Five Pounds

A Novel of Refuge, Defiance, and the Birth of Curious George

By: Robert Walker

Narrated by: Pat Devon's voice replica

The true story behind the world's most beloved children's book is a story the world was never supposed to know.

In June 1940, as Hitler's armies closed on Paris, two German-Jewish refugees fled the city on makeshift bicycles assembled from junkyard scrap. Strapped to a luggage rack, wrapped in oilcloth, was a five-pound manuscript about a mischievous, tailless monkey — the book the world would come to know as Curious George.

Hans and Margret Rey's desperate escape across a collapsing France is one of the great untold dramas of World War II. But their survival hinged on something even more extraordinary: the conscience of a single man.

Aristides de Sousa Mendes, the Portuguese Consul-General in Bordeaux, defied a direct order from dictator António de Oliveira Salazar and hand-stamped an estimated 30,000 visas in ten days — the largest rescue action by an individual during the Holocaust. For this, the regime destroyed him. They stripped his title, his pension, his right to practice law. They watched as he sold his estate piece by piece to feed his children. He died in poverty, buried in a borrowed robe.

The dictator commanded armies. But the dictator could not unstamp the paper.

Five Pounds braids the Reys' flight with Mendes's defiance into a riveting narrative that moves from Montmartre to the Spanish border, from a Bordeaux consulate besieged by thousands to the charity ward where a hero died forgotten. It is a novel about the terrible arithmetic of survival — what you carry, what you leave behind, and the five pounds of dead weight that turned out to be worth more than everything else combined.

For listeners of All the Light We Cannot See, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and The Librarian of Auschwitz — a story that will fundamentally change the way you read Curious George to your children.

©2026 Robert Walker (P)2026 Robert Walker

The Background Behind Curious George

This was such a unique and moving listen. Five Pounds gives a powerful and emotional story behind the birth of Curious George, blending history, loss, courage, and hope in a way that kept me deeply interested. Robert Walker takes something familiar and beloved and gives it new depth and meaning. It made me think about the people, pain, and perseverance behind the stories we pass down to children. If you enjoy historical fiction with heart and purpose, this audiobook is well worth listening to

interesting

I like the historical aspect of this story, it made it more intriguing. I really liked Cruoius George when I was a kid and now my own child likes it so it was very dry interesting to hear the story of how it came to be. Overall it kept my attention and the story will stay with me for a while after listening. Usually I don't like AI voices but this was surprisingly good and didn't distract from the story.

A captivating look at histories great escape

I just finished listening to Five Pounds: A Novel of Refuge, Defiance, and the Birth of Curious George, and I am still reeling from the journey. Like many, I grew up with the mischievous little monkey, but I had absolutely no idea about the harrowing, real-life survival story behind his creators, H.A. and Margret Rey.

The Story
The novel follows the Reys as they flee Paris in June 1940, just hours before the Nazis occupied the city. The title refers to the weight of their meager belongings—including the original manuscript for Curious George—which they carried as they escaped on makeshift bicycles. It’s a masterclass in tension, blending the whimsy of their artistic spirits with the grim reality of a world at war.

The Performance
The narration is what truly elevates the Audible experience. The narrator captures the distinct voices of the Reys perfectly—Margret’s sharp, determined personality contrasts beautifully with Hans’s more gentle, artistic temperament. The pacing is spot-on, making the high-stakes moments of their trek through France and Spain feel incredibly immediate.

Why You Should Listen
Historical Depth: It’s meticulously researched. You’ll learn so much about the "Open Door" policy and the precarious nature of life for Jewish refugees during WWII.

Emotional Weight: It’s more than just a biography; it’s a story of resilience and the power of creativity to survive even the darkest times.

Perspective: You will never look at those yellow-covered children's books the same way again. Knowing that George was essentially a refugee himself adds a profound layer to the classic stories.

Final Verdict: Whether you are a fan of historical fiction, a lover of literary history, or just looking for a deeply moving story of human perseverance, this is a must-listen. It is a beautiful tribute to the Reys and the "Refuge" they found in their art.

A story I wish I had known sooner and will now share with my grandchildren

Shame on me for not digging deeper when my kids were little, but this story changed that for me. This audiobook is powerful, emotional, and incredibly well told. Knowing the real history behind Curious George and the journey of Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey adds so much depth to something I once saw as simple and lighthearted.
The bravery of Aristides de Sousa Mendes is unforgettable. The way the story weaves survival, sacrifice, and quiet heroism makes it both heartbreaking and inspiring.
I’ll never read these stories the same way again. And this time, when I read them with my grandchildren, I’ll be able to share the meaning behind them—the courage, the risk, and the humanity that made those books possible. A truly unforgettable listen.

Authentic Charm Amid a Challenging History

I grew up with Curious George. I had no idea what it cost to get him here.

Five Pounds stays close to Hans Rey and Margret Rey as they move through a world that’s shutting down around them. No speeches, no polishing. Just a series of decisions made quickly, sometimes imperfectly, with very little margin for error. They keep the manuscript with them, and it never feels symbolic or sentimental—more like something they couldn’t justify leaving behind, even when it would have made things easier.

I took this in on audio and never felt the urge to switch away. It’s straightforward and doesn’t overdo the emotion. I did pause when I learned the narration is apparently a voice replica of Pat Devon. If the replica is close to the source, the decision to lean on a well-established voice makes sense. As it is, the performance comes through with an audibly pleasing tenor—more like a trusted godfather settling in to tell you a story than anything synthetic. It works. The question is whether it needed to be done this way at all.

The version I grew up with feels incomplete now.