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One of Us

By: Åsne Seierstad, Sarah Death - translator
Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
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Summary

A harrowing and thorough account of the massacre that upended Norway, and the trial that helped put the country back together.

On July 22, 2011, Anders Behring Breivik detonated a bomb outside government buildings in central Oslo, killing eight people. He then proceeded to a youth camp on the island of Utøya, where he killed 69 more, most of them teenage members of Norway's governing Labour Party. In One of Us, the journalist Åsne Seierstad tells the story of this terrible day and what led up to it. What made Breivik, a gifted child from an affluent neighborhood in Oslo, become a terrorist?

As in her best seller The Bookseller of Kabul, Seierstad excels at the vivid portraiture of lives under stress. She delves deep into Breivik's troubled childhood, showing how a hip-hop and graffiti aficionado became a right-wing activist and Internet game addict, and then an entrepreneur, Freemason, and self-styled master warrior who sought to "save Norway" from the threat of Islam and multiculturalism. She writes with equal intimacy about Breivik's victims, tracing their political awakenings, aspirations to improve their country, and ill-fated journeys to the island. By the time Seierstad reaches Utøya, we know both the killer and those he will kill. We have also gotten to know an entire country - famously peaceful and prosperous, and utterly incapable of protecting its youth.

©2013 Åsne Seierstad; Translation 2015 Sarah Death (P)2016 Audible, Inc.
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What listeners say about One of Us

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Absolutely gripping book

The book is well researched and one feels like getting to know the perpetrator but even more important the victims. The book makes one angry at times and really sad but it is an incredible book that I will listen to again very soon. The narrator is superb as well.

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An extraordinary & important piece of journalism

This is a remarkable non-fiction book, the result of deep research and deliberation from Åsne Seierstadt. She combines a powerful narrative with a considered analysis to give readers who don't know much about Norwegian politics and society an insight into the context and aftermath.

The detailed and forensic account of the terrorist incidents and murders was very difficult to listen to, but was an important part of the narrative of the book to factually set out what happened.

I particularly appreciated Seierstadt's engagement with the ethics of writing an analysis of such horrific crimes, and the structure of the book enables the reader to get full and rounded understanding of the victims and their lives as well as the murderer.

The narrator does a good job too: calm, clear and well paced.

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An amazing work

I read at least one review that suggested the author had fictionalised some aspects of the deaths of some of the young people on the island. The author/s of the review/s did not pay enough attention, or did not read or listen to the epilogue. It’s a tremendously well researched book, providing a comprehensive picture of the events in question. The writer is not just a reporter, but an artist. The narrator is quite an actress. The details of the deaths are gruesome, but all the detail has a purpose that isn’t gratuitous.

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An unimaginable horror.

No matter what side of the political & multi cultural chasms of today's world one finds oneself allied to, one cannot deny that the events of 22nd July 2011 in Norway were truly an atrocity.
Åsne Seierstad has managed to write as unbiased & balanced a book on this terrible episode in Norway's history as is possible, the facts laid bare speak for themselves.
This is an exceptionally detailed account and very well read by Suzanne Toren.
The writing & narration had me glued to this audiobook from start until finish.

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A deep and detailed dive into a fascinating case

The performance of Suzanne Toren is perfect, the research by Åsne Seierstad is in depth.

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Horrific, thought provoking, informative

Horrific, thought provoking, informative and heart breaking. Well researched. Not enjoyable but an essential read!

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Excellent read and a tribute to all the victims.

Very clear narration. Well written and provides insight into areas I knew nothing about. Chronologically clear and concise.

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Gripping Listen

rely informative and interesting, well researched and fact filled.
Gave a really comprehensive look at the murderer and his victims.
It is brave enough to look at the lives of those who suffered and try to explain the mindset of the murderer.
There is a huge amount of background detail but it is well worth listening to

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Stark reality of the situation.

The book is excellent and harrowing in equal measures. The level of research is second to none.

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Written factually with authentic emotion ...

Story beautifully scripted - the reader connects with each family sadly affected by this pointless outrage.

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