MISCHLING

This remarkable story is ideal for audio. Konar’s work juxtaposes the horrors of Nazi Germany with the ability of children to love and remain optimistic amid conditions that would destroy many adults. Vanessa Johansson’s narration demonstrates why the spoken word can be superior to reading in print. Her delivery gives life and vivid personality to Pearl and Stasha Zagorski, twin sisters who arrive with their family at Auschwitz in 1944 and are assigned to Joseph Mengele’s Zoo, where they’re selected to live among his human guinea pigs. Despite the daunting odds the girls face, and the horrors they encounter, Johansson uses a light, almost angelic, tone to enhance the dialogue and instill the book with a sense of optimism unusual in historical fiction of this type. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2016]