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A Faraway Island Audiobook
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(3.03) - 537 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Two Jewish sisters leave Austria during WWII/Holocaust and find refuge in Sweden. It's the summer of 1939. Two Jewish sisters from Vienna—12-year-old Stephie Steiner and 8-year-old Nellie—are sent to Sweden to escape the Nazis. They expect to stay there six months, until their parents can flee to Amsterdam; then all four will go to America. But as the world war intensifies, the girls remain, each with her own host family, on a rugged island off the western coast of Sweden. Nellie quickly settles in to her new surroundings. She’s happy with her foster family and soon favors the Swedish language over her native German. Not so for Stephie, who finds it hard to adapt; she feels stranded at the end of the world, with a foster mother who’s as cold and unforgiving as the island itself. Her main worry, though, is her parents—and whether she will ever see them again.
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"A touching book. Two sisters, Stephie, 12, and Nellie, 7, are sent to Sweden as part of a children's refugee program to escape the Nazi occupation and repression in Austria. Nellie adapts to her family quickly, embracing the language and her adopted parents. Stephie struggles with trying to fit in, while maintaining her Jewish and Austrian identity. Stephie also has an uneasy relationship with her strict adoptive mother, whom she calls Aunt Marta, as well as problems with the school bully. Above all, she worries about her parents and wants to reunite with them. Or, try to get them to Sweden. By the end of the book, of course, it's obvious the troubles in Europe are not only going to last longer than most people initially thought, but they are spreading. This is the first in a series of translated books. The characters are well-rounded, and most are sympathetic. It strikes me as an honest look at what the children probably faced. The author used real-life stories from children in similar situations."
— April (4 out of 5 stars)
A Faraway Island Listener Reviews
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" Historical fiction about two Jewish girls during WWII who are fostered with families in Sweden until their parents can leave Austria and move to America. "
— B, 2/17/2014 -
" It is a bit difficult to get used to the present tense narrative since there are numerous flashbacks, but it is a good story of two girls who are living in foster homes in Sweden during the Nazi occupation of Germany. If anyone comes across the sequels in English, let me know. "
— Teresa, 1/26/2014 -
" An excellent book for middle readers about the Jewish children sent to Sweden during World War II. Thor writes the main characters emotions so well that the audience can't help but feel her frustration, sadness, and hurt. "
— Kristina, 1/24/2014 -
" Swedish novels, what would we do without them? "
— Kathryn, 1/12/2014 -
" it was good..wish the other two wernt in swedish. guess i gotta brush up..lol "
— Omi, 1/8/2014 -
" Good addition to the Holocaust Literature. "
— Karen, 1/2/2014 -
" this book is meant for a younger reader. For me it was boooooooooooooooring. "
— Laura, 10/30/2013 -
" Easy to read. For young readers. The story lead you to keep reading more and more. "
— Gabriela, 2/13/2013 -
" Could have been a lot better. "
— Teri, 3/18/2012 -
" Swedish novels, what would we do without them? "
— Kathryn, 2/6/2012 -
" a great quick teen read, set in 1940s. I enjoy reading stories set during war... "
— Deanna, 1/1/2012 -
" this is like the best book ever!!! "
— Jessica, 12/18/2011 -
" Two young Jewish sisters are evacuated to Sweden to live with separate foster families. The story centers on Stephie, the oldest, and her difficult adjustment to her new life on this remote island. I will be interested to read the next in the story. "
— Tracie, 6/11/2011 -
" It is one of the good books i have read!! "
— Prarthana, 5/10/2011 -
" a great quick teen read, set in 1940s. I enjoy reading stories set during war... "
— Deanna, 4/6/2011 -
" I can't find the rest of the series in English. Really want to read the rest of the series! "
— Sheri, 2/12/2011 -
" The story of two sisters who are forced to leave their parents behind as they escape from Nazi Germany. Tells the story well without being too graphic. A good book for 4,5 grade to introduce the subject. "
— Linda, 2/9/2011 -
" it was good..wish the other two wernt in swedish. guess i gotta brush up..lol "
— Omi, 1/9/2011 -
" Well done. A fresh perspective written from a child's refugee experience during WWII. I appreciated the authors note especially about the need to be aware of the needs of refugee children in our current age. Anxious to read her other books. "
— Molly, 12/17/2010 -
" It is one of the good books i have read!! "
— Prarthana, 10/25/2010 -
" Touching Holocaust story of two young girls sent from Vienna to a small island in Sweden to escape Hitler in 1939. Only the first book of a series has been translated. The books have been made into a television series in Sweden. Batcheldor 2010 award. "
— Caroline, 8/19/2010
About Amy Rubinate
Amy Rubinate has narrated over 250 audiobooks and won multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards. Her books have been selected for AudioFile’s Best Romance of 2016 list; Booklist’s Top 10 Romance, Top 10 Historical Fiction, Editor’s Choice Media; and YALSA’s Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults. She has a degree in oral interpretation of literature and won state and national awards for poetry reading. A voice actor and singer for over a decade, Amy has narrated many interactive children’s books and provided character voices for toys and video games. Amy’s work has been featured in the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, AudioFile magazine, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal.