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The Children of Willesden Lane: Beyond the Kindertransport: A Memoir of Music, Love, and Survival Audiobook
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Publisher Description
Based on the true story of her mother, Mona Golabek describes the inspirational story of Lisa Jura's escape from Nazi-controlled Austria to England on the famed Kindertransport.
Jewish musical prodigy Lisa Jura has a wonderful life in Vienna. But when the Nazis start closing in on the city, life changes irreversibly. Although he has three daughters, Lisa's father is only able to secure one berth on the Kindertransport. The family decides to send Lisa to London so that she may pursue her dreams of a career as a concert pianist. Separated from her beloved family, Lisa bravely endures the trip and a disastrous posting outside London before finding her way to the Willesden Lane Orphanage.
It is in this orphanage that Lisa's story truly comes to life. Her music inspires the other orphanage children, and they, in turn, cheer her on in her efforts to make good on her promise to her family to realize her musical potential. Through hard work and sheer pluck, Lisa wins a scholarship to study piano at the Royal Academy. As she supports herself and studies, she makes a new life for herself and dreams of reconnecting with the family she was forced to leave behind. The resulting tale delivers a message of the power of music to uplift the human spirit and to grant the individual soul endurance, patience, and peace.
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“The author narrates this amazing biography of her mother’s life in a melodic voice. Golabek adopts subtle German inflections for the narrative and provides a stronger German accent for the dialogue of Mrs. Cohen, who runs the refugee hostel at Willesden Lane…Golabek’s soft, emotional voice describes Lisa’s music-filled hopes and dreams while classical music soars throughout this beautiful audiobook, bringing tears and smiles to listeners. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
Quotes
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“A tale of one young woman’s courage…Hopeful, personal, and true.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“The authors beautifully capture Jura’s passion for music and her determination to realize her dream of becoming a concert pianist.”
— Publishers Weekly -
A deeply moving and heartfelt tale...brings tears to the reader's eyes...a testament to maternal love.
— Washington Post Book World -
Uplifting...vivid.
— Publishers Weekly
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
The Children of Willesden Lane Listener Reviews
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shirley houston, 12/27/2016
About the Authors
A prolific recording artist and producer, Mona Golabek has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony, and the Tokyo Philharmonic. She has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Hollywood Bowl, and London’s Royal Festival Hall. Golabek lives in Los Angeles, California.
Lee Cohen is a journalist, screenwriter and poet. He coproduced and wrote the feature film The Effects of Magic and has collaborated with Mona Golabek on several projects, including a recording of Ravel’s Mother Goose suite featuring Meryl Streep. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.