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The Two Loves of Sophie Strom

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The Two Loves of Sophie Strom

By: Sam Taylor
Narrated by: Beth Eyre, Jot Davies
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About this listen

'The characters are wonderful - a truly moving and fully human. A magnificent achievement.'
LEÏLA SLIMANI

'Impressive . . . it gripped my heart and imagination.'
JO BROWNING WROE

One man, one choice, two lifetimes.

A house fire, Vienna, 1933: thirteen-year-old Max is orphaned, disfigured and adopted by an Aryan family who change his identity - and his prospects.

A house fire, Vienna, 1933: thirteen-year-old Max saves his parents and escapes unharmed, to face life as a Jew in 1930s Austria.

In one unforgettable night, Max Spiegelman's life splits in two. As war looms and Nazism continues to rise, Max is forced into choices that place him and his alter ego on opposing sides of a divided world. Tethered by their dreams, the boys watch helplessly, haunted by visions of what could have been. But in each parallel universe, they share a magnetic bond with an enchanting, grey-eyed girl.

The Two Loves of Sophie Strom is a profound story about how tragedy, choice and life-altering love shape our future.

©2024 Sam Taylor (P)2024 Faber & Faber 20th Century Historical Historical Fiction Feel-Good Heartfelt
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Excellent reading of this complex & intriguing story of dual lives in wartime Vienna & Paris.

Gripping, clever storyline

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The Two Loves of Sophie Strom by Sam Taylor absolutely blew me away. So much so, that I bought the audiobook to listen to while I read and when I just did not want to put it down

I would just like to give a nod to the incredible narrations of Beth Eyre and Jot Davies, navigating some incredibly difficult subjects with integrity, empathy, accuracy and skill. A truly brilliant performance

1933 - A house fire awakens Max, a 13 year old Jew in Austria. His fathers musical instrument shop has been set ablaze, and not by accident. It is at this point, the reader starts to see two versions of the timeline. One side of Max remains the same, half of his face burned by the fire, causing him to be bullied relentlessly. For his looks, for his faith.

The other side of Max exists in a parallel timeline, where Max's parents have perished in the fire, and he is adopted by a German family, the Schattens. Max's family knew the Schattens, their youngest son had died but they still had their eldest, who despised Max. The parents decide to rename Max, calling him Hans and giving him their surname, telling him to lie about his past life. They new what was coming with the change in Austrian politics. As Max (Hans) gets older, he joins the Hitler youth, and later, the SS.

The two sides of Max have one link, and that is Sophie Strom, a girl they meet at their new school, a girl whose hair has been cut off and is the target of bullies. A girl who is the daughter of a bohemian, a divorcee, and who is gifted on the piano and fearless in nature. A girl who understands that each side of Max sees the other in his dreams

An exceptionally intricate plotline, but one that tells both sides of living through 1930's Europe, WWII and the holocaust. Accurately portrayed, incredibly well researched and with a stunning supporting cast, from the cocky, loud Jentz with a gentle heart and the utterly vile Karl and Bauer, who I really, really despised. (there were many characters I disliked, but these two most of all) The french teacher came out with some real gems but was a fleeting character

An absolutely stunning novel and equally brilliant audiobook. I cannot recommend this book enough

Absolutely Brilliant

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