The Brothers of Auschwitz

By: Malka Adler, Noel Canin

Narrated by: Peter Noble

Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

The USA Today best seller.

My brother’s tears left a delicate, clean line on his face. I stroked his cheek, whispered, it’s really you....

Dov and Yitzhak live in a small village in the mountains of Hungary, isolated both from the world and from the horrors of the war.

But one day in 1944, everything changes. The Nazis storm the homes of the Jewish villagers and inform them they have one hour. One hour before the train will take them to Auschwitz.

Six decades later, from the safety of their living rooms at home in Israel, the brothers finally break their silence to a friend who will never let their stories be forgotten.

Malka Adler’s extraordinary biographical novel of a family separated by the Holocaust and their harrowing journey back to each other is based on interviews with the brothers she grew up with by the Sea of Galilee. When they decided to tell their story, she was the only one they would talk to.

Told in a poetic style reminiscent of Margaret Atwood, this is a visceral yet essential listen for those who have found strength, solace and above all hope in books like The Choice, The Librarian of Auschwitz and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

©2020 Malka Adler (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic Reviews

"It is a book we all must [listen to] in order to know.... It is harsh, enthralling, earth-shattering, rattling - but we must. And nothing less." (Aliza Ziegler, editor in chief at Proza Books, Yedioth Ahronoth Publishing House)

"Great courage is needed to write as Adler does - without softening, without beautifying, without leaving any room to imagination." (Yehudith Rotem, Haaretz newspaper)

"This is a book we are not allowed not to [listen to]." (Leah Roditi, At Magazine)

Very heartbreaking. A story of true reality.

I love the story. My only prayer is that this history never repeats itself. I am truly proud of the survivors who were able to document this so that it can be remembered.

hard to hear what they went through

loved it. It breaks your heart. it amazed me how they survived. bless them

Utterly sad awesome plight of two young boys

This was a truely wonderful read ,very sad but they survived for each other, a must read story

Absolutely loved this and didn't want it to end.

This was a remarkable story about two very brave young men and the style of the book was unusual but I can honestly say that it was fantastic. I really felt as though the two brothers themselves were telling me their story and the characters were totally brought to life by author and narrator. The different personas of the brothers really came to life and it was fascinating how they each coped with the horrors they endured. I can't recommend this book highly enough, I felt as though I was living through it with them and it really touched me. At times I actually laughed at one or other's quips about some things and found myself feeling amazed that a book on this subject could make me laugh as well as cry. What amazing men they both were.

Show-stopping...

A remarkable book telling the unbelievable story of survival within the Nazi Holocaust. I loved the way in which it was told, alternating from one brothers account to the other brothers and thankyou for Sarah's story (their sister), which added a slightly different perspective to the whole torrid time.

I am not Jewish but have been to Israel a few times, I have say this book gave me a somewhat improved opinion about the jews and their struggles in the Middle East considering the exact nature of the crimes perpetrated upon them by the Nazis.

Thankyou to the brothers, Sarah, Malka Adler and all those listed in the books credits. A remarkable account.

An eye opening book

This was a hard listen. It pulled no punches. It was hard hitting but nevertheless each time I finished listening I could not wait to start it again. The narrative was superb giving the experience from different perspectives. I also listened intently to their experiences after the war, which now would be recognised as PTSD. I now understand why the suffering never leaves them.

So disappointed with this

I really appreciate reading good quality novels based on the lives of people who survived Auschwitz, and I bought this because of the rave reviews on the Kindle page. Foolishly, I bought the other book by this author too, and now I wish I hadn't. Perhaps I would have preferred reading the book, rather than listening to it. But I wouldn't try now.
This topic is far too important to leave in the hands of a poor narrator. When I listened to the sample, I heard nothing to concern me. But the book continues in that tone, all the way through. It's often impossible to tell who's speaking. Ok, you're told in the chapter heading. But the voice drones on for so long without variation that I often forgot who was speaking. Initially, the narrator tried to make a difference between the two main characters, but soon gives up. He even uses the same voice for women. I suspect he found the book boring to read. I certainly found it difficult to listen to, and found myself thinking about other things and not listening. But the author didn't help. All the four characters that told their stories had the annoying habit of illustrating noises that they heard, by mimicking them. Like the 'dling, dling' of coins in a pocket. The book is packed full of wooshes and shhhh and tchik tchik and wizzes and plops, and a lot of other irritating noises. If perhaps one character had made the sounds, it might have been boring or irritating, but believable. But they all did! There was no narrator, just the voices telling their stories, which is what made it so bizarre, that they all talked like that. I noticed a version has been written for children, and wondered if the two had been muddled up! I couldn't recommend this to anyone. Buy the kindle version when it's on offer if you really want to, but not the Audible version.

The Brothers of Auschwitz

This book was well written and narration was fantastic..very hard to listen to at times. Harrowing in its details. The atrocities committed must never be forgotten or repeated..Heart breaking.

A powerful tale that all should hear.

When you think of world war 2, your mind often drifts to the battles and the events during, but so rarely are the consequences looked upon from a Jewish persons point of view - the last effects it has on an individual and their surviving relatives.
Adler does just this - sharing the tale of the brothers; their individual and combined experiences and the ever lasting effect it has on them. Her writing makes it feel as though you are reading their words and theirs alone. The sheer honesty and rawness to their words makes you feel horrified that anyone could have suffered through such atrocities and proceed to survive.

A must read for everyone.