Happy Pub Day!

I am a huge fan of Heather Morris. I loved all of her books, and this one was no different. This was a beautiful and insightful book. As it is Heather Morris’s personal story and opinions, I find it difficult to give this book a star rating. Morris shares her experiences listening to Holocaust survivors, how she created the relationships and why she believes that these survivors chose her to tell their story. There were parts of her story that were not told in her books and she shares the reasons why in Listening Well. I found that some of her books resonated deeply with me and other parts I did not agree fully with, making her seem very human. At times she was difficult on how she handled parts of her life and other parts she praised herself. I felt it was a very real memoir - one that she did not write to make herself look good or bad, but very real.

For anyone interested in historical fiction and how certain writers are giving the power to write others stories, I would absolutely read this book.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reeader copy

Listening Well is part memoir and part self-help by one of the best-seller historical fiction authors who wrote The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka’s Journey, and Three Sisters. It is essentially about the power of listening. I had access to both the kindle and audiobook versions, and I enjoyed listening to Heather Morris narrating her book. It gave the book a more personal feel. I enjoyed listening to her personal stories and how she used her active listening approaches for interviews for research for her possible new stories.

My favorite sections were her reflections on her interviews with both Lale and Cilka. We rarely get extensive author notes on the novels authors have written, so I enjoyed seeing what Morris endured while interviewing both of them. It was interesting to learn that Lale did not want to tell his story to someone Jewish because he did not want the person to be biased. Although it was hard for Morris to gain his trust, she successfully did by actively listening to what he was saying. It is pretty inspiring knowing that she was able to tell factual holocaust stories by forming genuine relationships with both individuals.

The other sections were less interesting but still essential to the book. Listening is one of the most crucial parts of any relationship, and Morris provided practical information about how to be a better listener and actively engaged in a conversation. I think anyone can benefit from these helpful tips

I so appreciated the stories in this book. The author writes like a beloved family member, reminiscing and sharing important moments from her life. This book is a lovely gift for that alone. With the addition of insight of how to listen - what she’s learned about this and how she’s applied it to her work as a novelist - this book is also a valuable resource for anyone looking for some shared wisdom.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

I have enjoyed all,of Morris’ books. I liked what little background information she shared about her own personal history. She recalls being very close to her great grandfather whom she called Gramps. That resonated with me since I was very close to my only grandpa and I called him the same name. She gives useful tips about interviewing people and intersection with people, especially the elderly and children.
I liked the additional information about her books.
As a historian, I disagree with how she conducted her interviews. She reiterated she never wrote anything down or recorded the interviews and gave her reasons. I would encourage writing it down as well as recording it from a preservationist perspective.
Listening is the key to most things.

Definitely different than I expected—not in a bad way, just different. I guess I expected it to be a how-to on her writing/listening experience. And it’s not that the book ISN’T that. It has those elements for sure. But it is also a lot like a Tuesdays with Morrie. Really more of a memoir with a few how-to tips than an actual how-to book. A lot about the people she talked to and “interviewed” for her three historical fiction novels. (Which I’ve read.) and yes, of course it is well written and the stories actually make a how-to book more interesting. It’s just not exactly what I expected. But very interesting. It’s a great take and example of what we should be doing as a younger generation to listening to and honoring an older generation. And then there are other chapters to: listening to our kids and listening to ourselves. As I said, interesting takes.

Heather Morris is my favorite historical fiction writer. Through oral histories and interviews, she has brought the characters to life in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka’s Journey, and Three Sisters. This latest book, Listening Well, gives a more behind the scenes glimpse at her process, while also sharing practical tips to the lost art of listening well.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Listening Well by Heather Morris

When Heather Morris spent three years with Lale Sokolov, the tattooist at Auschwitz-Birkenau, she had to rely on her listening skills. In his late eighties, Lale had so much to say but he could not be rushed, he could not be forced, he needed the time and space to get his story out in his own way. Heather quickly realized this and listened during those visits, with no recorder running and without taking notes in Lale's presence. Once she was away from Lale, she would write down names, places, terms, and whatever else she could remember. To get Lale's story, she needed to listen.

She also listened to those who knew Cilka and Lale was one of those who told her about Cilka although Morris learned additional information from others. And she visited with the two living sisters that became the focus of her third book, listening to those sisters and their families. Morris's listening skills are what made the three books about these people possible. I've read all three of those books and getting to revisit these people was my reason for picking up this book.

Throughout the pages of Listening Well, Morris gives us advice on how to really listen to others. Different people and circumstances require different methods of listening and Morris shares her experiences of listening but also of failing to listen. My favorite parts of this book are when she revisits her time with the real people from her books and the people who knew and cared about them. This is an informative and helpful book by someone who has turned listening into an art form.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

I love Heather Morris.. she has such a way of bringing heart to her stories.
Having read the first 3 books and 5 stars for all of them. This was a great mix of how the stories came to be. I have to say I did skip over the "tips" part myself. The rest of this book was heartfelt and obviously written from her heart.
I thank her for bringing her and her family as well as the survivors and their families to me in this book.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

I have read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka’s Journey, and Three Sisters by Heather Morris, all five star reads. The parts I liked best about Listening Well were those that described her interviews/meetings with the people involved in these stories. This was especially true with Lale, the man who was the tattooist. Seeing how their meeting came about and how their relationship developed was wonderful. I also enjoyed information of her childhood in New Zealand and her life and family in Australia. I gave this book four stars because I was a bit less interested in the author’s information on how to listen well. I must admit that this information did make me realize that I’m not always a good listener. Hopefully, some of the information will help me improve!

