DEFIANCE

Stefan Rudnicki proves himself equal to the challenge of narrating Nechama Tec's aptly titled account of Jewish defiance during the Nazi occupation of Poland and Belarus. Rudnicki’s clear presentation helps the listener navigate the densely packed historical material. One of his greatest strengths is his ease with the language of the story’s setting. His pronunciation of names and his use of the slightest of accents when rendering the passages of dialogue are completely authentic and comfortable. The material itself is riveting as the author tells the little-known story of three brave peasant brothers who refused to bow to the demands of the Nazis. Instead, they started a movement to rescue fellow Jews from the ghettos and death squads, and establish a flourishing society in the forests of eastern Poland. M.O.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]