The Watchmaker of Dachau

By: Carly Schabowski

Narrated by: Alison Campbell, Martin Reeve

Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

An unforgettable novel of human kindness, inspired by an incredible true story.

Snow falls and a woman prepares for a funeral she has long expected, yet hoped would never come. As she pats her hair and straightens her skirt, she tells herself this isn’t the first time she’s lost someone. Lifting a delicate, battered wristwatch from a little box on her dresser, she presses it to her cheek. Suddenly, she’s lost in memory....

January 1945, Dachau, Germany. As the train rattles through the bright, snowy Bavarian countryside, the still beauty outside the window hides the terrible scenes inside the train, where men and women are packed together, cold and terrified. Jewish watchmaker Isaac Schüller can’t understand how he came to be here, and is certain he won’t be leaving alive.

When the prisoners arrive at Dachau concentration camp, Isaac is unexpectedly pulled from the crowd and installed in the nearby household of Senior Officer Becher and his young, pretty, spoiled wife. With his talent for watchmaking, Isaac can be of use to Becher, but he knows his life is only worth something here as long as Becher needs his skills.

Anna Reznick waits tables and washes linens for the Bechers, who dine and socialise and carry on as if they don’t constantly have death all around them. When she meets Isaac, she knows she’s found a true friend, and maybe more. But Dachau is a dangerous place where you can never take love for granted, and when Isaac discovers a heartbreaking secret hidden in the depths of Becher’s workshop, it will put Anna and Issac in terrible danger....

Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones, and The Alice Network.

©2021 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd. (P)2021 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Annie

Very good read. Enjoy the story
Could not put it down. Highly recommend. Story so full of life in a dying environment.

Great book

I got so caught up in the characters in this book. We have no idea about the camps. And WW 2 in general. I enjoy reading about that time. I have read a lot about that time & they all touched me! I especially loved Isaac.

Very well written and performed.

I would not say it was my favorite, but it was very touching. The performances were excellent.

Tug at your heart strings kind of story

I have read a lot of this particular genre and this story is one of the better ones. The characters are very well rounded. The story was easy to follow and flowed nicely.
My only criticism is the narrators voice of the mother. It was very very whiny and really got on my nerves.
Other than that a good choice and selection.

Amazing step back in time

Just a wonderful story, with a horrible background…just so touching and narration was perfect

Touching and beautiful

What a beautifully written book, but even more beautifully narrated. Expertly done. Their voices are so enthralling that it takes you right to the heart of the characters and their stories. Almost as if you are there with them.
I loved this book from the get go.

Puts life in perspective

Great book. Perseverance, love, good amongst the evil. I loved the way the gruesome details that needed to be described where then combined with beautiful stories that took the shock away from the previous pages. Inspiring book that puts current times in perspective and inspires to continue in path of love.

Wow!

This audiobook is excellent. You really feel like you know the characters. I don't want to give anything away, but I loved the words, "Two negatives make a positive." What a great motto to live by when things are tough!

Never forget

Beautifully written and narrated. Love prevails through injustices of humanity. Our ability to love , hope and dream can never be taken from us.

Unique

I disagree with one reviewer who said she was disappointed. I was far from disappointed. The book was full of the anguish of the Jewish people, the horror of the death camps, the sadistic Nazi machine and how love of any kind can help survivors of any horrific crime.