Lilia
A True Story of Love, Courage, and Survival in the Shadow of War
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Narrated by:
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Nancy Peterson
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By:
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Linda Ganzini
About this listen
Lilia is an emotionally wrenching coming-of-age and compelling family drama. Trapped under Mussolini’s reign and Hitler’s occupation, this riveting true story is propelled by a brave girl’s courage and a family’s bond as they struggle to survive the battle between the forces of evil and the power of love.
Where there is love, hope remains.
Against the backdrop of fascist Italy during World War II and the Holocaust, Lilia sets the stage for the harrowing story of a family whose depth of heart overcomes a war tearing them apart—years marred by unfathomable tragedies, immense loss, upheaval, and countless betrayals.
Lilia resigns herself to a world crushed by misery, abject poverty, and a broken, bitter mother who suffered insurmountable grief. The burden of war, loneliness, and adult responsibilities rob her of a carefree childhood. Witnessing her parent’s challenge to stay alive during the Nazi occupation becomes Lilia’s greatest sorrow, one she makes the most heroic efforts to conceal. Ultimately, tragic loss and unanswered prayers dim the flame of her belief in the future. Will a seed of love reignite Lilia’s faith leading her toward an unforgettable and inspiring triumph over tragedy? Or will the dark shadow of war plague her destiny forever?
This poignant account will transport you to a lost moment in history that irreversibly changes a quaint Northern Italian village, transforming its people for generations to come. Through the eyes and fearless spirit of a young girl, Lilia’s family story comes to life on the page, and it will remain in your heart long after you finish the final chapter.
This inspirational book is changing lives.
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- Narrated by: Rosie Jones, Imogen Church
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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China, December 1941. Having left an unhappy life in England for a teaching post at a missionary school in northern China, Elspeth Kent is now anxious to return home to help the war effort. But as she prepares to leave China, a terrible twist of fate determines a different path for Elspeth, and those in her charge. Ten-year-old Nancy Plummer has always felt safe at Chefoo School, protected by her British status.
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heart wrenching And inspiring!!
- By Justin Drogoszewski on 11-22-20
By: Hazel Gaynor
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The Traitor
- By: V.S. Alexander
- Narrated by: Christa Lewis
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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In the summer of 1942, as war rages across Europe, a series of anonymous leaflets appears around the University of Munich, speaking out against escalating Nazi atrocities. The leaflets are hidden in public places, or mailed to addresses selected at random from the phone book. Natalya Petrovich, a student, knows who is behind the leaflets - a secret group called the White Rose, led by siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl and their friends. As a volunteer nurse on the Russian front, Natalya witnessed the horrors of war first-hand. She willingly enters the White Rose's circle....
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Not all the Germans are guilty.
- By Judy Harley on 09-18-20
By: V.S. Alexander
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The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna
- A Novel
- By: Juliet Grames
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 16 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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For Stella Fortuna, death has always been a part of life. Stella’s childhood is full of strange, life-threatening incidents - moments where ordinary situations like cooking eggplant or feeding the pigs inexplicably take lethal turns. Even Stella’s own mother is convinced that her daughter is cursed or haunted. When the Fortunas emigrate to America on the cusp of World War II, Stella and her sister, Tina, must come of age side by side in a hostile new world with strict expectations for each of them.
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Misogyny at its worst
- By brenda on 01-15-20
By: Juliet Grames
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If I Were You: A Novel
- By: Lynn Austin
- Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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1950. In the wake of the war, Audrey Clarkson leaves her manor house in England for a fresh start in America with her young son. As a widowed war bride, Audrey needs the support of her American in-laws, whom she has never met. But she arrives to find that her longtime friend Eve Dawson has been impersonating her for the past four years. Unraveling this deception will force Audrey and Eve’s secrets - and the complicated history of their friendship - to the surface.
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performed beautifully
- By Colby on 07-16-20
By: Lynn Austin
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A Joyful Christmas
- 6 Historical Stories
- By: Cynthia Hickey, Liz Johnson, Vickie McDonough, and others
- Narrated by: Carolyn Molloy
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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A Christmas collection to warm the heart. Grab a warm cup of tea and watch as romance is kindled and joy is restored to broken lives during six bygone-era Christmas celebrations.
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Heartwarming!
- By Smile on 12-16-23
By: Cynthia Hickey, and others
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The Path of Thorns
- By: A.G. Slatter
- Narrated by: Louise Williams
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Asher Todd comes to live with the mysterious Morwood family as a governess to their children. Asher knows little about being a governess but she is skilled in botany and herbcraft, and perhaps more than that. And she has secrets of her own, dark and terrible—and Morwood is a house that eats secrets. With a monstrous revenge in mind, Asher plans to make it choke. However, she becomes fond of her charges, of the people of the Tarn, and she begins to wonder if she will be able to execute her plan—and who will suffer most if she does.
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Great unique story
- By Holly Bailey on 10-18-24
By: A.G. Slatter
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An Ordinary Wonder
- By: Buki Papillon
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Oto leaves for boarding school with one plan: Excel and escape his cruel home. Falling in love with his roommate was certainly not on the agenda, but fear and shame force him to hide his love and true self. Back home, weighed down by the expectations of their wealthy and powerful family, the love of Oto's twin sister wavers, and, as their world begins to crumble around them, Oto must make drastic choices that will alter the family's lives for ever.
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Intriguing
- By Mary P Browne on 09-20-21
By: Buki Papillon
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The Widows of Champagne
- By: Renee Ryan
- Narrated by: Karen Peakes
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Champagne, 1939. Gabrielle Leblanc Dupree is taking her family's future into her hands. While she should be preparing for a lavish party to celebrate two centuries of champagne making, she secretly hides Chateau Fouché-Leblanc's most precious vintages behind a fake wall in the cellar in preparation for the looming war. But when she joins the resistance, the coveted champagne isn't the most dangerous secret her cellar must conceal.
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Good but a bit religious
- By Far North on 03-31-23
By: Renee Ryan
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The Last Checkmate
- A Novel
- By: Gabriella Saab
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Maria Florkowska is many things: daughter, avid chess player, and, as a member of the Polish underground resistance in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, a young woman brave beyond her years. Captured by the Gestapo, she is imprisoned in Auschwitz, but while her family is sent to their deaths, she is spared. Realizing her ability to play chess, the sadistic camp deputy, Karl Fritzsch, decides to use her as a chess opponent to entertain the camp guards. However, once he tires of exploiting her skills, he has every intention of killing her.
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Desperate Girl, Powerful Story
- By Syd Young on 10-29-21
By: Gabriella Saab
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The Bermondsey Bookshop
- By: Mary Gibson
- Narrated by: Anne Dover
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Set in 1920s London, this is the inspiring story of Kate Goss' struggle against poverty, hunger and cruel family secrets. Her mother died in a fall, her father has vanished without trace, and now her aunt and cousins treat her viciously. In a freezing, vermin-infested garret, factory girl Kate has only her own brave spirit and dreams of finding her father to keep her going. She has barely enough money to feed herself, or to pay the rent. The factory where she works begins to lay off people and it isn't long before she has fallen into the hands of the violent local money-lender.
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A glimpse into the past
- By Luci-Lu on 10-27-21
By: Mary Gibson
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The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted
- By: Robert Hillman
- Narrated by: Daniel Lapaine
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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It is 1968 in rural Australia and lonely Tom Hope can't make heads or tails of Hannah Babel. Newly arrived from Hungary, Hannah is unlike anyone he's ever met - she's passionate, artistic, and fiercely determined to open sleepy Hometown's first bookshop. Despite the fact that Tom has only read only one book in his life, the two soon discover an astonishing spark. Recently abandoned by an unfaithful wife - and still missing her sweet son, Peter - Tom dares to believe that he might make Hannah happy.
