Last Witnesses

A trio of narrators tag teams their delivery of these WWII oral histories, written by survivors in 1985 and translated from Russian in 2013. They are first-person descriptions of growing up in the Soviet Union during the war. The narrators use a variety of subtle accents to portray the authors, who ranged in age from 4 to 13 at the time. Some of the descriptions are graphic, reflecting the violence of Nazi soldiers, including pilots, as they conquered western cities, towns, and hamlets. The authors' memories include the lack of food, water, clothing, and shelter, coupled with the loss of parents and siblings, homes, and traditions. These sad histories will stay with listeners. M.B.K. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine