Listen free for 30 days
-
The Berlin Zookeeper
- An utterly gripping and heart-breaking World War 2 historical novel
- Narrated by: Katy Sobey
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £22.89
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Secret Diary
- Gripping and Emotional WW2 Historical Fiction
- By: Anna Stuart
- Narrated by: Katy Sobey
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
She steps into the room and it’s like going back in time. Catapulting her right into the heart of the 1940s. The spindle of the record player frozen and ready to play. The flowery wallpaper faded but intact. A soldier’s uniform pressed and hung on a door, coal still in the fireplace.
-
The Secretary
- By: Catherine Hokin
- Narrated by: Stephanie Lane
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Tower House. Down a secluded path, hidden by overgrown vines, the crumbling villa echoes with memories. Of the family who laughed and sang there, until the Nazis tore them from their home. And of the next woman to walk its empty rooms, whose courage in the face of evil could alter the course of history.
-
-
Wonderful story
- By Lancslass on 13-06-21
-
The Rainbow
- Absolutely Heartbreaking World War 2 Historical Fiction Based on a True Story
- By: Carly Schabowski
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A heartbreaking novel of love, betrayal, and a secret passed down through a family. Inspired by an incredible true story. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones, and The Alice Network.
-
-
review
- By mrs margaret y beckett on 30-01-22
-
Four Minutes to Save a Life
- By: Anna Stuart
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's always time to help out a stranger...isn't there? Supermarket delivery driver Charlie enjoys his new job, because he doesn't have to spend too long with people, who, he's found, are nothing but trouble. But when he's assigned the Hope Row street, he realises there are a lot of lonely people out there - and for some, he's their only interaction. The supermarket boss tells Charlie he's a driver, not a social worker - but Charlie can't abandon the Hope Row residents and he sets about trying to draw them out of their shells and back into the world.
-
-
Charming, empathetic and full of reality
- By Helen Parker on 19-01-21
-
The Edelweiss Sisters
- An Epic, Heartbreaking and Gripping World War 2 Novel
- By: Kate Hewitt
- Narrated by: Esther Wane
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1938, Salzburg. Johanna, Birgit, and Lotte Eder have always lived quiet lives, working in their father’s clockmaking shop and helping their mother in the house. But like many other Austrians, they find it impossible to ignore the changes in the world around them. At first Johanna finds it hard to believe the Nazis pose a real threat. But then her father hires Franz to help in his shop. He’s kind and soulful, with dark eyes that twinkle with intelligence. But he’s Jewish, and as Johanna falls for him, she realizes that loving him puts them all in danger.
-
-
Disappointed
- By Anonymous User on 30-07-21
-
The Commandant's Daughter
- A Compelling and Heart-Wrenching World War 2 Historical Novel
- By: Catherine Hokin
- Narrated by: Aysha Kala, Sam Alexander
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the Nazi regime crumbles, Hanni hides from her father on the fringes of Berlin. She develops the photographs she took to record the brutality of the camp - the empty food bowls and hungry eyes - and vows to get justice for the innocent people she couldn’t help. But, on the day she plans to deliver these damning photographs to the Allies, Hanni comes face to face with her father again. Reiner Foss is now working with the British forces, his past safely hidden behind a new identity. He will go to deadly lengths to protect his secrets, but Hanni knows she can’t give up her fight.
-
The Secret Diary
- Gripping and Emotional WW2 Historical Fiction
- By: Anna Stuart
- Narrated by: Katy Sobey
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
She steps into the room and it’s like going back in time. Catapulting her right into the heart of the 1940s. The spindle of the record player frozen and ready to play. The flowery wallpaper faded but intact. A soldier’s uniform pressed and hung on a door, coal still in the fireplace.
-
The Secretary
- By: Catherine Hokin
- Narrated by: Stephanie Lane
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Tower House. Down a secluded path, hidden by overgrown vines, the crumbling villa echoes with memories. Of the family who laughed and sang there, until the Nazis tore them from their home. And of the next woman to walk its empty rooms, whose courage in the face of evil could alter the course of history.
