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The Willow Wren
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Brian Webber
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
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The Willow Wren
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Publisher's Summary
The touching and nuanced portrait of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany through the eyes of a resourceful German boy.
Ludwig is an odd and introverted child, growing up in Hitler’s Germany. While Ludwig’s father, Wilhelm, is a senior Nazi and a true believer, Ludwig escapes the unfolding catastrophe by withdrawing into nature and books. Eventually, when the Allied bombing campaign intensifies, Ludwig is sent to a Hitler Youth camp, where his oddness makes him a target for bullying.
As the war turns against Germany, the Hitler Youth camp becomes ever more severe and militaristic, and the atmosphere spirals towards chaos. After the Nazis abandon the camp, Ludwig returns home, and his father is presumed dead. With Ludwig’s mother descending into depression, the 11-year-old bears increasing responsibility for the survival of the family as starvation sets in under Russian occupation. Soon, it will be impossible to leave the Russian zone, so Ludwig decides that he must rally his despondent mother and lead her and his three younger siblings in an escape attempt to the west.
Based on a true story, The Willow Wren is a unique, touching exploration of extremism, resilience, and the triumph of the small.
Critic Reviews
“Philipp Schott pulls off the considerable feat of creating empathy for his characters without ever resorting to easy excuses for their sometimes indefensible choices...a fine, nuanced storytelling achievement.” (Frederick Taylor, historian and best-selling author of Exorcising Hitler: The Occupation and Denazification of Germany)
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What listeners say about The Willow Wren
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 08-06-2021
A timeline piece not to be forgotten
What a fantastic story with the Schott family history embedded for future generations ears and eyes. The narrator maintains a captivating tone with excellent German and English pronunciation. Brian Webber makes the listener forget about the conjecture present. This author and narrator combination encouraged me to feel as though the past was actively working along a steadily maturing timeline and kept me engaged during setting and date changes. I also appreciated the epilogue for relying on the listener to have been actively engaged.
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