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The Light We Left Behind

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About this listen

England: 1944

When psychologist Maddie Gresham is sent a mysterious message telling her to report to Trent Park mansion, she wonders how she will be helping the war effort from a stately home.

She soon finds captured Nazi generals are being detained at the house. Bugged with listening devices in every room, it’s up to Maddie to gain the Nazis’ trust and coax them into giving up information.

When Max Weitzler, a Jewish refugee, also arrives at Trent Park with the same mission, Maddie finds herself trapped in a dangerous game of chess.

The two met in Germany before the war, and Maddie’s heart was his from the moment they locked eyes.

But Maddie has finally gained the trust of the Nazi officers at the house, and her love for Max must remain a secret.

When the walls have ears, who can you trust?

Based on the true events that took place at Trent Park during WWII, this is an emotionally gripping, and heart-breaking novel about love, sacrifice, and betrayal, perfect for fans of The Rose Code and The Lost Girls of Paris.

©2022 Tessa Harris (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers Limited 20th Century Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Jewish Women's Fiction World Literature World War I Heartfelt Tear-jerking Chess War

Critic reviews

‘A fascinating read of intrigue, fear, espionage and romance set in Trent Park. I enjoyed reading the challenges faced by the main character, Maddie. This is a story based upon fact and one I recommend if you enjoy WWII novels.’ – Glynis Peters

‘It's so wonderful to read about lesser known stories of the second world war, and all those unsung heroes who had to hold onto their secrets all their lives. I was completely immersed in this book from start to finish.’ – Kathleen McGurl

‘A compelling exploration of a little-known aspect of the Second World War. One young woman’s dangerous undercover activities provide a chilling close-up of the men behind some of the worst atrocities of the war.’ – Sarah Steele

‘The Light We Left Behind is a beautiful story of suspense, love and war that pulled me in from the very first page. I couldn't put it down! Highly recommend to everyone who enjoys historical fiction.’ – Lana Kortchik
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I really enjoyed this book Storyline was good as where the characters Perhaps not as good as Kate Quinn novel but interesting none the less

An enjoyable WW2 story

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This is an exceptional novel, very different, but oh, it did go on. I kind of lost interest half way through.
The narrator, whose voice I really liked on the clip, and that seemed to fit to the heroine’s social class, ended up really annoying. Also her expression was weird in parts, for example she called a knife used to open envelopes- a paper knife - with the emphasis on knife.
I think she bored herself as she read.

Started off great!

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I pushed right on to the end, but it was a struggle. Mispronounced words in their hundreds. Virtually every sentence irritated me. Imagine reading a book peppered with commas or full stops, all in the wrong places. I can't imagine they were there in the actual text. But that was how it was read. It was so infuriating I feel really angry! And that doesn't happen often. I can't bear to wade through it again to give you examples, so let's just illustrate it with a nursery rhyme:
Jack and Jill went. Up a hill, to fetch a pail. Of water. Jack fell. Down and broke his crown and Jill. Came tumbling. After up jack got. And home did trot, as fast as he could. Caper. He went to bed to mend his head. With vinegar and brown paper.
Even that doesn't do it 'justice'. I listened to the sample before buying this, and thought it wasn't too bad, but it really is bad! And the intonations in peoples voices are completely wrong. In the prologue, a German officer shouted, 'Halt!' Except he didn't. He just said it quietly.
As for the story, it was ok-ish. As another reviewer wrote, the love story was ridiculous. Had I read the book instead of listening to it, I might have noticed more errors and marked it down. But the poor narration masked the quality of the writing, so I've tried to be fair in my assessment.
I do wish I could give you lots of examples of mispronunciation etc, but I can't bear to listen to it again.
I won't look for another book by the author, and I will make absolutely sure that I never buy another book read by this narrator.

Dreadful narration!

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Good story although a bit slow to get going - different from the usual type of WW2 story. Really loved the different accents of the narrator and her voice. Easy to listen to.

Loved the accents!

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The book was not particularly good anyway but the narrator absolutely ruined it. She couldn’t even mispronounce words consistently. Don’t waste money buying this to listen to. Who actually chooses the narrator because this one butchers everything she reads..I’ve attempted to listen to a couple of books she’s narrated and they never improve.

The appalling narrator

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