-
-
Wonderful story
- By Lancslass on 13-06-21
-
The Rainbow
- Absolutely Heartbreaking World War 2 Historical Fiction Based on a True Story
- By: Carly Schabowski
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A heartbreaking novel of love, betrayal, and a secret passed down through a family. Inspired by an incredible true story. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones, and The Alice Network.
-
-
review
- By mrs margaret y beckett on 30-01-22
-
Four Minutes to Save a Life
- By: Anna Stuart
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's always time to help out a stranger...isn't there? Supermarket delivery driver Charlie enjoys his new job, because he doesn't have to spend too long with people, who, he's found, are nothing but trouble. But when he's assigned the Hope Row street, he realises there are a lot of lonely people out there - and for some, he's their only interaction. The supermarket boss tells Charlie he's a driver, not a social worker - but Charlie can't abandon the Hope Row residents and he sets about trying to draw them out of their shells and back into the world.
-
-
Charming, empathetic and full of reality
- By Helen Parker on 19-01-21
-
The Edelweiss Sisters
- An Epic, Heartbreaking and Gripping World War 2 Novel
- By: Kate Hewitt
- Narrated by: Esther Wane
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1938, Salzburg. Johanna, Birgit, and Lotte Eder have always lived quiet lives, working in their father’s clockmaking shop and helping their mother in the house. But like many other Austrians, they find it impossible to ignore the changes in the world around them. At first Johanna finds it hard to believe the Nazis pose a real threat. But then her father hires Franz to help in his shop. He’s kind and soulful, with dark eyes that twinkle with intelligence. But he’s Jewish, and as Johanna falls for him, she realizes that loving him puts them all in danger.
-
-
Disappointed
- By Anonymous User on 30-07-21
-
The Commandant's Daughter
- A Compelling and Heart-Wrenching World War 2 Historical Novel
- By: Catherine Hokin
- Narrated by: Aysha Kala, Sam Alexander
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the Nazi regime crumbles, Hanni hides from her father on the fringes of Berlin. She develops the photographs she took to record the brutality of the camp - the empty food bowls and hungry eyes - and vows to get justice for the innocent people she couldn’t help. But, on the day she plans to deliver these damning photographs to the Allies, Hanni comes face to face with her father again. Reiner Foss is now working with the British forces, his past safely hidden behind a new identity. He will go to deadly lengths to protect his secrets, but Hanni knows she can’t give up her fight.
-
The Watchmaker of Dachau
- By: Carly Schabowski
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell, Martin Reeve
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
January 1945, Dachau, Germany. As the train rattles through the bright, snowy Bavarian countryside, the still beauty outside the window hides the terrible scenes inside the train, where men and women are packed together, cold and terrified. Jewish watchmaker Isaac Schüller can’t understand how he came to be here, and is certain he won’t be leaving alive.
-
-
A good story
- By Christineb on 03-02-21
-
The Girl Behind the Wall
- By: Mandy Robotham
- Narrated by: Charlie Norfolk, Hattie Ladbury
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the Berlin Wall goes up, Karin is on the wrong side of the city. Overnight, she’s trapped under Soviet rule in unforgiving East Berlin and separated from her twin sister, Jutta. Karin and Jutta lead parallel lives for years, cut off by the Wall. But Karin finds one reason to keep going: Otto, the man who gives her hope, even amidst the brutal East German regime.
-
-
Great read
- By Luke on 19-07-21
-
The Shut-Away Sisters
- A Gripping and Utterly Heartbreaking Historical Novel
- By: Suzanne Goldring
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1915. As German bombs rain down on the East End of London and hungry children queue for rations in the blistering cold, 15-year-old Florrie is forced to grow up fast. With her father fighting in the muddy trenches, Florrie turns to her older sister Edith for comfort. But the war has changed Edith. She has grown quiet, with dark shadows under her eyes, and has started leaving the house at night in secret. When Florrie follows her sister through the dark and winding streets of London, she is shocked by what she discovers.
-
-
So compelling.
