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Laughing Winds
When Annika Straum is handed a violin and told to learn how to play, Annika knows she is about to die. In Dachau Concentration Camp, music means death. Prisoners are tasked with performing a concert before their own execution.Annika is not afraid to die. Annika has already lost everyone and everything she ever loved. The girl with the green eyes is also about to die. In the form of a stranger, Annika finds company. Annika finds a mystery. And though she is dying, Annika learns to live.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2012
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122 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 29, 2016
I’m still struggling with this book, to be honest. It’s definitely 5 stars, don’t get me wrong. It’s just so hard because it was such an emotional journey. I knew the outcome before I read it (from guessing) so I was prepared for everything this book threw at me, yet I still found myself clinging to hope that it would be different.
The book starts off with a bang where Annika, the protagonist and her family are entering the labor camp. It doesn’t take long for them to be separated. And then, after very little time, Annika finds herself the only living family member. It hit me all at once and I found myself wrapped up in the emotion of it all, hardly able to believe how fast everything was moving.
And then I found out why.
The book then takes us on a journey. A three month journey. Where Annika and nine other people wait for death. They know when it’s supposed to happen, but with the harsh conditions there, for some death comes sooner than others. And each time it happened, I was compelled to read more and more until I saw what happened in the end.
I was surprised that I liked the secondary characters, for the most part, as much as I did. I sort of felt drawn into this book and I could feel the tension and the fear and the anger while I was reading. These characters all had their own stories, their own lives before they were sent to the camp. And it was hard at times to know their fate while bonding with them.
The one character who managed to stay a stranger for a large part of the book was Sea Eyes, Annika’s love interest. She was a very strange girl and I did wonder about her several times. But the more I found out about her, the more I started softening to her. She’d been through hell, literally. And now she was forced to live out her last three months in even worse hell. She survived so much only to realize it was all coming to an end.
I’ll admit, one of the reasons I wanted to read this is because Rose Christo wrote it. I love that woman and her books always seem to make me feel something and I fall in love with her characters and her stories. So even though this was f/f, I knew I wanted to read it. And I’m so glad I did. The writing is just as amazing as her other books and I did fall in love with her characters like before.
This isn’t a romance. Not really. The romance is sprinkled in at times, but it never really takes full focus. What this story is about could be different for everyone. There are many ways you could interpret this story and I think that’s a good thing. It means it will have a different impact on people.
I don’t want to give away the ending because I think most will probably know it without me saying anything. It’s a long journey to get there, but when you do it all feels very surreal but the ending is definitely beautiful, too. It’s just a shame it couldn’t have been different.
Would I recommend this? Yes. I think it’s a beautiful, poignant story with a lot of heart and some wonderful characters. It’s not a fun or easy story. It’s an emotional story. It’s a sad story. It’s real. So very real. And I think, for me, that’s what made the biggest impact of all.
Very easy 5 stars.
My review can also be found on Greedy Bug Book Reviews.
The book starts off with a bang where Annika, the protagonist and her family are entering the labor camp. It doesn’t take long for them to be separated. And then, after very little time, Annika finds herself the only living family member. It hit me all at once and I found myself wrapped up in the emotion of it all, hardly able to believe how fast everything was moving.
And then I found out why.
The book then takes us on a journey. A three month journey. Where Annika and nine other people wait for death. They know when it’s supposed to happen, but with the harsh conditions there, for some death comes sooner than others. And each time it happened, I was compelled to read more and more until I saw what happened in the end.
I was surprised that I liked the secondary characters, for the most part, as much as I did. I sort of felt drawn into this book and I could feel the tension and the fear and the anger while I was reading. These characters all had their own stories, their own lives before they were sent to the camp. And it was hard at times to know their fate while bonding with them.
The one character who managed to stay a stranger for a large part of the book was Sea Eyes, Annika’s love interest. She was a very strange girl and I did wonder about her several times. But the more I found out about her, the more I started softening to her. She’d been through hell, literally. And now she was forced to live out her last three months in even worse hell. She survived so much only to realize it was all coming to an end.
I’ll admit, one of the reasons I wanted to read this is because Rose Christo wrote it. I love that woman and her books always seem to make me feel something and I fall in love with her characters and her stories. So even though this was f/f, I knew I wanted to read it. And I’m so glad I did. The writing is just as amazing as her other books and I did fall in love with her characters like before.
This isn’t a romance. Not really. The romance is sprinkled in at times, but it never really takes full focus. What this story is about could be different for everyone. There are many ways you could interpret this story and I think that’s a good thing. It means it will have a different impact on people.
