The Madonnas of Leningrad
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The Madonnas of Leningrad
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Narrated by:
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Yelena Shmulenson
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By:
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Debra Dean
About this listen
Bit by bit, the ravages of age are eroding Marina's grip on the everyday. An elderly Russian woman now living in America, she cannot hold on to fresh memories - the details of her grown children's lives, the approaching wedding of her grandchild - yet her distant past is miraculously preserved in her mind's eye.
Vivid images of her youth in war-torn Leningrad arise unbidden, carrying her back to the terrible fall of 1941, when she was a tour guide at the Hermitage Museum and the German army's approach signaled the beginning of what would be a long, torturous siege on the city. As the people braved starvation, bitter cold, and a relentless German onslaught, Marina joined other staff members in removing the museum's priceless masterpieces for safekeeping, leaving the frames hanging empty on the walls to symbolize the artworks' eventual return. As the Luftwaffe's bombs pounded the proud, stricken city, Marina built a personal Hermitage in her mind - a refuge that would stay buried deep within her, until she needed it once more....
If she's lucky, she will return from this journey. But there will be a cost.
©2006 Debra Dean (P)2012 HarperCollins PublishersWhat listeners say about The Madonnas of Leningrad
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- paul g
- 22-07-2016
Poignant and thought provoking
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Lovely story, very sad aspects to it but you feel so much for the characters involved.
What did you like best about this story?
The mix of the past and the present so beautifully interwoven.
Have you listened to any of Yelena Shmulenson’s other performances? How does this one compare?
No but would look out for others.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I didn't due to time constraints but would be possible I'm sure.
Any additional comments?
This is a poignant story about a woman who has lived through an awful time in our history and when in older age goes through Alzheimer. You experience this story through her eyes as she lives in the present, confused and lost and also in the past where it is clear and strong. The comparison is very stark and yet beautiful. There is a huge inclusion of artwork into the storyline which was very interesting to research further on.
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