- By Amazon Customer on 24-03-22
-
The Girl on the Platform
- Based on a True Story, a Totally Heartbreaking, Epic and Gripping World War 2 Page-Turner
- By: Ellie Midwood
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nineteen-year-old Libby moves to Berlin to escape her suffocating family - but instead of offering freedom, the city is under siege by the Nazis. Jewish books are burned, storefronts smashed and every day innocent people vanish into thin air. Libby cannot - will not - turn a blind eye. When Libby meets Harro, she knows there’s more to him than his dazzling smile and cornflower-blue eyes. The whip marks on his back, scars from the SS, tell his true story: He is a resistance fighter.
-
-
Faith Hope Loyalty Spirit
- By Helen on 04-11-21
-
The Italian Girl's Secret
- By: Natalie Meg Evans
- Narrated by: Amalia Vitale
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Italy, 1943. For Carmela del Bosco, a farm girl in a remote Italian village, sheltering an English spy is the most dangerous thing she could do. If she’s caught by the fascists, it would be the end, especially for her beloved grandmother sleeping soundly upstairs. But taking in the pleading brown eyes of the man calling himself Sebastiano slumped at her door, and his terrible injuries inflicted by the Nazi occupiers, Carmela remembers how Nonna always taught her right from wrong. Risking everything, she hides him in a ruined tower on the edge of the farm.
-
-
Choices Made During Wartime
- By Helen on 18-09-21
-
The English Girl
- A Heartbreaking and Beautiful World War 2 Historical Novel
- By: Sarah Mitchell
- Narrated by: Lucy Paterson
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1946, Norfolk, England: She gazes out across the beach, its beauty marred by the sharp barbed wire, hiding deadly mines beneath the sand. Back in the village, everyone is nervously awaiting the arrival of the German prisoners, who will change everything. After the death of her beloved brother on the front lines in Europe, it is hard for Fran to see these young men as anything but his killers. But prisoner Thomas, with his gentle nature and piercing blue eyes that see into Fran’s very soul, will force her to question everything she thought she knew.
-
-
An enjoyable romance story
- By Christineb on 10-09-21
-
The Girl from the Mountains
- By: Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1938: Magda has led a sheltered life in her small village until the day she is forced from her home by the invading Nazi army. Torn away from her family and the only place she has ever known, she is offered refuge in an alpine villa owned by brilliant Dr, Tauber and his talented, beautiful wife. But despite having friends in high places, the Jewish Taubers are living on borrowed time. When the Gestapo come to arrest them, Magda is asked to protect something more precious than the silver and jewels they leave behind. Their newborn son Samuel.
-
The German Wife
- Inspired by True Events, an Absolutely Gripping and Heartbreaking WW2 Historical Novel
- By: Debbie Rix
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Germany, 1939: Annaliese is a doctor’s wife, living in an elegant grey stone house with ivy creeping over the balcony. But when her husband is ordered to work at the Dachau labor camp, her ordinary life is turned upside down by the horrors of war. And Annaliese finds herself in grave danger when she dares to fight for love and freedom. America, 1989: Turning the pages of the newspaper, Annaliese gasps when she recognizes the face of a man she thought she’d never see again....
-
-
a book review for this book
- By Anonymous User on 08-03-22
-
The Schoolteacher of Saint-Michel: inspired by real acts of resistance, a heartrending story of one woman's courage in WW2
- By: Sarah Steele
- Narrated by: Natalie Pela
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
France, 1942. At the end of the day, the schoolteacher releases her pupils. She checks they have their identity passes and warns them not to stop until the German guards have let them through the barrier that separates occupied France from Free France. As the little ones fly across the border and into their mothers' arms, she breathes a sigh of relief. No one is safe now. Not even the children.
