Anya

By: Susan Fromberg Schaeffer

Narrated by: Kathe Mazur

Anya Savikin lived among well-to-do Russian Jews in Poland, in a world more like Tolstoy's than our own, until the first bombing of Warsaw and the chaos that ensued. Her story incarnates the strength and love of Eastern European Jewry, before and after their decimation.

©1974 Susan Fromberg Schaeffer (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Anya is a myth, an epic...[by] a writer of remarkable power." (Washington Post)

Lengthy memoir that flies by with good reading

Excellent epic novel about a holocaust survivor. It is unique because it is written as a stream of consciousness and it is one of the most detailed books I've ever read, and the reader REALLY gets to know Anya. This novel is extremely well researched and is just plain impressive.along with the narration -- equally impressive. My first introduction to Susan Fromberg Schaeffer novels.

Good Book

This book gives a great perspective of the life of a Jewish family BEFORE, DURING and AFTER WWII. I really enjoyed it. The author is very detailed when describing certain stuff but not in regards to disturbing stuff. I mean about clothes or towns or rooms or people.

Was it the book or the reader?

I might have enjoyed reading this book, but can't tell if it was the book or the reader. The female characters were voiced as young, tentative, even whiny. I did finish listening to it, but almost stopped several times.

Loved this book! So rich with details!

What made the experience of listening to Anya the most enjoyable?

The narrator did an amazing job of portraying many different characters just through her voice! Much richer narration than any other Audible book I've listened to so far. Although parts of the story are horrible (of course) I loved hearing Anya's story in her own words. She seemed so real to me that I Googled "Anya" to find out if this was based on a real person. While some reviewers have said that there were too many details, I loved all the details! I felt like I was right there in her home with her.

What does Kathe Mazur bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I really enjoyed hearing the names of people, places and things. When I read a story I try to say the names in that language in my head, and usually fail. When I listened to "Anya" I didn't have to do that work, and so I was more able to immerse myself in the story. I loved Mazur's narration - she did a wonderful job of bringing all the characters to life, like Nanushka's toddler voice and Farah, as well as Anya.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Of course, it made me cry. More than once.

Wonderful

One of the best books ever! Powerful. Strong characters. I would recommend to anyone who loves stories about WWII.