Mischling

Actress Johansson’s audio narration of Konar’s achingly beautiful novel is notable for its light touch in vocalizing, so vividly, the 12-year-old identical twins Pearl and Stasha, who were tortured by the Angel of Death, Josef Mengele, at Auschwitz. The Jewish twins, from Poland, are separated from their family upon arrival at the death camp and taken to Mengele’s “zoo,” along with other twins and children with albinism, for barbaric experimentation. Pearl and Stasha take turns describing their encounters with Mengele and with other characters; their telepathic-like bond binds them close, even as they become physically separated and one twin is subjected to horrific suffering. Reader Johansson captures the novel’s focus on the twins, not Mengele, and conveys their childlike innocence, even as they endure agonizing physical pain and sadistic mind games. Johansson doesn’t make the sisters’ voices highly distinguishable from each other, which would be a flaw in a less adept voice actor, but it’s a wise calculation here that keeps the focus on Konar’s gorgeous, elegant prose. An LB/Boudreaux hardcover. (Sept.)