The Stolen Sisters AUDIO by Ann Bennett was a nicely done telling of a Holocaust story and how the time period stole so much from so many but gave some of it back in the end. Marta and Joanna were literally stolen off the street by the SS in their small town in Poland. They were whisked away to see if they could become German. What would follow was years of misery. The only good news is that they were taken in 1944 so the war was nearly over. What was to follow was a happier story than many Europeans captured by the Germans had.

A pivotal point in the story was when they met nurse, Margarete Wiess, who had a story of her own but did her best with the girls in the short time she knew them. It was only many years later that many people were reunited due to her efforts. This was a moving and heart-rending story of love, loss, cruelty, recovery, miracles, and so much more. Being as Auschwitz was a harrowing experience for both Joanna and the reader/listener. Many times she was moved to give up and it broke the reader’s heart but also made sense. But, some people don’t give up and some are even rewarded for it. We all know all the horrors of Nazi Germany and its incursion into surrounding countries. This is one of many stories that will break one’s heart over what horror humans can induce. I recommend it.

The narrator was Daphne Kouma who did an excellent job of voicing both adults and children, as well as older people. She read at a level pace, allowing the horror of the story, not her voice, to be what the listener heard.

I was invited to listen to The Stolen Sisters by Bookoutre Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BookoutreAudio #AnnBennett #TheStolenSisters

December 2, 2024
I listened to an advance copy of the audiobook for The Stolen Sisters.
This book follows 2 sisters that were taken by the Nazi officers in Poland as they were visiting the market. They were taken from their families and the book follows the girls through their journey. We also follow the nurse working for the German officers in the home where the girls were initially taken.
This book was heartbreaking as the girls described their living conditions, treatment, etc as they find out more about themselves and are either Germanized or taken to work in work camps. Their nurse does her best to make their conditions better and tries to keep the girls together, but is unsuccessful. The story seems accurate historically, and emotionally moving. I especially enjoyed that the characters were all followed up with many years later so we as readers are aware of where they ended up. This book was wonderfully written and tugged at my heartstrings.

Wow I loved listening to this book and was so sad when it concluded. I won't try to retell the story here as I believe , as always that the 'blurb' writers do a better job. The book is well researched written and read. I felt as if I was truly viewing the sisters lives from afar.
Although there is an uplifting aspect to the story the real truth behind the historic truth of this book is horrifying and heart searching. Who do we believe in, who do we follow? I asked myself over and over as I travelled through this audio version, what would I have done? We all know what we would have liked to have done in retrospect but in the middle of such evil dictatorship, where would we truly place our allegiance?
Recommended!

I love history facts and history as well, although I’m not a saying I know all history details but this book definitely taught me something I had no idea about. We all know how nazis persecuted Jews but I didn’t know they kidnapped children that fit the criteria of the “Arian” race, especially from Poland! The children that, after undergoing tests, were not deemed part of the Arian race were then sent to work or cannot where they were usually killed. In this story you follow this hardship for two sisters and a nurse that tried to show kindness for the children separated from their families. This is the first book I read from this series and even though it’s the second one I was able to listen to it without feeling like I was missing something.

I felt sad foot the hardships that people had to go through under the Nazi regime and the helplessness they must’ve felt. I could not stop until I finished this book. It has a good ending but I don’t know if I can say happy, I just don’t want to spoil it. The narrator did a great job at giving each character its own voice. Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to listen to this book.

I don’t think I’ve read a book quite like this with “hitlers children” it was a tough read and I wasn’t emotionally prepared but the author put a lot of work into making this sympathetic and important.
Thanks NetGalley for letting me listen and review.

The Stolen Sisters (The World War Two Orphanage, #2) by Ann Bennett was a hard book to read. I actually listened to the audiobook that was narrated by Daphne Kouma. The narration was done quite well. Despite being the second book in this series, The Stolen Sisters, can easily be read as a standalone book. Ann Bennett’s focus for this series was on The Lebensborn program that was established by the Nazis near the beginning of World War II. Most books that I had previously read about the Lebensborn program focused on the birth of pure Aryan infants. The Stolen Sisters took the Lebensborn program to whole new depths.

In a small village in Poland two sisters, Marta aged 12 and Joanna aged 1en lived with their parents in a modest home. The two sisters were very close. Joanna looked up to her big sister and admired and loved her very much. Their mother was often sickly. On one such morning, Marta discovered that her mother was not feeling well again so she and her younger sister Joanna went to get the food they needed in the town for their mother. Little had Marta or Joanna realized that that would be the last time they would see their mother. Both girls were kidnapped by the Nazis for the sole purpose of entering the Lebensborn program. Marta and Joanna were both terrified and confused. They clung to each other but thought that as long as they were together they would be alright. Then they were each put through a series of tests to determine whether they actually possessed enough pure Aryan qualities to become part of the Lebensborn program. That was when the Nazis discovered that Marta and Johanna were half sisters. With that discovery, Marta and Joanna were assigned different fates. What would happen to each of the sisters? Would anyone come to their rescue?

The Stolen Sisters presented another horrific injustice that the Nazis inflicted upon young innocent children during World War II. Imagine the fear those children felt when they realized that they would never see their parents again. It was hard enough to comprehend and understand the cruel act of kidnapping innocent children but to learn that the kidnapped children were then subjected to a rigorous, strict and unforgiving indoctrination into becoming Aryan despite the children’s unwillingness was unbearable. Even worse was the fate of the rejected children who the Nazis deemed flawed. What were the Nazi’s plans for these children? The atrocities the Nazis inflicted upon these children were so heinous and cruel. It is so hard to imagine the lasting effects that these acts had on the children years later. Although this was a hard book to listen to, I highly recommend it because we cannot ever let ourselves forget.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio for allowing me to listen to The Stolen Sisters by Ann Bennett through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was swept away in the heartbreaking story of The Stolen Sisters. Margarete Weiss continues her devotion to helping children taken from their families under the worst circumstances in this second book in #TheWorldWarTwoOrphanageseries. This times the focus is on sisters Marta & Joanna. The traumatic events that surround them gripped me as I know such devastating things happened in history. Ann Bennett’s novel is so eloquently written and will stay with me long after I read the last words.

Daphne Kouma wonderfully narrates this beautiful & emotional read.

I haven’t read the fist book in this series but it didn’t matter one bit. Although there were a couple of references to it, you otherwise wouldn’t have knows that it was a sequel. I liked that most of the book was written from the perspective of children and it highlighted the absurdity of many of the actions during the war.

This is a tale which breaks your heart and then gives you hope!

Martha and Joanna were snatched off the streets of Poland when they were just young girls. These sisters were taken by the Nazis to be tested to see if they could be aryan enough to be adopted by loyal Nazis. Needless to say their lives took a different path.

There is a lot that happened to these two little girls in a short amount of time and this lasted their whole lives. I love how the author reels you in and keeps the intensity and emotions up all the way till the end. And yes it is heartbreaking and terrifying to read what they go through but the ending is worth every minute! This would make a great movie!

What an amazing read! I have not read Book 1 and I will remedy that soon!

The narrator, Daphne Kouma, could not have been better. I love a narrator that can do it all!

Need an emotional tale you will not soon forget…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This book broke my heart. I was bawling by the end. It follows two polish sisters during WWII and a German nurse that tried to help them. They were ripped from their home and sent to a reeducation camp to become p erfect Germans. The sisters are separated and continue to fight to stay alive and to find each other. I listened to the audiobook. Daphane Kouma was fantastic as the narrator. She did a great job with the different voices, making it easy to keep them separated. I will definitively have to give the 3rd book a try.

"The Stolen Sisters" is the second novel I have encountered that delves into the harrowing realities of the Lebensborn program. The narrative paints a heartbreaking picture of two sisters who are violently ripped from the streets of their cherished Polish town, their lives forever altered by the grim forces of history. The story evokes a deep sense of loss and longing as it captures the sisters' bond and the tragic events that tear them apart, leaving the reader to reflect on the depths of despair and resilience in the face of unimaginable circumstances.

The Lebensborn program is a deeply unsettling chapter in history, causing immense pain to many. This book, like others I've read, highlights the resilience and compassion of German citizens who defied Nazi ideology. Despite great personal risk, these brave individuals chose to help the vulnerable, showing humanity long after the war had ended.

This high quality audio book had me feeling every emotion and I felt this hopefully could be a true to life story. This was hard going in places but the narrator did not shy away from it. Their voice was quite protective given the subject matter.
This is number 2 in a series and works as a standalone. I cried I laughed I got angey and I smiled.. It was s binge listen as I was desperate to know the ending.
This will keep you invested in the human nature and remind you just how awful things were in this . The best thing is it emphasis that within any race of people there are good and bad and the world shouldn't forget that in these days of wokeness. The characters felt alive and so well developed.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator for this 5 star listen. Perfect for all historic novel lovers. Be warned the subject matter means it's hard to hear.

I’ve enjoyed this series. All the details about Margarete Weiss and the Lebensborn Program are fascinating to me. Not only did she help as many mothers and babies as she could while she was in the homes for the special Reich babies, she also was forced to be involved in the where the Germans placed the Polish children they kidnapped during the war. She was immediately drawn to Marta and Joanna, and it devastated her when the two sisters were separated. She wanted to help them both.

When Margarete is an old woman, she is still trying to reunite family members from all the time she was involved with both programs. It didn’t matter how many years had passed, she wanted to continue to help. Marta happened to see the tv program and it brings back all the memories of that time.

I loved the multiple POVs of this one. Even though there was only one narrator, Daphne did a wonderful job distinguishing between the two girls and Margarete.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my audio and digital copies of this book.

A beautifully written book with lots of emotions. Margarete Weiss and both sisters, Johanna and Martha, all are courageous women. I loved them. The horrific situations in war were heartbreaking to read. Especially the treatment of stolen children. They suffered so much. The cruelties against them were gut-wrenching. I loved that after so many years,both sisters could meet at last. Two timelines and multiple points of view make the book more interesting. The ending is superb and hopeful. The narrator does a terrific job with the emotional display. Highly recommended. Thanks a lot to the author, Netgalley, and the publisher for the audio copy of the book.

Title: The Stolen Sisters
Series: The World War II Orphanage Book #2
Author: Ann Bennett
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Daphne Kauma
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pub Date: November 29, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages 362

Historical fiction about the forgotten orphans of WWII

Chapter One - Berlin, 2005 Martha is now a seventy year old retired physician. While on a coffee break she sees a feature on television talking about how a nurse was instrumental in helping taken children find their families.
Martha recognizes the woman as the kind German nurse, Margarete Weiss.

Main story starts in a small Polish village occupied by the Nazis in 1944. Twelve year old Martha and her ten year old sister Johanna are sent to the market as their mother is ill
While shopping Martha instructs Johanna to sit on the bench where they often sat when they went to the market with their mother. When Martha is finished buying the few things she can afford she spots a soldier talking to Johanna. The soldier takes both girls and tells them they are needed to go to the doctor for testing. They object but are immediately snatched and put in the back of the army truck that is filled is young children.
They soon realize that are being taken to be tested. Martha with her blond hair and blue eyes meets the needs of Hitler’s pure race; however Johanna with her darker hair and brown eyes does not.
While Martha and the chosen children ae being trained by the cruel Doctor she meets a kind German nurse Margarete Weiss who sympathizes with her and vows to do everything she can to help her. Martha is punished for speaking Polish as she is having difficulty learning German. Margarete teaches her and Martha soon speaks well enough to be placed with a German family

Story does cover the horrors experienced by these children. Needless to say it is a very emotional read.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for granting me this audiobook. Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 29, 2024.

This was amazing. I learnt so much. I thought I knew a lot about this time in history but I never knew about the germanification of children..
The dual pov worked well and the ending was sweet.
I really liked how the narrator changed ages you could really tell the difference.
I just had to keep listening

Marta and Joanne were taken by the German soldiers in 1944. Tests would determine their futures. One would be Germanised and the other discarded. Only in 2005 would the world find out what had happened to them thanks to notes kept by Margarete Weiss.

Wonderfully written and narrated book (I listened to the audiobook). This is the story f two sisters separated during the War and the nurse who showed them kindness. Great listen or read.

The Stolen Sisters (The World War Two Orphanage Book 2)
by Ann Bennett, narrated by Daphne Kouma

You do not have to read the first book in this duology to understand and enjoy this second book. But the two books together give an extremely disturbing picture of just how vast and destructive the Lebensborn program was from 1935 - 1945. The first book deals mostly with the breeding of a racially pure Aryan race (although that was expanded to encompass more extensive destruction in a variety of horrible ways) and this book deals more with the kidnapping of children from foreign countries to "Germanize" them through the Lebensborn program. The children were put through rigorous testing to be sure their bodies fit into precise qualifications. Those children who didn't "measure up" (literally) were disposed of through concentration camps and experimental programs.

In this story we follow two sisters, half sisters, actually, 10 year old Joanna and 12 year old Marta. One sister fits the rigid program of purity, the other sister has blood that is not allowed within the Aryan ideal. Neither child is going to go easily toward the fate planned for them. It's hard enough watching adults suffer through the ordeal of being rounded up, suffering the brutality of cattle car rides, concentration camp life and more, seeing these things from the POV of of an child is so much more heartbreaking. Then there is the child who is chosen to assimilate into a life she never wanted, a life that goes against the way she was raised, a life that is willing to exterminate all that is dear to her.

We meet one three year old boy, but not for long. To know there were so many other little children treated as disposable and this went on and on with no hope of an end. There are no words that make this okay, that can brush over this as if nothing happened. Thank goodness there is awareness and some families are able to find out what might have happened to those who came before them. Narrator Daphne Kouma voices the children so well, my heart broke hearing their voices. But she is able to also voice the adults and bring out the horror of the cruel captors in the way they spoke to the children.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.