The Children of Willesden Lane

Lisa Jura, an Austrian Jew, was already a skilled pianist at age 14, when her parents sent far from home to escape the Nazis. Along with ten thousand other youngsters, she was part of the Kindertransport, which brought the children to London, where they found homes and built lives. 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. On a lesser scale, she provides well-done British and French accents. Lisa's life and thoughts are full of music, and her playing bringing solace to herself and her neighbors during the bombing of London. 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. M.B.K. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine