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Overture of Hope: Two Sisters' Daring Plan that Saved Opera's Jewish Stars from the Third Reich
Schindler's List meets The Sound of Music as best-selling New York Post investigative journalist Isabel Vincent delves into pre-World-War-II history to recover the amazing story of two British spinsters who masterminded a plan to spirit dozens of Jewish stars and personnel of the German and Austrian opera to England and save them from a terrible fate under the Third Reich. Will resonate with readers of The Nazi Officer's Wife and The Dressmakers of Auschwitz.
A Secret Aria of Courage and Suspense
Europe, 1937. Two British sisters, one a dowdy typist, the other a soon-to-be famous romance novelist. One shared passion for opera. With prospects for marriage and families of their own cut down by the scythe of World War I, the Cook sisters have thrown themselves into their love of music, with frequent pilgrimages to Germany and Austria to see their favorite opera stars perform. But now with war clouds gathering and harassment increasing, the stars of Continental opera, many of whom are Jewish, face dark futures under the boot heel of the Nazis.
What can two middle-aged British spinsters do about such matters? They can form a secret cabal right under Hitler's nose and get to work saving lives. Along with Austrian conductor Clemens Krauss (a favorite of Hitler, but quietly working with the Cooks) the sisters conspire to bring together worldwide opera aficionados and insiders in an international operation to rescue Jews in the opera from the horrific fate that everyone intuits is coming. By the time war does arrive, the Cooks and their operatives have plucked over two dozen Jewish men and women from the looming maw of the Holocaust and spirited them to safety in England.
Packed with original research and vividly told with suspense, hope, and wonder by award-winning New York Post investigative journalist Isabel Vincent, author of nationally best-selling memoir Dinner with Edward, this singular tale reveals many new details of the seemingly naïve and oblivious Cook sisters' surreptitious bravery, daring, and passionate commitment as the two mount a successful rescue mission that saves dozens of lives and preserves the opera they love for another generation.
A Secret Aria of Courage and Suspense
Europe, 1937. Two British sisters, one a dowdy typist, the other a soon-to-be famous romance novelist. One shared passion for opera. With prospects for marriage and families of their own cut down by the scythe of World War I, the Cook sisters have thrown themselves into their love of music, with frequent pilgrimages to Germany and Austria to see their favorite opera stars perform. But now with war clouds gathering and harassment increasing, the stars of Continental opera, many of whom are Jewish, face dark futures under the boot heel of the Nazis.
What can two middle-aged British spinsters do about such matters? They can form a secret cabal right under Hitler's nose and get to work saving lives. Along with Austrian conductor Clemens Krauss (a favorite of Hitler, but quietly working with the Cooks) the sisters conspire to bring together worldwide opera aficionados and insiders in an international operation to rescue Jews in the opera from the horrific fate that everyone intuits is coming. By the time war does arrive, the Cooks and their operatives have plucked over two dozen Jewish men and women from the looming maw of the Holocaust and spirited them to safety in England.
Packed with original research and vividly told with suspense, hope, and wonder by award-winning New York Post investigative journalist Isabel Vincent, author of nationally best-selling memoir Dinner with Edward, this singular tale reveals many new details of the seemingly naïve and oblivious Cook sisters' surreptitious bravery, daring, and passionate commitment as the two mount a successful rescue mission that saves dozens of lives and preserves the opera they love for another generation.
278 pages, Paperback
Published June 20, 2023
28 people are currently reading
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About the author
Isabel Vincent
22 books119 followersIsabel Vincent (born 1965 in Toronto) is a Canadian investigative journalist who writes for the New York Post, an alumna of the University of Toronto Varsity newspaper, and the author of several books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
January 10, 2023
Two British spinster sisters, devoted opera lovers, Ida and Louise Cook met and became great friends with a pair of opera stars outside the Royal Albert hall in 1937. It was this connection that started the sisters on their clandestine escapades when asked by their opera friends if they could be of help to those in need as the Nazis had already begun their reign of terror on the Jews.
The sisters were not well-to-do by any means, they scrimped and saved in order to buy cheap opera tickets – when Ida became an author of romance novels for Mills & Boon their finances improved, but it never occurred to them to change their frugal ways. However, they thought nothing of using their own money to facilitate these escapes.
Their clandestine efforts began by them spiriting out of Germany jewels and furs belonging to Jews that otherwise would have been confiscated by the Nazis.
The sisters even managed to travel to Germany and Austria during the Nazi occupation ostensibly to attend opera concerts which they did willingly if it meant they could save one person.
It is noted that they saved at least 29 people but the number could be higher as many documents were lost &/or destroyed.
Not an opera lover and knowing little about opera I was surprised that this book resonated with me as much as it did especially as much of it is devoted to opera notables: singers, composers, conductors and the like.
I wish the book had included some pictures of the sisters. What they did was amazing and I’m glad I read the book because it is a story that gives credence to the saying - one person can make a difference.
The sisters were not well-to-do by any means, they scrimped and saved in order to buy cheap opera tickets – when Ida became an author of romance novels for Mills & Boon their finances improved, but it never occurred to them to change their frugal ways. However, they thought nothing of using their own money to facilitate these escapes.
Their clandestine efforts began by them spiriting out of Germany jewels and furs belonging to Jews that otherwise would have been confiscated by the Nazis.
The sisters even managed to travel to Germany and Austria during the Nazi occupation ostensibly to attend opera concerts which they did willingly if it meant they could save one person.
It is noted that they saved at least 29 people but the number could be higher as many documents were lost &/or destroyed.
Not an opera lover and knowing little about opera I was surprised that this book resonated with me as much as it did especially as much of it is devoted to opera notables: singers, composers, conductors and the like.
I wish the book had included some pictures of the sisters. What they did was amazing and I’m glad I read the book because it is a story that gives credence to the saying - one person can make a difference.
January 12, 2023
I won this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program. Thank you!
The true story of two sisters whose love of opera filled their lives - and led to their saving dozens of others before and during WW2.
Unmarried sisters Louise (born 1901) and Ida Cook (1904) were ardent, enthusiastic and eager followers of opera. After Louise purchased a gramophone (in 1923) and some records, they fell in love with the music and began to follow various stars as avidly as the bobby soxers followed Sinatra in the 40's and teens did rock 'n roll in the 60's. (And as fans do the same today on social media.) There was no internet in the 1920's and '30's, but the two women gobbled up every news story they could about their favorite singers and composers. And like so many fans, they also wrote letters of admiration to their favorite stars. But instead of this just being a hobby, a great interest...
It became an obsession, especially when some of these same stars and celebrities wrote them back. In time, the two were being invited backstage, met many of their favorite stars and eventually were hosting various singers, composers, conductors, etc., into their small apartment. Ida and Louise were not intrusive, however; they were true fans, in love with the music and those who made it. They also saved their money for frequent trips to the continent, especially Germany, to attend musical performances there.
About one-third of this book is about the early lives of Ida and Louise, how they scraped together every penny to buy tickets to concerts, sometimes forgoing lunch to save money. They were ordinary, working-class, English women who simply loved opera.
However, when things changed in the 1930's - Hitler coming to power, etc. - and the oppression of the Jews began, Ida and Louise's lives changed, too. They turned their efforts, attention, funds, etc., into helping many of those in the music world leave Germany (and Austria and a few other places) to go to England. There were so many obstacles in the way. For one thing, refugees had to have the resources to enter the country and as the Nazis began stripping away properties from the Jews: homes, businesses, valuables and so on, these two Englishwomen had to come up with a plan...
Well, they came up with many plans! But one was to smuggle their opera-friends' jewelry back home to England where it could be turned into cash or other forms of security. How did they do this? By wearing it. And laughing if/when questioned by border guards or other authorities. Useless baubles! Silly costume jewelry, worn on old plain clothes or coats. Hidden in plain sight, that is, and they never got caught.
But this is only one of many ways Ida and Louise managed to assist people to leave. Special visas and permits were required and Ida and Louise used every possible contact, friend, relative and so on to help. Guarantors were needed to allow the refugees to stay in England. These were, for the most part, ordinary English citizens who promised to provide a place to stay and financial support until the refugees could find a job, etc. The Kindertransport program brought many Jewish children into the country, but there were organizations which helped adults, too. At one time Ida and Louise had fifteen refugees living in their tiny apartment. The key thing here is that they worked hard, bent elbows, argued and petitioned and sat in offices until those in charge listened to them and provided the necessary papers, permits, and so on.
The efforts these women went through to help refugees - Jews and others - leave continental Europe was astounding. They are directly credited with saving 26 men and women, but indirectly they helped dozens, hundreds, more - we may never know how many. Ida cook was also a romance writer and a large portion of the money she made from writing went into her efforts to help as many people as she could. Her books are still read today under her writing name, Mary Burchell.
In 1965 they were honored as 'Righteous Among Nations,' by the nation of Israel.
Five stars.
The true story of two sisters whose love of opera filled their lives - and led to their saving dozens of others before and during WW2.
Unmarried sisters Louise (born 1901) and Ida Cook (1904) were ardent, enthusiastic and eager followers of opera. After Louise purchased a gramophone (in 1923) and some records, they fell in love with the music and began to follow various stars as avidly as the bobby soxers followed Sinatra in the 40's and teens did rock 'n roll in the 60's. (And as fans do the same today on social media.) There was no internet in the 1920's and '30's, but the two women gobbled up every news story they could about their favorite singers and composers. And like so many fans, they also wrote letters of admiration to their favorite stars. But instead of this just being a hobby, a great interest...
It became an obsession, especially when some of these same stars and celebrities wrote them back. In time, the two were being invited backstage, met many of their favorite stars and eventually were hosting various singers, composers, conductors, etc., into their small apartment. Ida and Louise were not intrusive, however; they were true fans, in love with the music and those who made it. They also saved their money for frequent trips to the continent, especially Germany, to attend musical performances there.
About one-third of this book is about the early lives of Ida and Louise, how they scraped together every penny to buy tickets to concerts, sometimes forgoing lunch to save money. They were ordinary, working-class, English women who simply loved opera.
However, when things changed in the 1930's - Hitler coming to power, etc. - and the oppression of the Jews began, Ida and Louise's lives changed, too. They turned their efforts, attention, funds, etc., into helping many of those in the music world leave Germany (and Austria and a few other places) to go to England. There were so many obstacles in the way. For one thing, refugees had to have the resources to enter the country and as the Nazis began stripping away properties from the Jews: homes, businesses, valuables and so on, these two Englishwomen had to come up with a plan...
Well, they came up with many plans! But one was to smuggle their opera-friends' jewelry back home to England where it could be turned into cash or other forms of security. How did they do this? By wearing it. And laughing if/when questioned by border guards or other authorities. Useless baubles! Silly costume jewelry, worn on old plain clothes or coats. Hidden in plain sight, that is, and they never got caught.
But this is only one of many ways Ida and Louise managed to assist people to leave. Special visas and permits were required and Ida and Louise used every possible contact, friend, relative and so on to help. Guarantors were needed to allow the refugees to stay in England. These were, for the most part, ordinary English citizens who promised to provide a place to stay and financial support until the refugees could find a job, etc. The Kindertransport program brought many Jewish children into the country, but there were organizations which helped adults, too. At one time Ida and Louise had fifteen refugees living in their tiny apartment. The key thing here is that they worked hard, bent elbows, argued and petitioned and sat in offices until those in charge listened to them and provided the necessary papers, permits, and so on.
The efforts these women went through to help refugees - Jews and others - leave continental Europe was astounding. They are directly credited with saving 26 men and women, but indirectly they helped dozens, hundreds, more - we may never know how many. Ida cook was also a romance writer and a large portion of the money she made from writing went into her efforts to help as many people as she could. Her books are still read today under her writing name, Mary Burchell.
In 1965 they were honored as 'Righteous Among Nations,' by the nation of Israel.
Five stars.
August 29, 2022
Isabel Vincent spent nearly four years traveling in Germany, Austria, Italy, England, the U.S., and Israel gathering material for this work, and has created an intriguing record of the actions of two women who stood on the side of morality during the Holocaust.
Overture of Hope is the story of Ida and Louise Cook, two English sisters who, as resolute fans of opera, travel from England to Germany to attend opera productions. Their love of opera began in 1923, and as they attend operas, they eventually get to know several star opera performers including Amelita Galli-Curci, Elisabeth Rethberg, Rosa Ponselle, and Viorica Ursuleac. The work details the intense popularity of opera in that era, as front page newspaper articles describe various opera events.
In the 30s, however, as the Nazis rose in power, things changed. Several of the opera stars were Jewish, and the story of how these sisters helped many to escape the Third Reich is the basis for Overture of Hope. The sisters were already in place as opera fans, and no subterfuge needed to be manufactured.
Although Ida and Louise were civil service clerks, Ida began writing romance novels, published by Mills and Boon, eventually earning enough to assist their rescue efforts.
The sisters rented a flat in Dolphin Square, London, originally to host parties for opera friends, but it became a sanctuary for escapees from Germany. Ida and Louise, who wore casual clothes, would smuggle expensive jewelry given to them by Jews who could not take it when they left Germany. Such items were placed in safety boxes for eventual return. The 29 refugees that they helped to escape included Lisa Basch, Else Mayer-Lismann, Friedl Bambrger Orlando, Ilse Bauer and Gerda Maliniak.
A fascinating part of this tale begins when Viorica Ursuleac, the Romanian wife of Hitler's favorite opera director, Clemens Kraus, asks the sisters to look after Mitia Mayer-Lismann, official lecturer of the Salzburg Music Festival, on a trip to England. During that trip, Mayer-Lismann explains to the sisters what is happening to the Jews in Germany, and that she herself is Jewish. The sisters are astounded by the incredible conditions faced by Jews. Eventually Krauss, the opera director, even scheduled opera productions to coincide with the sisters' meetings with potential refugees, thereby giving cover to their activities. The sisters, according to their own words, would not have begun, nor would they have sustained, their support for the rescue of Jews without the involvement and support of Clemens Krauss and Viorica Ursuleac.
Although Krauss never mistreated Jews, and had never joined the Nazi party, he did collaborate with Nazi hierarchy to advance personal gain. As part of his "denazification", he was prohibited from engaging in artistic activity for two years and from holding any leading position in Austrian musical life for five years.
August 18, 2022
Overture of Hope is the story of Ida and Louise Cook, two English sisters who, as resolute fans of opera, travel from England to Germany to attend opera productions. Their love of opera began in 1923, and as they attend operas, they eventually get to know several star opera performers including Amelita Galli-Curci, Elisabeth Rethberg, Rosa Ponselle, and Viorica Ursuleac. The work details the intense popularity of opera in that era, as front page newspaper articles describe various opera events.
In the 30s, however, as the Nazis rose in power, things changed. Several of the opera stars were Jewish, and the story of how these sisters helped many to escape the Third Reich is the basis for Overture of Hope. The sisters were already in place as opera fans, and no subterfuge needed to be manufactured.
Although Ida and Louise were civil service clerks, Ida began writing romance novels, published by Mills and Boon, eventually earning enough to assist their rescue efforts.
The sisters rented a flat in Dolphin Square, London, originally to host parties for opera friends, but it became a sanctuary for escapees from Germany. Ida and Louise, who wore casual clothes, would smuggle expensive jewelry given to them by Jews who could not take it when they left Germany. Such items were placed in safety boxes for eventual return. The 29 refugees that they helped to escape included Lisa Basch, Else Mayer-Lismann, Friedl Bambrger Orlando, Ilse Bauer and Gerda Maliniak.
A fascinating part of this tale begins when Viorica Ursuleac, the Romanian wife of Hitler's favorite opera director, Clemens Kraus, asks the sisters to look after Mitia Mayer-Lismann, official lecturer of the Salzburg Music Festival, on a trip to England. During that trip, Mayer-Lismann explains to the sisters what is happening to the Jews in Germany, and that she herself is Jewish. The sisters are astounded by the incredible conditions faced by Jews. Eventually Krauss, the opera director, even scheduled opera productions to coincide with the sisters' meetings with potential refugees, thereby giving cover to their activities. The sisters, according to their own words, would not have begun, nor would they have sustained, their support for the rescue of Jews without the involvement and support of Clemens Krauss and Viorica Ursuleac.
Although Krauss never mistreated Jews, and had never joined the Nazi party, he did collaborate with Nazi hierarchy to advance personal gain. As part of his "denazification", he was prohibited from engaging in artistic activity for two years and from holding any leading position in Austrian musical life for five years.
August 18, 2022
December 20, 2022
I was pleased to win this in a giveaway from the publishers, and equally pleased to read it.
I started out with mixed feelings - like, “great they saved people, but why were only ‘stars’ worthy of this?” The answer to that is, they aren’t less worthy for being ‘important’, and you save who you can!
This really is a great story of what these women were able to accomplish - they rose to the challenge, continued despite the dangers and hurdles they met. And it was a sweet story of their lives…
I found this quite the nice change from the novels abounding now featuring women in heroic roles in WWII. Their story and challenges are not sensationalized, but give you a lot of day-to-day details in their saga. You also get some sense of the politics behind the scenes in who was able to survive Nazi reach, and how. And some maybe of why some were later taken to trial and others not. Things were not black and white… but it often played out that way, particularly when you did not know someone’s motives.
Good story, well told.
I started out with mixed feelings - like, “great they saved people, but why were only ‘stars’ worthy of this?” The answer to that is, they aren’t less worthy for being ‘important’, and you save who you can!
This really is a great story of what these women were able to accomplish - they rose to the challenge, continued despite the dangers and hurdles they met. And it was a sweet story of their lives…
I found this quite the nice change from the novels abounding now featuring women in heroic roles in WWII. Their story and challenges are not sensationalized, but give you a lot of day-to-day details in their saga. You also get some sense of the politics behind the scenes in who was able to survive Nazi reach, and how. And some maybe of why some were later taken to trial and others not. Things were not black and white… but it often played out that way, particularly when you did not know someone’s motives.
Good story, well told.
April 19, 2025
I appreciated the point of view of Jewish refugees leaving Germany before WWII; it was a perspective that I hadn't been exposed to before in such detail.
The composition of the story left something to be desired; it seemed that the author was too interested in even very minor secondary characters. Every time someone new was introduced, there was a tangent of several paragraphs, leaving the main story in favor of a person that might not show up again in the narrative. It really kicked me out of the story.
The composition of the story left something to be desired; it seemed that the author was too interested in even very minor secondary characters. Every time someone new was introduced, there was a tangent of several paragraphs, leaving the main story in favor of a person that might not show up again in the narrative. It really kicked me out of the story.
November 1, 2025
This was amazing! Two women can't save every person in trouble, but they saved as many as they could; in the end, it was a love story.
October 15, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ — I saw a passing comment on social media about this book and listened on audio. I thought the audio was very well done and played a large part in keeping me engaged in the story of these two sisters and their efforts to help Jewish opera stars escape the Nazi regime.
August 5, 2023
There were restrictions placed on all aspects of life in Nazi Germany, and although Jews were at this stage able to leave the country, they were unable to take money or possessions with them.
Those wanting to come to Great Britain had to prove they had a job to go to or sufficient funds to live on - the latter presenting huge difficulties due to the money prohibition.Sisters Ida and Louise Cook were able to help them get around this Catch-22 situation by smuggling their valuable goods across the border.The sisters would arrive in the country plainly dressed without coats, travelling home decked in jewellery and furs, which they pretended were their own."Ours was very simple - we were two nervous British spinsters who didn't trust our families at home, and so when we went abroad, we took all our jewellery with us." They also persuaded people to vouch for refugees by offering work or financial guarantees to satisfy the British immigration requirements.
The Cook sisters were born in the early 1900s, and - in common with a lot of their generation in the wake of the deaths of so many young men during WW1 - never married, living quietly at home with their parents in south London.Their passion in life was opera, and they became ardent fans or, "opera groupies" - attending performances and waiting at stage doors in the hope of getting autographs.They also wrote to their favourite opera stars and in 1934 visited the Salzburg Festival, where they were befriended by the conductor and impresario Clemens Krauss.It was his wife who suggested they "look after" a friend who was visiting London and she opened their eyes to the situation Jewish people living in Germany and Austria faced at the time.Over the course of 50 years, under the pen name of Mary Burchell, Ida Cook wrote about 130 novels for Mills and Boon and "the money just kept coming in".Ida's writing funded the sisters' trips.The sisters received the Righteous Among the Nations honour from the state of Israel, for their "warmth of heart, devotion, rare perseverance [and willingness] to sacrifice their personal safety, time and energy".