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Listener beware
- By Little old lady from Iowa on 06-11-23
By: Robert Hillman
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The Convent
- The Shocking True Story of Surviving and Evil Nun's Care Home from Hell
- By: Marie Hargreaves
- Narrated by: Dorothy Lawrence
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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When a fancy car pulls up outside six-year-old Marie's home in 1959, her dad tells her she is going on holiday. But little does she know she will not see her home again for four long years. Her family cannot afford to keep her at home. Marie tells the story of how she was taken away from a poor but happy and loving home life to live in a convent - away from everyone and everything she holds dear. Her hair is bluntly chopped, her clothes are taken away and her name is changed. Then a horrific ritual of physical, sexual and mental abuse begins.
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Stunning Book
- By madameEmily on 10-09-21
By: Marie Hargreaves
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The Gilda Stories
- By: Jewelle Gomez
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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This remarkable novel begins in 1850s Louisiana, where Gilda escapes slavery and learns about freedom while working in a brothel. After being initiated into eternal life as one who "shares the blood" by two women there, Gilda spends the next 200 years searching for a place to call home. An instant lesbian classic when it was first published in 1991, The Gilda Stories has endured as an auspiciously prescient book in its explorations of blackness, radical ecology, re-definitions of family, and yes, the erotic potential of the vampire story.
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A Critical and Timely Classic
- By Qasima Wideman on 08-09-19
By: Jewelle Gomez
What listeners say about Lilia
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Red
- 09-11-23
A must read! Don't miss out!
The life of Lilia. A true story, cinematic written by Linda Ganzini. Scenes narrated by Nancy Peterson, who does a fabulous job at bringing this story to life! This story is from the eyes of a young girl, Lilia. She takes us to Italy. To the time during the World War II, when Italy’s citizens underwent the influences of Mussolini and the Nazi party. Lilia was the youngest of the sisters in her family. Her tasks at a young age are the meaning of childhood weeping and sorrow experiences. The stir of bravery, love, courage, joy, laughter, and survival is at the core of the journey in Lilia's story. A must read! I could not put the book down! I have no doubt one day we'll see Lilia’s story as a featured cinema production!
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- Ren Heywood
- 01-08-23
A solid coming of age tale
Lilia by Linda Ganzini is the true life story of the titular character as she grows up through the Second World War and beyond with her parents and siblings. There is much tragedy throughout; a stark reminder that people lived through horrific events. But throughout, there is also hope and humor. Knowing the book was written by the character’s daughter proves that even through the most devastating experiences life can bring, hope is an important thing to keep.
I found the book enjoyable and important, right along books like Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search For Meaning and The Dairy of Anne Frank. I also thought the reader, Nancy Peterson, did a fantastic job with the multiple voices of not only the other characters but also Lilia as she ages from a young girl to a teenager.
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2 people found this helpful
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- c. barr
- 04-20-23
Do Not Miss This!
Lilia was subjected to the horrible events that happened in northern Italy during the war but never lost the spark of life and tenderness that allowed her to become such a wonderful human being.
The part that really made me cry the most was the end of the book where Lilia and Linda Ganzini give background notes to the story. I felt closure for some of the saddest parts of the story as Linda told about her miraculous meeting with Arturo’s friend.
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- Michael Strong
- 02-19-23
Heart-wrenching, superbly written and narrated!
I've never written a book review before, but this book deserves all the praise it can garner!
I was not familiar with Italy's involvement during World War II and was appalled to discover that not only were the Italian citizens required to fight for Hitler under Mussolini, but that after Mussolini was voted out of power they suffered intensely at the hands of the Nazi party who they had once fought for.
As awful as war is for anyone, it was heart-wrenching to see these events unfold through the eyes of a child too young to comprehend what was happening to her family, yet required to grow up fast in order to hold her family together. Such courage and resilience are rarely seen these days!
High praise for the narrator Nancy Peterson who does a fabulous job drawing you into the story with her accents and characterizations.
