Anna and the Swallow Man Audiobook By Gavriel Savit cover art

Anna and the Swallow Man

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Anna and the Swallow Man

By: Gavriel Savit
Narrated by: Allan Corduner
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About this listen

Winner of the 2017 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production
A New York Times Bestseller
A Booklist Editors' Choice Audio
An AudioFile Best Audiobook of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year
A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
Winner of the Indies Choice Book Award
Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award

"Exquisite." —The Wall Street Journal

"This is masterly storytelling." —The New York Times Book Review

A stunning, beautiful, and ambitious debut novel set in Poland during the Second World War perfect for listeners of All the Light We Cannot See and The Book Thief.

Kraków, 1939. A million marching soldiers and a thousand barking dogs. This is no place to grow up. Anna Łania is just seven years old when the Germans take her father, a linguistics professor, during their purge of intellectuals in Poland. She's alone.

And then Anna meets the Swallow Man. He is a mystery, strange and tall, a skilled deceiver with more than a little magic up his sleeve. And when the soldiers in the streets look at him, they see what he wants them to see.

The Swallow Man is not Anna’s father—she knows that very well—but she also knows that, like her father, he's in danger of being taken, and like her father, he has a gift for languages: Polish, Russian, German, Yiddish, even Bird. When he summons a bright, beautiful swallow down to his hand to stop her from crying, Anna is entranced. She follows him into the wilderness.

Over the course of their travels together, Anna and the Swallow Man will dodge bombs, tame soldiers, and even, despite their better judgment, make a friend. But in a world gone mad, everything can prove dangerous. Even the Swallow Man.

Destined to become a classic, Gavriel Savit's stunning debut reveals life's hardest lessons while celebrating its miraculous possibilities.

©2016 Gavriel Savit (P)2016 Listening Library
Family Family & Relationships Historical Fiction History & Culture Literature & Fiction Multicultural Fiction Young Adult Heartfelt

Critic reviews

"Allan Corduner's deep voice pairs well with the graceful, intelligent prose in this mesmerizing account.... Corduner's elegant, discreet voicing and measured pacing keep listeners focused on the three main characters in a wrenching coming-of-age story that will appeal to adults as well as thoughtful mature teens." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about Anna and the Swallow Man

Highly rated for:

Captivating Story Beautiful Writing Excellent Narration Endearing Friendship Imaginative Metaphors
Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
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Absolutely Delightful!

A stunning and very moving story zet in wsr torn Poland and Russia. Thoroughly entertaining and wonderful.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Exceptional book!

I was hooked from the start and couldn't put it down. Beautifully written. Poetically descriptive. I can't wait to see what this talented new author will offer next!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Anna and the Swallow Man

I enjoyed the story and adventures of Papa and Sweetie. The end made me a bit sad. I wanted more about Anna's life.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Expected a better plot and climax

Great narration and writing style, loved the book but it seemed to drop off at the end without much of a conclusion... Almost as if the author lost inspiration... Perhaps I am missing something? I wish it had been longer!

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good but leaves a lot of questions unanswered

Where does Anna and the Swallow Man rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Pretty low because it was such a downer with no evidence of redemption

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Swallow Man. Very mysterious

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Captivating story with no answers

This story was captivating; I couldn't put it down; beautiful told, but so disappointing in the end as nothing was revealed.
In retrospect there were many inconsistencies, nevertheless the story is so unique and beautifully written it is well worth the time to listen.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

another WWII drama

The use of WWII as a backdrop is getting a little old ( for me, anyway ) and this well written but rather plotless story isn't really anything new. There are some touching moments, the prose is nice, and the (3) dominant characters are each interesting. Excellent narration. However, there's nothing exceptional, and if you've read " All the Light We Can Not See" this book will be a let down.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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While the performance was elegant,the story was disappointing.

If you have read the novel by Anthony Doerr entitled All the Light You Cannot See you will immediately recognize similarities housed in a vastly superior story. The limpid ending of the current novel is an insult to the reader. I was left wondering why I bothered spending my time listening to this frustrating story, no part of it approaching reality. My advice is take a pass on this one.

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fantastic

loved it! I was sad when it ended. would have loved it to go on and on.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect narration and story.

This is one of those books that you don't want to end. Great choice for a book club discussion.

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