyone with a beard.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Tedious with an annoying protagonist

In light of the keystone tragedy in the story, the main character's personal crisis is narcissistic and in self-pitying. The author tends to state (and re-state) the obvious and by over-explaining the characters and the science she leaves little suspense and nothing for the reader to discover. Not recommended.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Heart rending crime

After the first 15 minutes, I was not able to listen to the rest of this book. It probably is well written and compelling, but the horrendous Nazi crimes (with Polish assistance) about to be detailed was more than I could bear.

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15 people found this helpful