-
-
Really enjoyable
- By Ellen on 05-07-21
-
What Only We Know
- A Heart-Wrenching and Unforgettable World War 2 Historical Novel
- By: Catherine Hokin
- Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A door slammed and the unmistakable sound of boots came crashing up the hall. Liese held her little daughter’s hand so tightly, the tiny fingers had turned purple. The SS officer’s hand was at Liese’s throat before she saw him move. "I can kill you easily, then I can kill your daughter." He relaxed his grip a little. "Or perhaps I could kill her first?" England, 40 years later. When Karen Cartwright is unexpectedly called home to nurse her ailing father, she goes with a heavy heart.
-
-
Thoroughly Engrossing
- By TimV on 24-07-20
-
The Note
- By: Carly Schabowski
- Narrated by: Joe Leat, Stephanie Cannon
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1953, South Carolina: On the night of her 13th birthday, the air as sticky as honey, Alice is woken up by the ear-splitting sound of sirens. The body of a teenage girl, Nancy, has been found in the lake. Suspicion falls on Jozef, a German refugee who now lives in the small town. When one of Alice’s friends breaks a window in his house, Alice is wracked with guilt. She writes a note apologizing - a note that changes everything. As Alice and Jozef form a friendship, Jozef opens ups about his painful past: He is an Auschwitz survivor.
-
-
Fabulous
- By Mr on 24-04-22
-
Beyond This Broken Sky
- By: Siobhan Curham
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a volunteer for the ambulance service, Ruby has the dangerous task of driving along pitch-dark roads during the blackout. With each survivor she pulls from the rubble, she is helping to fight back against the enemy bombers, who leave nothing but destruction in their wake. Assigned to her crew is Joseph, who is unable to fight but will stop at nothing to save innocent lives. Because he is not in uniform, people treat him with suspicion, and Ruby becomes determined to protect this brave, compassionate man who has rescued so many, and captured her heart.
Summary
Two women. One shocking wartime secret. And a family mystery just waiting to be discovered...
Berlin Zoo, 1943: Ten-year-old Adelaide and her newborn sister are orphaned after a devastating night of bombing. Heartbroken and frightened, Adelaide runs to her mother’s closest friend, Katharina Heinroth, and the kind zookeeper takes the two little girls under her protection. As the bombing intensifies, Adelaide tries to shut out the horrors of war by caring for her tiny sister and playing with the adorable baby monkeys. But when Katharina organizes a dangerous operation to enable children and animals to escape the battle-scarred city, something goes wrong. And Adelaide has to promise her adopted mother to keep a shocking secret. A secret that will change Adelaide’s life forever.
Berlin Zoo, 2019: Bethan Taylor notices the elderly lady sitting on the bench next to her seems confused, her thoughts flitting between past and present. Ada talks of her childhood, played out in an underground bunker beneath the animal enclosures during the war. As Ada’s story unfolds, Bethan is surprised to hear a name she recognizes...
Katharina Heinroth is at the top of a list of German names Bethan found in a hidden compartment of her late mother’s jewellery box. Bethan’s father couldn’t tell her anything about the crumpled piece of paper and she’s been searching for the meaning ever since.
As the two women are brought together by the pain of the past, can they help each other to heal? And after decades of silence, can Ada help Bethan to uncover a long-buried family mystery?
An unforgettable and heart-wrenching novel of a brave orphan girl and a shocking wartime secret. Inspired by a true WW2 story and perfect for fans of Orphan Train, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and The Alice Network.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Berlin Zookeeper
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rockin Grandma
- 18-12-21
Worth a listen
Thoroughly enjoyable story and narration, good plot and historical insight into the German home front perspective.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Linda M. Terry
- 23-09-21
The Zoo
Great story!!! I loved the suspense and everything about the animals. Stories about the war were sad, it was history and I love history!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Charlaine
- 28-08-21
Great Historical Fiction
This was so interesting I was looking up the zoo and WWII online before I was done reading The characters and plot were so believable! Wee done. I would like to check out more by this author snd the narrators was absolutely excellent. Thank you!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- D. Gross
- 26-08-21
I enjoyed the storyline and the narrator
I tend to gravitate to WWII era novels. I enjoyed the multi- generation storyline. Some of the grizzly bits were harder to listen to, but that comes with the history of that time period. I also think the narrator did an excellent job.
2 people found this helpful