Those wanting to come to Great Britain had to prove they had a job to go to or sufficient funds to live on - the latter presenting huge difficulties due to the money prohibition.Sisters Ida and Louise Cook were able to help them get around this Catch-22 situation by smuggling their valuable goods across the border.The sisters would arrive in the country plainly dressed without coats, travelling home decked in jewellery and furs, which they pretended were their own."Ours was very simple - we were two nervous British spinsters who didn't trust our families at home, and so when we went abroad, we took all our jewellery with us." They also persuaded people to vouch for refugees by offering work or financial guarantees to satisfy the British immigration requirements.
The Cook sisters were born in the early 1900s, and - in common with a lot of their generation in the wake of the deaths of so many young men during WW1 - never married, living quietly at home with their parents in south London.Their passion in life was opera, and they became ardent fans or, "opera groupies" - attending performances and waiting at stage doors in the hope of getting autographs.They also wrote to their favourite opera stars and in 1934 visited the Salzburg Festival, where they were befriended by the conductor and impresario Clemens Krauss.It was his wife who suggested they "look after" a friend who was visiting London and she opened their eyes to the situation Jewish people living in Germany and Austria faced at the time.Over the course of 50 years, under the pen name of Mary Burchell, Ida Cook wrote about 130 novels for Mills and Boon and "the money just kept coming in".Ida's writing funded the sisters' trips.The sisters received the Righteous Among the Nations honour from the state of Israel, for their "warmth of heart, devotion, rare perseverance [and willingness] to sacrifice their personal safety, time and energy".
September 12, 2022
Thanks for the advance copy.
July 19, 2023
2 Stars
If you are an opera fan, you may love this history.
This non-fiction biography is the story of two British spinsters, Ida and Louise Cook, who won several awards and recognitions for their work in getting Jewish opera stars from Germany and Austria to safe havens as Hitler came to power and began his process of persecuting Jews.
Due to so many men being killed in WWI these women reconciled themselves to the fact that they would no doubt remain spinsters. They instead turned their passion to attending operas. The young spinsters were not flush with cash so they worked hard and scrimped for every penny to attend every opera they could. In the process they befriend a couple of the stars who happened to be Jewish. Through these connections they meet many other other people from the opera world. As Hitler begins his brutish tactics, the sisters plan ways to help their Jewish friends get to safety in other countries. Ida and Louise even take chances smuggling in the wealthy stars’ jewels and valuables. They were often assisted by Clemons Krauss who happened to be Hitler’s favorite conductor. Getting singers, conductors and scholars out of the country and financially supporting them in their new life was expensive, so it was fortunate that Ida became a well known romance writer.
I bought this book because of what was written on the front and back covers. I wish I hadn’t, not because I don’t think the Cooks shouldn’t be applauded, but because I did not find the story riveting (as the jacket claims), and because Louise fades into the background making this an Ida/Krauss story, not a sister story. Poor Louise is such a colorless figure in the book I almost wonder why she was mentioned. Ida was the sparkling gal who “did it all”. I was expecting more detail in how the plans were laid, but was tortured instead by a lot of opera description and analysis of who is better than who, and what gowns were worn. I’m sure I might have felt different if I were a big opera fan, but I am definitely not. Randomly, the author mentions early in the book that because so many men were killed in war many women turned to lesbian activity. Now this is certainly fascinating, but does nothing except to cast allusions on the relationship between the sisters.
I do appreciate learning about these sisters and what they did, and I loved how they played the dumb spinsters/opera groupies, thus throwing the Nazis off their game, but I was really glad when I finished the book… which seemed like forever. There are 19 pages of bibliography and notes which is a tribute to Isabel Vincent’s research process, but she just did not create the level of interest that I had hoped for.
June 8, 2024
This book begins in London 1937 with two sisters Ida and Louise Cook who loved opera. They would save all their money and sometimes not eat to purchase opera records and tickets to the gallery section to listen to live performances.
This is a historically true story. They went to school and got jobs in the civil service office by day and would attend the opera at night.
A two year long savings plan allowed them to attend their first performance overseas in the United States. They also had an article written about their plans ultimate love for the singers and music.
They formed friendships with premier singers and wrote letters back and forth to keep in touch.
The war in Europe forced many Jewish performers out of work and the sisters could not stand by and not do anything to help their friends and people they admired and followed throughout many countries.
Austrian born conductor was a favorite of Hitler and he rose to a high status even though he never joined the nazi party. Rumors about him were reported in the newspapers.
The sisters continued to work and save. The oldest sister even wrote romance novels loosely based on the opera world. With her extra warnings they were able to rent an apartment with turned out to be a safe haven for displaced Jews. The sisters would sponsor men, women and children and assist in finding safe passage to countries that would accept the refugees. They also dressed in jewels and furs which the Germans thought were imitation since the women were so plain and matronly looking. Inside their purses were diamonds and jewels and they had a plan in case they were questioned and stopped at the borders.
They worked with the opera maestro and his wife in helping 29 Jews escape death from the Germans. Many were in the opera world and would be famous in their adopted countries. Letters of appreciation were kept and stored until after the war and their correspondences continued until their death.
The were recognized in the 60’s for their humanitarian efforts and appeared on an episode of This is Your Life TV program and honored by the Israel foundation for their”noble acts of humanity” during a horrific time in history.
