Tears of Amber

By: Sofía Segovia, Simon Bruni - translator

Narrated by: Will Damron, Angela Dawe

One of Audible's Best of 2021

From the bestselling author of The Murmur of Bees comes a transportive novel of two families uprooted by war and united by the bonds of love and courage.

With war looming dangerously close, Ilse’s school days soon turn to lessons of survival. In the harshness of winter, her family must join the largest exodus in human history to survive. As battle lines are drawn and East Prussia’s borders vanish beneath them, they leave their farm and all they know behind for an uncertain future.

But Ilse also has Janusz, her family’s young Polish laborer, by her side. As they flee from the Soviet army, his enchanting folktales keep her mind off the cold, the hunger, and the horrors unfolding around them. He tells her of a besieged kingdom in the Baltic Sea from which spill the amber tears of a heartbroken queen.

Neither of them realizes his stories will prove crucial and prophetic.

Not far away, trying and failing to flee from a vengeful army, Arno and his mother hide in the ruins of a Königsberg mansion, hoping that once the war ends they can reunite their dispersed family. But their stay in the walled city proves untenable when they find themselves dodging bombs and scavenging in the rubble. Soon they’ll become pawns caught between two powerful enemies, on a journey with an unknown destination.

Hope carries these children caught in the crosshairs of war on an extraordinary pilgrimage in which the gift of an amber teardrop is at once a valuable form of currency and a symbol of resilience, one that draws them together against insurmountable odds.

©2018 Sofía Segovia. Translation © 2021 by Simon Bruni. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

A bit depressing but good

A lot of names and characters to keep track of, it may be best to read instead of listen.

A beautiful story

I totally loved this book. The narrators fitted in perfectly. A must to listen

WAR IS HELL

Beautiful, upsetting and agrand epic. This novel makesreal the destructivechanges wrought upon all people in war.

An All-Time Favorite

THIS! Without a doubt, is one of my top reads of the year. Beautifully written. Poetic. Breathtaking. Sofia Segovia uses the magic of language to tell the story of the lives and survival of German (Prussian) civilians during WWII, based on the first hand account of Ilza and Arno, both children during the war. This book just blew me away.

The narration was masterful. I loved everything about this book. I highly recommend.

Moving, brilliant and a unique perspective on WWIi suffering

Excellent pace; plot, character development and historical research. Fantastic narration. I couldn’t stop once I started. The children and all the characters presented in the book will color how I see WWII

Fresh perspective from WWII

This is heavy content but beautifully writen and narrated. I'm glad I read it and will definitely recommend others do as well

Wow

This book was just wow amazing, more than I expected. it was soo good!!

Sofia Segovia is perfection!

I loooooved Murmur of Bees, but I love TEARS OF AMBER even more than I imagined I could or would. What a beautiful, powerful work that humanizes the brutality of WWII on two families who do all that they can to keep moving forward—no matter their tragic losses.

Years of Amber by Sofia Segovia, Simon Bruni

Excellent, worth every minute reading/listening. Thank-you for an amazing good boo. Love historical history/history. Thanks.

Beautifully written heartbreaking story!

Beautifully written heartbreaking drama of 2 lives that began in Prussia: distant yet intertwined during pre & post WWII! The narrator did an excellent acting out of the emotions and events that Sophia Segovia created for her audience! A+++ to both Author & Narrator, well worth the 15+ hour listen. "Learn from the past or be doomed to repeat it!"