Beautifully written and narrated, this true life story needed to be shared with the world! As the author notes at the story's conclusion "we must never forget because then we are in danger of repeating the same mistakes." Thank you for sharing this compelling family story with me, I promise not to forget!
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- Rural Free Delivery
- 12-11-23
Time moves on and we struggle to learn, so we repeat.
As a man in my mid-sixties, my perspective on historical events is colored by the hindsight of years and the experience that comes with age. “Lilia,” beautifully written by Linda Ganzini and masterfully narrated by Nancy Peterson, is delivered in a way that is as engaging as it is historical and a poignant reminder of a past that we must not forget.
From the first chapter, Peterson’s narration is captivating. Her ability to gradually transform her voice to match Lilia’s growth from a child into a teenager is remarkable. The story is like stepping into a time machine and witnessing history firsthand. “Lilia” isn’t just an audiobook; it feels more like an immersive radio drama, where every character comes to life with depth and emotion.
The story, set against the dark backdrop of Mussolini’s Italy and World War II, could easily have been a tale of unrelenting despair. However, Ganzini skillfully balances the harsh realities of war with rich passages of love, light, romance, and laughter. It’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a theme that resonated deeply with me.
It’s one thing to learn about historical events in a classroom; it’s another to feel their weight through the eyes of someone who lived it. The story of Lilia and her family is a stark reminder that their struggles are not confined to history. They are ongoing and echoed in the lives of many today, making the message of this book timely and profoundly relevant. Stories like these must be told and retold in books and schools. I’d love to see this tale adapted one day into a film or series, bringing its powerful message to an even wider audience.
Lilia’s story will stay with you, urging reflection, understanding, and action. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially those who seek a deeper understanding of the breadth of human experience during one of history’s darkest times.
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- misspinkeye
- 01-15-23
Beautiful!
I immensely loved listening to this book. The story was very well-written, inspiring, and heartwarming. I cried, hoped, daydreamed, loved, and cried some more along with Lilia and what she had gone through growing up during the war. The author wrote the story beautifully which keep me engaged from start to finish. Very well done.
Nancy Peterson was just simply amazing with her narration. She brought so much life to the words. She's so talented!
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- Annie Hansen
- 02-27-24
Will not forget this one
I have such a hard time reading about concentration camps but the stories need to be told. This one was great-showed the resiliency of the people.
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-30-23
Lilia- inside Italian Hearts WWII
Lilia, her family and the Italian people will capture your heart throughout this story. The author sets all scenes to mimic the mood of the characters in a way that pulls you into Italy and allows you to empathize with its citizens during such a challenging and horrifying time in our World’s history.
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- J. Turner
- 11-10-23
A stunning family saga
This book is a five-course meal, not fast food. The author relates her mother's memories of Italy during WWII and does it beautifully. The characters come alive, a harsh and exacting mother, a warm and loving father, poverty, war, and hope. What I love best about this book is that I learned things I did not know about Italy during WWII. I had no idea that the war caused a civil war between those Italians who supported Hitler and those who did not. I had no idea there was also an Italian Holocaust, with around fifty thousand Italians killed most of them from poor peasant families. There is no such thing as History, only Histories. It is important that we learn about all the ways different people were affected by war so as not to repeat it.
The other thing I loved about this book was being part of this family. These people will stay with me for a long time.
Also, Nancy Peterson did a fantastic job of narrating this story. Her ability to do the accents and pronounce the names and foods made it feel very realistic. It was like her voice was made for this story. Exceptional all the way around.
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- Cosetta Lustig
- 11-12-23
Couldn't stop listening! Narration was captivating
What an amazing story. Brilliant writing and the fabulous narration brought the whole story to life. I became so involved in the story and the family at the heart of it that I couldn't stop listening. This true story will leave a mark in your heart and open your eyes to historical events you have probably never heard before. I did not want the story to end. Add this book to your 'must have' list. You will not regret it.
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