The sisters remained humble and quiet about their actions and continued to support the opera until their deaths.
This is a historically true story. They went to school and got jobs in the civil service office by day and would attend the opera at night.
A two year long savings plan allowed them to attend their first performance overseas in the United States. They also had an article written about their plans ultimate love for the singers and music.
They formed friendships with premier singers and wrote letters back and forth to keep in touch.
The war in Europe forced many Jewish performers out of work and the sisters could not stand by and not do anything to help their friends and people they admired and followed throughout many countries.
Austrian born conductor was a favorite of Hitler and he rose to a high status even though he never joined the nazi party. Rumors about him were reported in the newspapers.
The sisters continued to work and save. The oldest sister even wrote romance novels loosely based on the opera world. With her extra warnings they were able to rent an apartment with turned out to be a safe haven for displaced Jews. The sisters would sponsor men, women and children and assist in finding safe passage to countries that would accept the refugees. They also dressed in jewels and furs which the Germans thought were imitation since the women were so plain and matronly looking. Inside their purses were diamonds and jewels and they had a plan in case they were questioned and stopped at the borders.
They worked with the opera maestro and his wife in helping 29 Jews escape death from the Germans. Many were in the opera world and would be famous in their adopted countries. Letters of appreciation were kept and stored until after the war and their correspondences continued until their death.
The were recognized in the 60’s for their humanitarian efforts and appeared on an episode of This is Your Life TV program and honored by the Israel foundation for their”noble acts of humanity” during a horrific time in history.
The sisters remained humble and quiet about their actions and continued to support the opera until their deaths.
November 3, 2022
*** Possible Spoilers ***
The Cook sisters were opera devotees. Their fascination with the art form led them to meet a number of people from the world of music and eventually, since Europe was such a cultural center at the time, some of those people were both German and Jewish. As the Nazis become more an more entrenched, the Jews came under increasing danger and the Cook sisters did what they could to help.
The story is an interesting one and the author expanded on the basic tale by adding quite a bit of padding. Some of it is fascinating. Up until Britain declared war on Germany the sisters moved back and forth from Britain to Germany or Austria helping people by smuggling out valuables. Their method was amusing.
After the war, the author focuses more on those they'd help than the sisters themselves and I found the book rather less interesting from that point forward but overall, if you like reading about a time long past and getting a flavour for live prior to, and after the second world war you'll quite like this one. Since much of the book reads like gossip, don't expect a terse account of the time. To enjoy this you need to relax and go with the flow. I think I would recommend the audio over the print version.
The Cook sisters were opera devotees. Their fascination with the art form led them to meet a number of people from the world of music and eventually, since Europe was such a cultural center at the time, some of those people were both German and Jewish. As the Nazis become more an more entrenched, the Jews came under increasing danger and the Cook sisters did what they could to help.
The story is an interesting one and the author expanded on the basic tale by adding quite a bit of padding. Some of it is fascinating. Up until Britain declared war on Germany the sisters moved back and forth from Britain to Germany or Austria helping people by smuggling out valuables. Their method was amusing.
After the war, the author focuses more on those they'd help than the sisters themselves and I found the book rather less interesting from that point forward but overall, if you like reading about a time long past and getting a flavour for live prior to, and after the second world war you'll quite like this one. Since much of the book reads like gossip, don't expect a terse account of the time. To enjoy this you need to relax and go with the flow. I think I would recommend the audio over the print version.
January 16, 2023
The author of this book really did her homework in writing the life story of Ida and Louise Cook, spinster sisters with a passion for opera, living in London and traveling to Germany and Austria, on the little money they were able to save and scrounge up, to hear their favorite singers, many of whom were Jewish, before the start of Hitler's reign and the second world war. Continuing throughout the war, where they were instrumental in getting more than two dozen Jews to safety, to the sisters' lives after the war and some of those that they were able to help.
Thoroughly researched and well-written overall, I sometimes found the footnotes were off (in my advance copy, so hopefully this is fixed in the finished version), and at times felt like I was reading a research paper, but overall it drew me in and kept me wanting to know more about these heroic sisters and people they devoted their lives to trying to save. An important piece of history based on original research of the Cook sisters and their efforts to rescue Jewish opera stars from the Third Reich.
This review is of an uncorrected proof I won in a Goodreads giveaway.
Thoroughly researched and well-written overall, I sometimes found the footnotes were off (in my advance copy, so hopefully this is fixed in the finished version), and at times felt like I was reading a research paper, but overall it drew me in and kept me wanting to know more about these heroic sisters and people they devoted their lives to trying to save. An important piece of history based on original research of the Cook sisters and their efforts to rescue Jewish opera stars from the Third Reich.
This review is of an uncorrected proof I won in a Goodreads giveaway.
February 6, 2025
Admirable and well researched biography of two British sisters who through their passion for Viennese Opera rescued many from the claws of Nazi Germany. Vincent builds with suspense the increasing interactions between the sisters and prominent operatic personalities. She also provides, in quite granular detail, the context within which the sisters traveled between London and Europe. Prim and proper, they were gobsmacked at the pre-war treatment of their Jewish friends. It began with smuggling valuables out of the country, and as the anti-Semitic laws became more harsh, they managed the escape of many. Ida, the outgoing one, was also a skilled and prolific writer of Mills and Boon romances. Louise, the older and quieter one, had a long career as a civil servant. And then there was their flat, in Dolphin Square... Vincent gives us colourful portraits of conductors, performers and impresarios. She illustrates the difficult and complicated times with skill and empathy. The audiobook is read with some idiosyncracies, but very engagingly, by Liisa Ivary.
