Hiding in the Spotlight Audiobook By Greg Dawson cover art

Hiding in the Spotlight

A Musical Prodigy's Story of Survival: 1941-1946

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Hiding in the Spotlight

By: Greg Dawson
Narrated by: Suzanne Toren, Kevin Pariseau
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The extraordinary story of a young girl whose musical genius saves her from the Holocaust.

By the age of six, Zhanna had developed a repertoire fellow students twice her age would envy. Scholarships to the most prestigious conservatories in the Soviet Union soon followed - conservatories that had produced legends like Rachmaninoff, Kogan, and Horowitz.

In 1941, disaster strikes. The Nazi Army is smashing through the Ukraine en route to Moscow. Zhanna and her family are to be executed alongside thousands of others in the ravines of Drobitsky Yar. A few short miles from certain death, her father bribes a nearby guard, and she escapes into the forest with only the clothes on her back, a copy of Chopin’s Fantasy Impromptu in her pocket, and her father’s parting words echoing in her head: “I don’t care what you do, just live.”

Adopting a new identity and ever fearful of recognition, Zhanna roamed the ravaged countryside. One lonely evening, the head of a local Nazi battalion hears her play. He is so taken with her exquisite interpretation of Chopin that little Zhanna soon becomes the performing darling of the Nazi forces.

©2009 Greg Dawson (P)2013 Audible, Inc. Entertainment & Celebrities Music World

Editorial reviews

Be sure to keep the tissues handy when you're ready to listen to this inspiring, true story from one of modern Europe's darkest times. In the midst of all the violence and death caused by the Nazi army, comes the impossible story of a young musical prodigy and her will to survive. Hiding in the Spotlight, performed with a captivating delivery by veteran Suzanne Toren, is the amazing story of young Zhanna Arshankaya as she fled certain death and survived using her unparalleled ability to play piano.
Inspiring Survival Story • Miraculous Protection • Excellent Narration • Musical Talent Focus • Historical Significance
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This was a wonderful surprise! Well written and beautifully performed! Highly recommend. I cried, I rejoiced!

Bravo!!!

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on one in 2020's will ever know what WWII was like or could imagine. May God Protect us all and not know what warfare can be like and is like in our wars of today.

it was true

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This was an enjoyable listen about a music prodigy. I, personally am tone deaf, so the fact that this could keep me interested throughout the whole book says a lot about the basis of the story. There’s a wonderful story here that isn’t just music, or just the Holocaust.

Very enjoyable

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When compared to other Holocaust/survival novels like Night, this novel may not be as well written. Yet, I really enjoyed the story because of its focus on music and the value of music during horrific times. It does not focus too much on the death of innocent people in the camps, which works in its credit allows this narrative to separate itself.

Instead, it follows 2 pianist girls in a series of varying incidents that, thanks to blind luck and boldness, help keep them alive. The novel also explores elements of Russian and Ukrainian history and emphasizes the horror of Stalin's reign, though without the grotesque imagery that might be found in Night (and similar).

Great Musical Story in Ukraine

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Exceptional narration, easy to listen to. Beautiful and also very sad story raising awareness. Would be perfect for a film too.

Memorable amazing story

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I have read many books about the Holocaust and I will definitely listen to it again. This book is different, the two sisters were never in the Holocaust, but it relates much history of what happened in Ukraine before WWII. The massacres in Babi Yar in 1932 and the atrocities of the Russians within their own people right before the war. These sisters were caught in the middle of all these events. Read/listen to it, you will not regret it!

Excellent story, great narrator!!

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Amazing Book. Just amazing. So thankful that hid mother’s experience in WWII was captured. Won’t regret the read.

Author’s Mother’s Memior

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This was an amazing story of survival and determination of 2 young pianists.
I loved it and learned much about perseverance!!!

Beautiful!

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What a mesmerizing, heart-stopping, sometimes heartbreaking, inspirational story!!! This should be required reading in history classes.

Incredible!

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I very much enjoyed this biographical Holocaust story from the Ukrainian perspective. It didn’t water down the horrific experiences, but was still tasteful. A++ I also appreciated the epilogue which brought it all together. Highly recommend!!

Excellent

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