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The Midnight Zoo

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The Midnight Zoo

By: Sonya Hartnett
Narrated by: Richard Aspel
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About this listen

 Two gypsy boys are fleeing through a war-ravaged country-side during the night carrying a secret bundle. The boys stumble across a town that has been reduced to smoking rubble, and a zoo that is still intact. When the boys take shelter in the zoo, they discover a menagerie of talking animals. Both the boys and the animals tell their tales and speak of their desire for freedom. Like The Silver Donkey and The Ghost's Child, this is another beautifully fable-like tale that will move you to tears. It's a story that will appeal to all ages, that merges history with fantasy, adults will enjoy this as much as children.©2010 Sonya Hartnett (P)2010 Bolinda Publishing Animals Fantasy Fiction Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Editor reviews

Richard Aspel’s dynamic, tour-de-force performance imbues Sonya Hartnett’s beautiful and heartbreaking children’s tale with an emotional depth and humanism befitting of the subject matter. Set in WWII, The Midnight Zoo finds two Romani gypsy siblings, Andrej and Tomas, feeing from the Nazis and seeking safe haven in an abandoned, hidden zoo, which boasts a collection of self-aware, talking animals who, like the brothers, display an unwavering hope and strength in the face of unspeakable atrocity.

Aspel deftly captures the trembling whimper of a nine-year-old boy and the raspy bellow of an anthropomorphized wolf with equal finesse, and elevates this seamless blend of historical fiction and magical realism to greater heights.

Critic reviews

"A magical story that questions what it means to be free. The first novel by Sonia Hartnett since winning the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Prize in 2006." (The Guardian)
"Two gypsy children who are trying to outrun a war find themselves seeking sanctuary in an abandoned zoo in a city that has been destroyed in battle. Richard Aspel captures the fear and uncertainty of the children on their own while not allowing these emotions to detract from the magical aspects of the story. And when the animals in the zoo begin talking to the children, Aspel’s talent especially shines, his versatile voice capturing the personality of each animal, particularly the strong, proud lioness. He brings them to life in his deep, slightly gravelly voice as they tell their stories. Their unique pitches and accents allow the listener to immediately identify each character, even as the lines of reality begin to blur." (AudioFile Magazine)

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