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The Old Country Audiobook
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(3.08) - 245 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Mordicai Gerstein’s portrayal of Philippe Petit’s high-wire walk between the towers of the World Trade Center, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, won the 2004 Caldecott Medal and was among the most admired books of the year. Now comes a memorable new work, a novel of singular insight and imagination that transports readers to the Old Country, where “every winter was a hundred years and every spring a miracle . . . where the water was like music and the music was like water . . . where all the fairy tales come from, where there was magic–and there was war.” There, Gisella stares a moment too long into the eyes of a fox, and she and the fox exchange shape. Gisella’s quest to get her girl-body back takes her on a journey across a war-ravaged country that has lost its shape. She encounters sprites, talking animals, a chicken that lays a golden egg, a court with a spider for a judge–and bloodshed, destruction, and questions of power and justice. Finally, looking into the eyes of the fox once more, she faces a strange and startling choice about her own nature. The Old Country is at once timeless and contemporary–a tale that draws on a wealth of storytelling tradition and dramatizes the question of what it is to be human. Part adventure story, part fable; exciting, beautifully told, rich in humor and wisdom, it is the work of an artist and storyteller at the height of his powers.
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"This is a great quick read for young and old alike. It is reminiscent of folk tales passed from generation to generation. The writing style is loose, and doesn't get boggled down with too many details, like any storytelling. The story revolves around a little girl who gets tricked into trading places with a fox, it just so happens that war is waging all around them, and in the process she must rescue her family as well as regain her original form. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys folk tales, magic, and adventure."
— Rachel (4 out of 5 stars)
The Old Country Listener Reviews
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" it is an intering and supridingly old fashioned book "
— Preston, 2/16/2014 -
" a Wonderful tale of war and the view points of different beings. "
— Vicki, 1/19/2014 -
" Recommended by a teen patron, it was hard for me to get into this story. It defintely has a different "flavor" than more teen lit I have been reading and was quaint in its own way, but I felt it was perhaps a little too young and simplistic for what i was craving at the time. "
— Dracolibris, 12/27/2013 -
" Clearly a fairy tale written for children...that doesn't shy away from Kafka references and the horrors of war. A short novel that grew out of a short story; I think I would have liked it more as a short story, dense and weird, with the Jewish metaphor a bit more understated. "
— Megan, 11/6/2013 -
" I just love this book. Very well written and detailed. "
— Blue, 11/5/2013 -
" Fiction - excellent booklegger book for 4th & 5th graders... "
— Penny, 9/2/2013 -
" Loved this book. Has a great message. "
— Lauretta, 8/26/2013 -
" This book is an interesting blend of historical fiction/grandmother's reminiscences mixed with an element of fantasy. It tells the story of the grandmother as a young girl during a time of war and upheaval in her eastern European country and something unusual that happens to her. "
— Tamsyn, 5/1/2013 -
" I really liked this story, there's something about it that reminded me a little of Alice in Wonderland. "
— Kimifly, 12/2/2012 -
" Enchanted tail full of old world fairy tales. "
— Jenn, 10/11/2012 -
" Excellent! Gerstein combines familiar fairy tale elements into a fresh, intriguing read. This was not what I expected. "
— Allyson, 8/6/2012 -
" a complex children's book that uses fantasy and traditional literature to express an anti-war message "
— Hlochte, 7/30/2011 -
" A magical fairy tale "
— Mitzi, 7/6/2011 -
" Nice take on creation of fairy tales and the loss of magic. I wasn't always fond of the narrators voice and writing style, but it does tie into the 'old country' feel. The story while complete did not feel whole, it could have been expanded, it felt a bit brief in the conclusion. "
— Erinn, 6/13/2011 -
" Buena explicacion sobre lo que esta bien y lo que esta mal según la naturaleza de cada uno.<br/> Nunca mirare a los zorros a los ojos por mucho tiempo. "
— Roko, 3/30/2011 -
" Excelente historia, super conmovedora, con mensaje y entretenida :) una excelente adquisición sin duda alguna "
— Aclaina, 2/7/2011 -
" Loved this book. Has a great message. "
— Lauretta, 1/6/2011 -
" it is an intering and supridingly old fashioned book "
— Preston, 9/24/2010 -
" This book had such great potential and easily could have been fantastic. However, it totally failed to do so. Instead of giving it 1 star, I gave it 2, because of the interesting idea of two characters switching bodies.<br/>That was the only thing that held my interest. "
— Janeen-san, 8/16/2009 -
" this was a very well writen fairy tale. you could fall in love with the charecters. and i loved the very unexpected twist at the end. the way the crystle palace was described realy gave me vivid mental images. i recomend this book for the young or young at heart. "
— Sara, 4/12/2009 -
" Enchanted tail full of old world fairy tales. "
— Jenn, 2/20/2009 -
" Fiction - excellent booklegger book for 4th & 5th graders... "
— Penny, 1/13/2009 -
" Don't ever try to write a book if you think symbolism and allegory are the same thing as a story. "
— Neil, 12/20/2008 -
" oh, man... this book had such great potential. and there are amazing storytelling elements in this tale, but there is ultimately a coldness that hangs over this story- the horrible way that revenge, instead of justice, is related... dammit "
— Tripmastermonkey, 5/6/2008 -
" a complex children's book that uses fantasy and traditional literature to express an anti-war message "
— Hlochte, 4/9/2008 -
" Though a little bit odd, it's especially interesting the way the author writes it. "
— Me, 2/9/2008
About Mordicai Gerstein
Mordicai Gerstein is the author and illustrator of The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, winner of the Caldecott Medal, and has had four books named New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year.
About Tovah Feldshuh
Tovah Feldshuh is an icon known for her starring roles as Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in Golda’s Balcony, the longest-running one-person show in Broadway history; Irena Gut in Irena’s Vow; the title role in Yentl; her performances in Broadway productions like Cyrano, Lend Me a Tenor, Pippin, and many others; and her television roles as Helena Slomova in the internationally acclaimed miniseries, Holocaust; as hypercritical mom Naomi in Rachel Bloom’s smash hit Crazy Ex-Girlfriend; and tough-as-nails head of Alexandria, Deanna Monroe on AMC’s The Walking Dead.