Liverpool Connection

By: Elisabeth Marrion

Narrated by: Nancy Peterson

"Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling..." Annie sang quietly, holding Derek's baby blue cardigan and trying to detect a familiar smell. The same cardigan he was supposed to wear at his christening. Annie and her friends leave Ireland in 1926 young and optimistic, hoping to find a better life in Liverpool. Only things do not turn out the way they had imagined. Annie falls in love, marries and starts a family of her own. But with the onset of World War Two comes tragedy and loss, testing Annie's strength to the limit. Little does she realize that the salvation of her loved ones lies partly with a German woman named Hilde, whose life and situation mirrors Annie's own. Liverpool Connection is the second book of a trilogy and is based on a true story. The first book, The Night I Danced with Rommel, tells Hilde's story. The books are historical novels based on facts and tell the writer's family history.

©2014 Elisabeth Marrion (P)2015 Elisabeth Marrion

Brilliant

Would you consider the audio edition of Liverpool Connection to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version but the narrator brought the characters to life in such a way that the audio would be just as good or better.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I found the part of the book when the bombs first hit London to be particularly moving.

Any additional comments?

This is an honest and heart wrenching story of the trials and tribulations experienced by those during the war. The writing was detailed and the characters were real. I spent a good portion of this book on the verge of tears but it is not soppy.

I received the book in exchange for an honest review.

Educational & Entertaining!

Note: This is Book 2 in a trilogy, The Night I Danced with Rommel being Book 1. This book can be read as a stand alone.

The story starts in 1926 in Ireland. Annie and her friends feel they need to emigrate to England to find work and a better life. At age 16, she arrives in Liverpool and starts off with relatives. Pretty soon she has found a sweet beau. Marriage and children follow. As WWII erupts through Europe, Annie and her family and friends are tested in ways none of them had anticipated. This story is based on the actual lives of the author’s ancestors, which makes it that much more poignant.

I really enjoyed Book 1 in this series, but I think I enjoyed this one just a smidge more. Maybe that is because this book references Hilde’s life from Book 1 from time to time and I can clearly see the parallels between Annie and Hilde. For both of these books, I really appreciate how the author simply tells the tales of the ladies during WWII without relying on drama. Life was a handful to start with and it doesn’t need extra drama to validate the characters.

One of the things I learned from this book was that the Irish did not have to participate in WWII. However, several of Annie’s family and friends (Irish) living in England decide to join up with the English forces. This caused a lot of grief for Annie’s family and some felt this was betraying their heritage. And those that joined the service weren’t limited to just the men. In England during WWII, women were also drafted into war service. The author does a great job of showing how suddenly one’s life can change during this time period. One moment you’re getting dressed, making tea, planning to go to work at the clinic or local grocery and the next your answering the mail and realizing that you have to report to the military for uniforms and training.

I highly recommend this book, and series, to folks who want a realistic view of noncombatants during WWII. Everyone was affected and it’s great to have books like these to show more than just the great battles and espionage.

Narration: Nancy Peterson did another excellent job, putting on the perfect Irish lilt for Annie and her family. I was really impressed with her range of character voices and I loved how much of the book was performed in an Irish accent.

Not my usual cup of tea.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Though I was born and bred in Wallasey, across from Liverpool this story didn't entirely grip me, perhaps because I've been reading so much more modern and futuristic fare of late. It was elevated by the skill of the narrator, however.

What does Nancy Peterson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A soothing, easy to listen to voice which brings to life the characters. I look forward to more titles from Nancy.

Any additional comments?

Any fans of Liverpool, Ireland, ration books and history would likely enjoy the story and will certainly enjoy the narrator's tone.

quite an enjoyable ride

Any additional comments?

I found this audiobook version of Liverpool connection very interesting and pleasent to listen to.
following the main characters on their journey from Ireland to Liverpool and then through the war years . I did find the ending/epiloge rather hurried and full of lots of explanations, as if it where a true story, but I wasn't under the impression that it was (maybe I'm wrong?)
I was puzzled about the sudden apearance of some characters in Germany , but later found out that they where a part of a previous book, not that this spoiled this story at all, and learning this, It made sense,actually I quite like the idea of three books being linked - but not a trilogy.
The narration was ok ,but in parts a little "flat" lacking sentiment/enthusiasm .

I recieved this audiobook free of charge , in return for an unbiased review.

A fascinating historical tale

Any additional comments?

LIVERPOOL CONNECTION

Author: Elisabeth Marrion

Type of Book: Audiobook Unabridged

Narrator: Nancy Peterson

Length: 6 hours, 35 minutes

Genre: Historical Fiction, Drama

Release Date: March 30, 2015

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

* I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of an Irish family in the years leading up to, and including World War Two.

Annie is just a young woman when she and her best friend, Flo decide to leave Ireland and move to Liverpool in England. They have high hopes for a better life.

What they find is definitely not what they had imagined. Both women meet men, fall in love and get married, but the two women end up living vastly different lives.

The audiobook takes the listener through a fascinating period of history. We learn about what life was like under the constant threat of bombs being dropped by the Germans and families having to flee to air raid shelters. We learn about children being sent out if the British cities into the countryside for safety. We learn about war's effect on family and friends of those fighting it. We also learn much, much more.

This book is brilliantly written and listeners cannot help but be drawn into the story.

The narrator does a wonderful job and despite her accent, she is easily understood. She also conveys emotion very well and has distinctive voices for the various characters. It was nice to listen to an audiobook where the women sounded like real women and not cartoon parodies of women.

This book is a stand-alone novel. Even though there is a previous book in the series, I have not read it and that did not hinder the story or my enjoyment of it in any way.

I rate both the book and the narration as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elisabeth Marrion was born in 1948 in Germany. Her mother was German and her father was British and a Corporal in the Royal Air Force