Leora's Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II
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Leora's Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II
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Narrated by:
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Paul Berge
About this listen
The day the second atomic bomb was dropped, Clabe and Leora Wilson’s postman brought a telegram to their acreage near Perry, Iowa. One son was already in the U.S. Navy before Pearl Harbor had been attacked. Four more sons worked with their father, tenant farmers near Minburn until, one by one, all five sons were serving their country in the military. The oldest son re-enlisted in the Navy. The younger three became U.S. Army Air Force pilots.
As the family optimist, Leora wrote hundreds of letters, among all her regular chores, dispensing news and keeping up the morale of the whole family, which included the brothers’ two sisters. Her fondest wishes were to have a home of her own and family nearby.
Leora’s Letters is the compelling true account of a woman whose most tender hopes were disrupted by great losses. Yet she lived out four more decades with hope and resilience.
Joy Neal Kidney, the oldest granddaughter of the book’s heroine, is the keeper of family stories, letters, photos, combat records, casualty reports, and telegrams. Active on her own website, she is also a writer and local historian. Married to a Vietnam Air Force veteran, Joy lives in central Iowa. Her nonfiction has been published in The Des Moines Register, other media, and broadcast over “Our American Stories”. She’s a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, and her essays have been collected by the Iowa Women’s Archives at the University of Iowa.
©2019 Joy Neal Kidney (P)2020 Joy Neal KidneyListeners also enjoyed...
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Tailspin
- By: John Armbruster
- Narrated by: Brandon Pollock
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 87
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 79
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Story5 out of 5 stars 79
World War II tail gunner Gene Moran fell four miles through the sky without a parachute and lived. Captured by the Germans, he survived a harrowing eighteen months as a prisoner of war, including a six-hundred-mile death march in 1945 across Central Europe. When Gene returned home, he kept those memories locked up for nearly seventy years. His nine children knew little of their dad's war story. But when John, a young history teacher, learns of Gene's amazing fall, he's desperate to learn more. Finally, Gene agrees.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Triumph, Tragedy, History
- By Bill54494 on 12-12-22
By: John Armbruster
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We Who Are Alive and Remain
- Untold Stories from the Band of Brothers
- By: Marcus Brotherton
- Narrated by: George K. Wilson
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 180
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 159
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Story5 out of 5 stars 156
They were the men of the now-legendary Easy Company. After almost two years of hard training, they parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and, later, Operation Market Garden. They fought their way through Belgium, France, and Germany, survived overwhelming odds, liberated concentration camps, and drank a victory toast in April 1945 at Hitler's hideout in the Alps.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Filling in the blank spots
- By JW on 01-17-10
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Man Who Flew The Memphis Belle
- By: Robert Morgan, Ron Powers
- Narrated by: uncredited
- Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
- Abridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
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Story5 out of 5 stars 36
As a young man growing up in Asheville, North Carolina, Robert Morgan was a fast-driving party boy - a hell-raiser. But when his mother committed suicide upon learning she had inoperable brain cancer, Morgan's life changed dramatically. He was no longer a carefree playboy; he was a man searching for meaning. He found that meaning at the controls of an airplane, and in the flak-and fighter-filled skies over Occupied France and Nazi Germany.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Abridged Version = Butchered
- By Kyle on 01-03-17
By: Robert Morgan, and others
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An Album of Memories
- Personal Histories from the Greatest Generation
- By: Tom Brokaw
- Narrated by: Tom Brokaw, a full cast
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 33
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33
In this beautiful American family album of stories from the Greatest Generation, the history of life as it was lived during the Depression and World War II comes alive and is preserved in people’s own words.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A heart touching story
- By Randall on 07-03-16
By: Tom Brokaw
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The Greatest Generation Speaks
- Letters and Reflections
- By: Tom Brokaw
- Narrated by: Tom Brokaw, a supporting cast
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 171
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 95
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 95
The men and women honored in Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation speak in this collection of letters from and about the Depression and World War II.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Not for everyone
- By Sean on 03-17-04
By: Tom Brokaw
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My Brother in Arms
- The Exceptional Life of Mark Andrew Forester, United States Air Force Combat Controller
- By: Thad Forester
- Narrated by: Scott Dufresne
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 27
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Story5 out of 5 stars 27
