The Sound of Hope: Music as Solace, Resistance and Salvation During the Holocaust and World War II

Heartbreaking, yet hope-filled, The Sound of Hope by Dr. Kellie Brown, reveals the human faces and personalities often obscured in histories of the Holocaust and WW II. The book is incredibly well-researched, the result of decades of reading, travel, and interviews as well as musical performances. Each chapter focuses on a particular musician (such as Alma Rosé or Olivier Messiaen) or a setting such as a concentration camp, a POW camp, or the besieged city of Leningrad. The terrors, tortures, and inhumanities revealed in each chapter are extreme, and I often wanted to close my eyes even as I was reading. Yet I realize I (and we) need to know the reality of the depths of evil in the Holocaust and in warfare more broadly. Every college and university library needs this book to support both history and music curricula, and any community library with a collection of WWII materials needs to include this book. It is both scholarly and readable, both detailed and compelling. The extremities of evil are matched (and even surpassed) only by the extremity of devotion to music. In times of prosperity, individuals and whole families devote themselves to music, and then in the face of nearly indescribable pain, hunger, fear, and danger, these individuals and families continue their fierce devotion to music, offering glimpses of hope and beauty to themselves and others. Dr. Brown does not, however, romanticize or oversimplify the role of music. Even the prison camp officials who sponsor and savor the musical concerts can send the brave performers to their deaths. There is hope, but the reader is never allowed to ignore the very real terrors of the Holocaust. I strongly recommend this book for all readers interested in WW II, the Holocaust, music history, or the heights and depths of the human spirit.

This book was hard to read. Not textbook hard, but emotionally hard. I could read no more than one chapter each day-but oh, what chapters they are! I am neither a historian nor a learned musician, so I learned so much. The book is well researched and documented.As another reviewer noted, at times I was moved to tears-sometimes by the depravity of human beings and other times by the beauty and hope of the human spirit.I have recommended it to my husband who is a history buff, but who knows nothing about most of the musicians and artists. He finished the first chapter and said “yes, thanks”. I would say the same to the author.

I began this book thinking it would be very academic and perhaps difficult to read. I was astounded by how quickly I became both enthralled and horrified by the impossible circumstances of these very real people in the midst of the Holocaust and World War Two. The book is extremely well researched and is organized in such a way that each chapter showcases an individual or situation thorough the lens of history and music. I became so engaged by the struggles and strength of the characters that I was moved to tears throughout the book. Many of the characters are well-known to me, such as Olivier Messiaen and Dmitri Shostakovich, although not so much through the view of their involvement during World War Two. However, the stories of lesser known characters featured in the book are every bit as powerful and inspiring. As a lifetime music lover, I certainly appreciate the power of music. However, the author takes us far beyond our typical experience of music and walks us through the horrors of war and genocide while shining the light on how music literally provided the salvation of thousands of people's lives. This book should be required reading for any student of history -- or any human being, for that matter. Thank you, Dr Kellie Brown.

The skillful writing of Dr. Brown leaves a lasting picture in the minds eye of the reader. So many times we learn about history in isolated events. This book weaves a tapestry of the times and realities of history. We as Americans either never considered these events existed or pushed the atrocities aside as horrendous but it really did not involve our "way of life." Many of our WWII Veterans refused to talk about their experiences, painful and life changing as they were. Their families and friends were sometimes of the mind that those were the things that should be left behind on the fields of battle.THE SOUND OF HOPE can be considered a cautionary tale as our world becomes more torn with pain, prejudice, and conflict. Thank you Dr. Brown for the many years of research, thought and care that has gone into this book to bring us a clearer picture of the first half of the 20th Century.

A haunting account of the musicians of the Holocaust, their music and its solace during the worst of times. Well worth every second I spent reading it, and thinking about it.Wonderfully researched, a completely disguised textbook.

A beautifully written book, carefully, thoroughly and thoughtfully constructed to lead us through the experience of these souls, surviving with hope in a hopeless situation. Brava, to Dr. Kellie Brown.

Having just finished reading Kellie Brown's "The Sound of Hope," I recommend it without reservation. I've read many books about the Holocaust and World War II, but I found Dr. Brown's book to be a treasure trove of interesting new information. At first glance I thought the book might be a bit dry, but it was far from that. I read it much faster that I'd anticipated because it was filled with fascinating stories about real people. Some of them had friendships with composers that I thought were from ancient history when I played their compositions in orchestras as I was growing up. I now have a new appreciation for many of them, especially Shostakovich. If you are interested in either music or World War II, you'll want to add this book to your reading repertoire.