The Violin of Auschwitz

A Novel

By: Maria Angels Anglada

Narrated by: David Colacci

Length: 2 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the winter of 1991, at a concert in Krakow, an older woman with a marvelously pitched violin meets a fellow musician who is instantly captivated by her instrument. When he asks her how she obtained it, she reveals the remarkable story behind its origin....

Imprisoned at Auschwitz, the notorious concentration camp, Daniel feels his humanity slipping away. Treasured memories of the young woman he loved and the prayers that once lingered on his lips become hazier with each passing day. Then a visit from a mysterious stranger changes everything, as Daniel’s former identity as a crafter of fine violins is revealed to all. The camp’s two most dangerous men use this information to make a cruel wager: If Daniel can build a successful violin within a certain number of days, the Kommandant wins a case of the finest burgundy. If not, the camp doctor, a torturer, gets hold of Daniel. And so, battling exhaustion, Daniel tries to recapture his lost art, knowing all too well the likely cost of failure.

Written with lyrical simplicity and haunting beauty - and interspersed with chilling, actual Nazi documentation - The Violin of Auschwitz is more than just a novel: It is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of beauty, art, and hope to triumph over the darkest adversity.

©2010 Maria Angels Anglada (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"The novel...is as well-crafted as Daniel's violin turns out to be, and lingers in the imagination long after the last page is turned." ( Shelf Awareness)

A message of hope!

This is the story of Daniel, a violin maker and inmate at Auschwitz concentration camp. For months, Daniel keeps his occupation secret and instead claims to be a carpenter - a more useful profession. When he overhears a musician playing a cracked violin for the camp's commandant, he reveals his skill in order to save the musician from punishment. Soon Daniel finds himself in the middle of a cruel wager between the commandant and the sadistic camp doctor. If Daniel can make a violin of Stradivarius quality, the camp commandant wins a case of the finest burgundy wine. If not, Daniel will be handed over to the camp doctor for use in human experimentation.

Despite the dark theme of this short novel, it carries a message of hope. Amidst so much destruction and cruelty, Daniel manages to create something very beautiful. His friend Bronislov, the musician who plays the violin for the commandant and the camp doctor, sums it up best:

"It isn't true is it, Daniel, that music can tame the beasts? Yet in the end, a song lives."

This novel is very well written, weaving actual Nazi reports from Auschwitz into the narrative. At the end of the story you get to "find out" what happened to the various characters, so there is a nice sense of closure. The narration is also very good - David Colacci's voice is clear and easy to follow, making for no distractions from the story.

If you enjoy stories about the triumph of the human spirit during times of great adversity, you will love this novel. At just under three hours listening time, it asks for very little and delivers a lot.