I don’t want to give away the ending because I think most will probably know it without me saying anything. It’s a long journey to get there, but when you do it all feels very surreal but the ending is definitely beautiful, too. It’s just a shame it couldn’t have been different.
Would I recommend this? Yes. I think it’s a beautiful, poignant story with a lot of heart and some wonderful characters. It’s not a fun or easy story. It’s an emotional story. It’s a sad story. It’s real. So very real. And I think, for me, that’s what made the biggest impact of all.
Very easy 5 stars.
My review can also be found on Greedy Bug Book Reviews.
January 2, 2016
Actual rating - 4.5
I felt so sorry for Annika and the other characters in this. Being sent to a camp and not seeing your family again would be awful, and getting handed an instrument after learning that music meant death would be absolutely awful.
This was a really good, but heartbreaking read. I was on the verge of crying quite a few times, but at the end it took me while to stop!
I felt so sorry for Annika and the other characters in this. Being sent to a camp and not seeing your family again would be awful, and getting handed an instrument after learning that music meant death would be absolutely awful.
This was a really good, but heartbreaking read. I was on the verge of crying quite a few times, but at the end it took me while to stop!
July 19, 2014
Not sure where to start....I read and finished this book in one sitting, and the story and characters stayed with me long after the book was finished.
The main character(Annika) narrates,and you soon find yourself pulled into her story. I very quickly grew to care about the characters, and didn't put the book down until the last page because wanted to know what happened to them, and to follow their journey, even when at times I didn't.
The whole story takes place inside a concentration camp, and as such the book can be a harrowing read, painful partially because even if this is only a story it's believable and such atrocities really did take place.
The main character, and the fellow prisoners she slowly befriends as the story progresses, are all very human, each with their own story, personality, and ways of coping (or trying to) with the hell they find themselves in.
Annika changes how she refers to people in accordance to both what she has learned about them and in some cases how she feels about them, which is also a nice touch.
The book also includes some of the non-jewish groups that were also persecuted by the Nazis, for example the Roma and Sinti people, gays/lesbians, and the disabled (the latter is only mentioned by one of the other characters but it's there)
In spite of all the despair, suffering, and madness all around her, and in the face of senseless hatred, Annika somehow learns to both find and give solace, find beauty even in their ugly situation, even brief moments of distraction, humour and happiness.
The story pulls you in and drags you along for the emotional ride. Not the easiest book to read due to the nature of its setting, but meaningful and worth the journey.
The main character(Annika) narrates,and you soon find yourself pulled into her story. I very quickly grew to care about the characters, and didn't put the book down until the last page because wanted to know what happened to them, and to follow their journey, even when at times I didn't.
The whole story takes place inside a concentration camp, and as such the book can be a harrowing read, painful partially because even if this is only a story it's believable and such atrocities really did take place.
The main character, and the fellow prisoners she slowly befriends as the story progresses, are all very human, each with their own story, personality, and ways of coping (or trying to) with the hell they find themselves in.
Annika changes how she refers to people in accordance to both what she has learned about them and in some cases how she feels about them, which is also a nice touch.
The book also includes some of the non-jewish groups that were also persecuted by the Nazis, for example the Roma and Sinti people, gays/lesbians, and the disabled (the latter is only mentioned by one of the other characters but it's there)
In spite of all the despair, suffering, and madness all around her, and in the face of senseless hatred, Annika somehow learns to both find and give solace, find beauty even in their ugly situation, even brief moments of distraction, humour and happiness.
The story pulls you in and drags you along for the emotional ride. Not the easiest book to read due to the nature of its setting, but meaningful and worth the journey.
April 30, 2018
What a deep and thought provoking novel
This novel is beautifully heartwrenching. If you're looking for a happy, fluffy book, this is not it. However, if you're looking for a novel that will send your emotions into a talespin, provide hope and a frisson of happiness and light one minute; then fill you with sadness,anger, injustice, and so many other feelings in the next this is the book for you. World War II, the holocaust in particular, has always fascinated me. I didn't care for the ending at all, but sometimes happily ever after isn't realistic. I applaud the author's ability to bring you on the journey of the narrator. Very well done. To reiterate, this book isn't for everyone, but looking past all the atrocities committed, I believe anyone, whether it's what you were looking for, will deeply appreciate this author's offering.