Mark chose to enlist in the Air Force as a Special Operations Combat Controller after he received his Bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama. Because of his above average grades and near-photographic memory, his Business Finance degree would have done him well. But, he felt a higher calling; one that put him between us and the enemies bent on our destruction.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Price of Freedom is Never Free
- By Mayhem on 06-18-20
By: Thad Forester
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The Reluctant Communist
- My Desertion, Court-Martial, and Forty-Year Imprisonment in North Korea
- By: Charles Robert Jenkins, Jim Fredrick
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 107
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 96
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 96
In January of 1965, 24-year-old US Army sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins abandoned his post in South Korea, walked across the DMZ, and surrendered to communist North Korean soldiers standing sentry along the world's most heavily militarized border. He believed his action would get him back to the States and a short jail sentence. Instead he found himself in another sort of prison, where for 40 years he suffered under one of the most brutal and repressive regimes the world has known. This fast-paced, harrowing tale, told plainly and simply by Jenkins (with journalist Jim Frederick).
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent history and human story
- By Anonymous User on 09-16-21
By: Charles Robert Jenkins, and others
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You Don't Lose 'Til You Quit Trying
- Lessons on Adversity and Victory from a Vietnam Veteran and Medal of Honor Recipient
- By: Sammy Lee Davis, Caroline Lambert
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 45
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 42
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Story5 out of 5 stars 41
On November 18, 1967, Private First Class Davis' artillery unit was hit by a massive enemy offensive. At 21 years old, he resolved to face the onslaught and prepared to die. Soon he would have a perforated kidney, crushed ribs, a broken vertebra, his flesh ripped by beehive darts, a bullet in his thigh, and burns all over his body. Ignoring his injuries, he manned a two-ton Howitzer by himself, crossed a canal under heavy fire to rescue three wounded American soldiers, and kept fighting until the enemy retreated.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Creed to Live By
- By GroovyMonkey8 on 01-15-21
By: Sammy Lee Davis, and others
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No Ordinary Joes
- The Extraordinary True Story of Four Submariners in War and Love and Life
- By: Larry Colton
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 48
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 32
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Story5 out of 5 stars 32
Their names were Bob Palmer, Gordy Cox, Tim McCoy, and Chuck Vervalin, and in 1941, when they joined the Navy, they were not trying to prove their patriotism - they were just looking for a job that would provide "three hots and a cot". But on April 22, 1943, the war took a terrible turn for them. Their submarine, the USS Grenadier, was torpedoed. Listed as lost in action and given up for dead, all four had in fact miraculously escaped, only to be captured by the Japanese.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Prisoner of War Tale
- By Lynn on 03-20-11
By: Larry Colton
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Pathfinder Pioneer
- The Memoir of a Lead Bomber Pilot in World War II
- By: Raymond E. Brim
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 78
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 67
In this engaging audiobook, we see how an 18-year-old miner shoveling ore from deep in the ground in Utah suddenly found himself, only two years later, 30,000 feet in the air over Nazi Germany, piloting a Flying Fortress in the first wave of America's air counteroffensive in Europe. Pathfinder Pioneer gives us vivid insights into the genesis of the American air campaign, told with the humor, attention to detail, and humility that captures the heart and soul of our Greatest Generation.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A Good Recounting of WW2 Bomber Missions
- By Sean on 07-25-17
By: Raymond E. Brim
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Soul Survivor
- The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot
- By: Bruce Leininger, Andrea Leininger
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 207
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 168
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 168
This is the story of James Leininger, who---a little more than two weeks after his second birthday---began having blood-curdling nightmares that just would not stop. When James began screaming out recurring phrases like "Plane on fire! Little man can't get out!" the Leiningers finally admitted that they truly had to take notice.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A wonderful true life story
- By Nancy on 01-09-10
By: Bruce Leininger, and others
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All the Gallant Men
- An American Sailor's Firsthand Account of Pearl Harbor
- By: Donald Stratton, Ken Gire
- Narrated by: Mike Ortego
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 470
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 436
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Story5 out of 5 stars 437
An unforgettable and moving story of tragedy, heroism, resilience, and redemption that is sure to become an enduring document of American history, All the Brave Men is a sailor's moment-by-moment eyewitness account of the Japanese surprise attack that decimated the US Pacific Fleet in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, and his inspiring return to active duty to carry on the Allied fight in the Pacific.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely wonderful book!
- By Cris Conerty on 01-15-17
By: Donald Stratton, and others
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The Women with Silver Wings
- The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II
- By: Katherine Sharp Landdeck
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 236
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 211
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Story5 out of 5 stars 211
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. At 22, Fort had escaped Nashville’s debutante scene for a fresh start as a flight instructor in Hawaii. She and her student were in the middle of a lesson when the bombs began to fall, and they barely made it back to ground. Still, when the US Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, Fort was one of the first to respond. She became one of just over 1,100 women from across the nation to make it through the Army’s rigorous selection process and earn her silver wings.
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5 out of 5 stars
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To Remember
- By erica skipton on 05-11-20
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The Heart of Hell
- The Untold Story of Courage and Sacrifice in the Shadow of Iwo Jima
- By: Mitch Weiss
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 39
The Battle of Iwo Jima, a major event in the Pacific Theater of World War II - and one of the bloodiest in United States history - began on February 19, 1945. But what happened two days earlier has largely been a footnote - until now.... On February 17, Landing Craft Infantry 449 was among a dozen gunboats helping to prepare the area for their invasion two days later. US military leaders thought that they had weakened Japanese forces in the area.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Important History, but Not a Compelling Story
- By Craig on 07-30-16
By: Mitch Weiss
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Baa Baa Black Sheep
- The True Story of the "Bad Boy" Hero of the Pacific Theatre and His Famous Black Sheep Squadron
- By: Gregory "Pappy" Boyington
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,252
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,120
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,114
Here, in his own words, is the true story of America's wildest flying hero, of his extraordinary heroism, and of his greatest battle of all-the fight to survive. The World War II air war in the Pacific needed tough men like Colonel Pappy Boyington and his Black Sheep Squadron. The legendary Marine Corps officer and his bunch of misfits, outcasts, and daredevils gave a new definition to "hell-raising" - on the ground and in the skies.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Who picked the narrator?
- By D. DAVIS on 08-21-19
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The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder
- By: William Anderson
- Narrated by: John Morgan, Tish Hicks
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 59
The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a vibrant, deeply personal portrait of this revered American author, illuminating her thoughts, travels, philosophies, writing career, and dealings with family, friends, and fans as never before. This is a fresh look at the adult life of the author in her own words. Gathered from museums, archives, and personal collections, the letters span over 60 years of Wilder's life, from 1894 to 1956, and shed new light on Wilder's day-to-day life.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Pay No Attention To The Man Behind The Curtain
- By Sara on 06-29-16
By: William Anderson
What listeners say about Leora's Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lori
- 03-08-21
Truly a story of love and loss.....mostly love
This was so good! I really enjoyed Paul's reading! But this book was literally a series of "love letters" back and forth between the Wilson's. The love and caring between parents, children and siblings was absolutely precious.
I actually knew the outcome and was dreading the moment we learned the fate of the boys because I was listening at work and was afraid I'd cry... which I did.
A wonderful story to remind us our freedom wasn't, and never will be, free.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Emily B.
- 06-25-20
Wonderful narration, beautiful story
Fans of history and historical nonfiction will love this beautiful family story, along with fantastic audiobook narration.
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