July 14, 2023
Was disappointed in this book. The title lends itself to an actual plan, but the book devotes very little time to their relief activities and is pretty vague about an actual plan. Also, not sure how many of the refugees were actual opera stars?? Most of the book was devoted to talking about their relationships with other prominent opera figures of the day themselves. Also the book rambled a bit. There were passages about certain events in a specific year then there would be a tangent about someone else and their history going back a number of years. There was also a bit of importance attached to the sisters smuggling out jewels and furs but not much mention of them after they were smuggled out. Did they sell them, return them eventually, whose jewels and furs were they? While it was uplifting that two spinster sisters did something to help Jewish people being persecuted, I certainly wouldn't call this book riveting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2022
I received this book in a giveaway. This is a well researched book about a part of history that was unknown. The writing takes the reader thru the lives of two women who on the surface are unremarkable. What they did saving the lives of many people is not only remarkable but hard to believe. In this case real life is more interesting than some of the historical novels I've read on the same subject.
I gave this book a 4(I would have liked to give 4.5 but that's not an option) because some of the time lines jump around a bit. I would have also liked tobsee pictures of the people involved. That way I could place a face with the real life person.
I highly recommend this book to any one who is interested in the way Jews were saved during pre-World War II. It not only talks about how they were rescued but also in some cases what happened afterwards.
I gave this book a 4(I would have liked to give 4.5 but that's not an option) because some of the time lines jump around a bit. I would have also liked tobsee pictures of the people involved. That way I could place a face with the real life person.
I highly recommend this book to any one who is interested in the way Jews were saved during pre-World War II. It not only talks about how they were rescued but also in some cases what happened afterwards.
December 6, 2022
This book can only be described as an incredibly researched, well-written, tremendously interesting read. Like many folks my age (don't ask, it is not polite), I know about World War II and many of the better known people who worked either in the Resistance of their countries or in high-profile government positions but I did not know about these wonderful women who did more than their parts to help save people from the Holocaust.
That two "regular" women could do so much to help so many warmed my heart as well as made me bite my nails. And all due t their love of opera. There are so many unsung heroes (pardon the pun) who performed feats of bravery and courage I would love to see more stories like this. That is a direct hint to the author, Isabel Vincent.
Kudos to Ms. Vincent for a book that took us to a place where most of us have never been before.
That two "regular" women could do so much to help so many warmed my heart as well as made me bite my nails. And all due t their love of opera. There are so many unsung heroes (pardon the pun) who performed feats of bravery and courage I would love to see more stories like this. That is a direct hint to the author, Isabel Vincent.
Kudos to Ms. Vincent for a book that took us to a place where most of us have never been before.
January 15, 2024
My husband won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I don't typically gravitate towards non-fiction as I'm a big historical fiction fan, but I'm glad my husband encouraged me to read this book. I especially like the World War 2 time period and loved that this book centered around the opera before, during, and after the second World War. It's the first I've read an account of the opera experiences during the Reich. This book was extremely informative while being incredibly engaging! I learned so much more about the time period and also the music community. The author did a phenomenal job in the extensive research and kept the writing style story like rather than textbook like. Definitely a must read!
November 8, 2022
Thank you to Regnery Publishing for the giveaway book.
A really empowering story about two sisters efforts to help Jews during WW2. I'm no history buff and had no idea of the story of these sisters but boy am I glad I read this book. I'm interested now to read Ida's book Safe Passage. I will say there felt like some sort of disconnect between the beginning of the book, when the sisters were going to the opera and slowly coming to the realization of what's going on in the world, and the middle as they're helping different people. I can't put my finger on it but to me it doesn't flow well. That said it's still a great story of an important piece of history.
Happy reading.
A really empowering story about two sisters efforts to help Jews during WW2. I'm no history buff and had no idea of the story of these sisters but boy am I glad I read this book. I'm interested now to read Ida's book Safe Passage. I will say there felt like some sort of disconnect between the beginning of the book, when the sisters were going to the opera and slowly coming to the realization of what's going on in the world, and the middle as they're helping different people. I can't put my finger on it but to me it doesn't flow well. That said it's still a great story of an important piece of history.
Happy reading.
June 12, 2023
I won this from a Goodreads giveaway.
I loved this book because it was well-written and well-researched, and a piece of history I hadn't known before because the sisters who saved Jewish refugees weren't lauded as much as they should have been.
It's a beautiful story although the subject matter is quite sad. The book was unlike any other book I have read about the Holocaust thus far.
I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in non-Jews selflessly giving their money and energy and time to save as many people as possible as the Cook sisters did. The opera part was very interesting as well. A must read.
I loved this book because it was well-written and well-researched, and a piece of history I hadn't known before because the sisters who saved Jewish refugees weren't lauded as much as they should have been.
It's a beautiful story although the subject matter is quite sad. The book was unlike any other book I have read about the Holocaust thus far.
I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in non-Jews selflessly giving their money and energy and time to save as many people as possible as the Cook sisters did. The opera part was very interesting as well. A must read.
January 15, 2024
I didn't have a great idea what this book was before I started it. I first thought it was historical fiction, but this is actually a biography of two sisters. It does seem odd to have this biography considering one of the sisters wrote a memoir, but perhaps this is a more complete view. The writer did note that she spent 4 years researching before this was published.
It was a very interesting book. It outlines the journey of two British spinster sisters who in their love of opera, found themselves in a position where they could help oppressed Jews escape from Germany in the years leading up to WWII.
Overall, the book was very good.
It was a very interesting book. It outlines the journey of two British spinster sisters who in their love of opera, found themselves in a position where they could help oppressed Jews escape from Germany in the years leading up to WWII.
Overall, the book was very good.
January 24, 2024
This book was a delight to read! I enjoyed learning about these two sisters from England who loved opera and through that love helped save 29 Jewish people from Hitler’s inconceivable extermination plan. If you didn’t have the history behind this story you’d think it was a made up Hollywood
Movie plot. Everyday people who scrimp and save just to travel to hear opera, who along with help from a famous couple smuggle out jewels and people - crazy but true.
The book is well written and documented spectacularly. The story is attention getting and compelling to read. Highly recommend if you love a great story!!
Movie plot. Everyday people who scrimp and save just to travel to hear opera, who along with help from a famous couple smuggle out jewels and people - crazy but true.
The book is well written and documented spectacularly. The story is attention getting and compelling to read. Highly recommend if you love a great story!!
February 10, 2024
I won a copy of this book on Goodreads GiveAways. I give this book 2.5 stars. The book was interesting at times but then seemed to steer away and focus more on the war. It was interesting learning about Ida and Louise and all they did to help get some Jews to safety. Their love for the opera was unbelievable and I learned more about the opera and opera singers than I ever knew. Would have liked to learn more about their work. The book was a little wordy. Ida was also a writer and wrote under a pseudonym and wrote over 100 books. Louise was quiet and relied on Ida for everything. Two remarkable sisters that did amazing work.
March 2, 2024
The story of Louise and Ida Cook is an amazing one - two middle-aged British opera fans who saved 29 Jews from Nazi Germany in the 1930s. After reading Safe Passage, Ida Cook’s memoir, I was left with many questions, and so was excited to read this more comprehensive volume. There are many more details about the musicians mentioned in Safe Passage and a few more about Ida and Louise. But overall, there was not much new information, which was a real disappointment. The book quotes liberally from Safe Passage, so if you are given the choice of reading the two, I would read this one for a slightly more comprehensive picture.
December 12, 2023
This is a great story, told well, but not brilliantly (hence 4 stars instead of 5) based on extensive, challenging research about two seemingly ordinary British opera buffs who rose to the occasion of the Final Solution to rescue 29 threatened lives from certain death at Nazi hands The follow-up on the lives of those rescued shines a light on the somewhat obscured fact that avoiding death by gas or other form of execution did not guarantee a happy life. The evil that the Nazis did created misery and sometimes insurmountable challenges even for those who survived them.
May 13, 2024
Incredible
I have read many books about people who saved Jews in WWII, usually strangers, or perhaps acquaintances, maybe even relations. This book is unique, as these brave sisters saved the lives of stars and key players in the opera world that they were so enamoured with. It began with saving one opera star, which they had met and become friendly with, then they just carried on. Lots of insights to the music world in Austria and Germany during this period. Well researched, very well written. Narration was very good. An uplifting listen.
I have read many books about people who saved Jews in WWII, usually strangers, or perhaps acquaintances, maybe even relations. This book is unique, as these brave sisters saved the lives of stars and key players in the opera world that they were so enamoured with. It began with saving one opera star, which they had met and become friendly with, then they just carried on. Lots of insights to the music world in Austria and Germany during this period. Well researched, very well written. Narration was very good. An uplifting listen.
November 20, 2022
I had never heard of this WWII story. Two single sisters in England developed a passion for opera and used their resources to travel to major opera concerts in Europe and America. As the climate in Germany grew dangerous for Jews as Hitler and the Nazis came to power, the Cook sisters used their fandom as a cover to get Jewish musicians out of Germany. They were brave and resourceful and saved many lives. I enjoyed reading about them.
December 3, 2022
I'm not much for nonfiction usually but I did enjoy this book. I feel like I was able to learn more about WWII that I had never heard of. The beautiful souls who gave everything extra they had to help those in need. I appreciate this insight into the harsh reality for Jewish people and the utter hopelessness they felt. I'm so incredibly grateful that wonderful caring people stepped up and fought tirelessly to try everything they could to help.
December 6, 2022
I loved these two sisters and their story! It was easy for me to put myself in their position and I would hope that I would have had the courage to do what they did to save people. I loved that the author did so much research to fill in the details about why things were the way they were for refugees at that time. It was pretty complicated and there were things that really surprised me. However, since it was so heavily research based it wasn't exactly fast moving.
January 5, 2023
I was struck by the courage of these two sisters, their willingness to put their personal safety and finances on the line to save lives that would have otherwise been lost to injustice, hatred and racial prejudice. While their initial reasons bordered on the frivolous and their naivete was a shocking testament to the insular lives of those who had never before experienced such challenges, it was still a riveting read.
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