This novel is beautifully heartwrenching. If you're looking for a happy, fluffy book, this is not it. However, if you're looking for a novel that will send your emotions into a talespin, provide hope and a frisson of happiness and light one minute; then fill you with sadness,anger, injustice, and so many other feelings in the next this is the book for you. World War II, the holocaust in particular, has always fascinated me. I didn't care for the ending at all, but sometimes happily ever after isn't realistic. I applaud the author's ability to bring you on the journey of the narrator. Very well done. To reiterate, this book isn't for everyone, but looking past all the atrocities committed, I believe anyone, whether it's what you were looking for, will deeply appreciate this author's offering.
June 17, 2017
Beautiful and heartbreaking. Until the very end, I hoped Annika and Laura would survive.
When I was in the seventh or eighth grade, Dona, Dona, Dona, the song this book references, was something we were taught. Seeing how Rose Christo ties it in to the concentration camps is devastating, but it made perfect sense. However, while she touched on atrocities, she didn't dwell on them and go into heinous detail.
So yes, heartbreaking, but definitely worth the read.
When I was in the seventh or eighth grade, Dona, Dona, Dona, the song this book references, was something we were taught. Seeing how Rose Christo ties it in to the concentration camps is devastating, but it made perfect sense. However, while she touched on atrocities, she didn't dwell on them and go into heinous detail.
So yes, heartbreaking, but definitely worth the read.
February 6, 2019
This book was on a queer reading list so I thought I would give it a try and I regret it. It was repetitive and amazingly historically inaccurate, did the author even google Dachau? If you want a queer book from the same era pick up a Sarah Waters novel.
August 25, 2018
It made me cry.....
I felt like I was there with them. These prisoners. It's a wonderful story of life. Then death. It really left me breathless.
I felt like I was there with them. These prisoners. It's a wonderful story of life. Then death. It really left me breathless.
February 2, 2019
Unfortunately this turned just a little too sentimental and mushy. Not bad. Just not as good as her other books.
December 30, 2016
After visiting the Dachau Concentration Camp, I felt even more compelled to learn about this terrible piece of history. I was searching for a more historic book, but came upon this one... After seeing that the main character is from a small town named Mittenwald, that I also visited this month, I became more intrigued. Mittenwald, now, is a small town in Germany that is known for its violins & skilled makers so how ironic that the camp leaders give the main character a violin so that she can play her own funeral's concert. I became enthralled with each character that was introduced in the story. So much so, that I finished this book in 5 hours. I just couldn't put it down.
February 26, 2015
Absolutely brilliant.
The story takes place in Dachau concentration camp, it is beautifully written and the characters really draw you in.
One thing I loved about this book was how it started. I would usually have to read the first two pages of a new book to see if it's my kind of thing, but just reading the first line made me want to sit there all day and read it nonstop.
The story follows Annika, a young Jewish girl who was sent to Dachau with her family, from whom she's quickly separated. During her days in the camp, she meets a diverse range of people including a homosexual, sinti, a slav etc. But the person she really seems to be drawn to is "sea eyes".
The secondary characters all have their own backstory which draws you to the story all the more.
I think this book is a great way to reach out to readers about the horrors of the Holocaust, and those who were unfortunate enough to suffer it.
The story takes place in Dachau concentration camp, it is beautifully written and the characters really draw you in.
One thing I loved about this book was how it started. I would usually have to read the first two pages of a new book to see if it's my kind of thing, but just reading the first line made me want to sit there all day and read it nonstop.
The story follows Annika, a young Jewish girl who was sent to Dachau with her family, from whom she's quickly separated. During her days in the camp, she meets a diverse range of people including a homosexual, sinti, a slav etc. But the person she really seems to be drawn to is "sea eyes".
The secondary characters all have their own backstory which draws you to the story all the more.
I think this book is a great way to reach out to readers about the horrors of the Holocaust, and those who were unfortunate enough to suffer it.
July 19, 2015
I promised myself I wouldn't cry. Everybody cried their eyes out, but I promised I would stay strong. My promises are worth nothing.
Rose Christo, with her exceptional writing style, is about to become my absolute favourite writer. I don't know how she does it, but her novels are so captivating I feel like I'm drowning without them. In Laughing Winds we meet Annika, a sixteen year-old Jewish girl, who is about to die. She keeps reminding us that in three months her life is over, yet I could not believe it nor accept it. I kind of started rooting for the characters, hoping for a better ending, although deep down I knew that I cannot change history.
Rose Christo, with her exceptional writing style, is about to become my absolute favourite writer. I don't know how she does it, but her novels are so captivating I feel like I'm drowning without them. In Laughing Winds we meet Annika, a sixteen year-old Jewish girl, who is about to die. She keeps reminding us that in three months her life is over, yet I could not believe it nor accept it. I kind of started rooting for the characters, hoping for a better ending, although deep down I knew that I cannot change history.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews