The Winter Guest

By: Pam Jenoff

Narrated by: Emily Bauer

A stirring novel of first love in a time of war and the unbearable choices that could tear sisters apart, from the celebrated author of The Kommandant's Girl.

Life is a constant struggle for the 18-year-old Nowak twins as they raise their three younger siblings in rural Poland under the shadow of the Nazi occupation. The constant threat of arrest has made everyone in their village a spy, and turned neighbor against neighbor. Though rugged, independent Helena and pretty, gentle Ruth couldn't be more different, they are staunch allies in protecting their family from the threats the war brings closer to their doorstep with each passing day. Then Helena discovers an American paratrooper stranded outside their small mountain village, wounded, but alive. Risking the safety of herself and her family, she hides Sam - a Jew - but Helena's concern for the American grows into something much deeper. Defying the perils that render a future together all but impossible, Sam and Helena make plans for the family to flee. But Helena is forced to contend with the jealousy her choices have sparked in Ruth, culminating in a singular act of betrayal that endangers them all - and setting in motion a chain of events that will reverberate across continents and decades.

©2014 Pam Jenoff (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Another great Pam Jen off book

I enjoyed this book although I wish it had ended a little differently. I would like to have listened to a few more chapters, to draw out the conclusion instead of putting it all into the last five minutes of the book.

so worth the seemingly slow parts

I thought this book was slow, so much detail. Turns out you needed to know every detail she listed and it was a fantastic pay off in the end!

Butchered pronunciation

The story was ok, a little slow at times, but I could not stand listening to the narrator absolutely BUTCHER the Polish words. At the very least, I would expect someone narrating a book with a handful of foreign words to take 10 minutes to google the pronunciation of those words instead of making a half assed absolutely atrocious attempt. Historical fiction books almost always have names/places/words thrown in in whatever the language of the area at the time was, I would expect better from a professional narrator.

beautiful story

Well written, like all of Pam Jenoff's books. Help my interest from beginning to end. An amazing author and an amazing story

I liked it, but I doubt of I'd every buy it.

It was okay. I'm glad it was less deus ex machina than The Kommandant's Girl, but there were still things I didn't like about it. The girls being twins probably would have been snatched up by the Nazis already so the fact that they were free didn't really make sense. Also, Ruth was kind of a horrible person. She never wanted her sister to truly be happy (Jealous of Sam and not letting her wear their mother's clothes). Not to mention that she flat out raped Sam since he thought she was Helena and she didn't correct him. I'm glad this book is on Audible Escapes though because I would have been disappointed if I had actually paid for it.