I have read all of Heather Morris' books that deal with the survivors and stories of Auschwitz. I hesitate to say that I enjoyed them because of the horror of the events. However, it has been a joy to get to know the subjects as I read their stories. In the book, Listening Well, we learn how Ms. Morris was able to deal with getting the stories of these fascinating people. I also appreciated the advice on listening to the stories of friends and families.

📖My Thoughts📖

This has got to be one of the most thought provoking books I’ve ever read. I swear that this book more or less picked me, rather than the other way around. I don’t think this book could have come at a better time in my life. It’s definitely an attention grabber, that’s for sure. It’s very beautifully written, as well as easy to read. This book is different than the others she’s written, as it’s non-fiction and offers details of her own personal life as well as how she’s utilized the listening skills she describes while doing research for her other works. I really loved this book and all it had to offer. I highly recommend grabbing this when it goes live in August!
Thank you Netgalley, Heather Morris and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was not at all what I was expecting. After thrilling to The Tattooist and Cilka and having read her accounts of having met Lale Sokolov and heard from not only him, but from current relatives of the book characters, I was expecting to be enthralled with her experiences of finding and interviewing these people.

The main problem I found with the book was that it didn’t seem to know what it wanted to do or to be. The first chapter is an expose of Morris’s extremely dysfunctional family. It made for very unpleasant reading. Apparently, all the women in her family were bitter and closed mouthed while the men were a bit more forthcoming. She told about getting out of that oppressive atmosphere as soon as possible, age 17, and moving to Australia from New Zealand.

When she finally finished her tale of family woes, the next chapter was simply a list of questions one should ask one’s grandparent. Quite frankly, I thought if my grandchildren came at me with that bulleted list, they might get answers, “yes,” “no,” “I don’t remember”, but they’d have no sense of the life that I lived. And it made me very sad to think that children don’t have a relationship with their grandparents in today’s world – but that’s another story.

And the next chapter was (thankfully) about meeting Lale – but I’d already read that in interviews.

Throwing politics into the mix was another non-sequitur. And her reminders of our global struggle with Covid was quite depressing.

It was a real disappointment for me as I had been looking forward to it.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed this non-fiction text on the subject of listening to the stories around us, written by the author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey. Two books which I enjoyed very much. Like, Heather Morris, some of my favorite childhood memories are spending time listening to my grandparents. Not only does Morris discuss the importance of listening to our elders, but our children too, even when they are very little. I found myself nodding my head as Heather Morris discussed what she has observed is happening in many of our communities, we are so focused on our busy fast paced lives that we are not taking the time to slow down and actively listen to what people are telling us. Rather, we are focused on how we can respond.

Of course, like many other reviewers, I was enticed to hear more about Lale and Gita The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka Cilka's Journey, and the three sisters Three Sisters which are the subject of the author's next novel. There were some repetitive parts and I do admit that I did start skipping over the bulleted points at the end of each chapter. All in all, I felt that it was a great focus point- the importance of listening. I also enjoyed the encouragement to make sure that we take the time to collect those stories when we can to preserve them for the future generations.


Expected publication 02/08/22
Goodreads Review 07/08/22

I was introduced to Heather Morris by reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz and fell in love with her writing. I read the other two books as soon as possible. This book was so unique. Basically an extension of her Author's Notes, we also get insight into her thoughts on listening. The behind the scenes of her books was what really shined through here for me. The self-help stuff, a little less so.

Special thank you to St Martin Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC of Listening Well.

Heather Morris is an author that I will read whatever she puts into the world. I loved all three of her previous books and I knew I had to read Listening Well. In this beautiful work of non-fiction you truly gain the understanding of how important truly being a good listener is. This book is a share of the research and interviews of Lane (from Tattooist of Auschwitz). If you have enjoyed Heather's previous books this one will suck you in too. Really enjoyed this read

Listening Well
by Heather Morris
Pub Date: August 2, 2022
St. Martin's Press
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I have read all of Heather's books and they are excellent. So it wasn't too much of a stretch for me to want to read this non-fiction one on listening!
This is a wonderful book on the power of listening, truly listening. Heather shares the story behind her inspirational writing journey and the defining experiences of her life, including her profound friendship with Lale, and explores how she learned to really listen to the stories people told her—skills she believes we can all learn.

"Stories are what connect us and remind us that hope is always possible."—Heather Morris
Nonfiction
I highly recommend this book!
5 stars

I am a huge fan of Heather Morris’ books. She has an uncanny ability to bring a story to life across the pages. Once I saw Listening Well, I knew I had to read it even though it was nonfiction. I wasn’t expecting much about the lives of Cilka, Gita and Lale to be involved since it was a book on listening tips and techniques. Pleasantly surprised to see how she include more of their stories into the book, and how she worked with Lale behind the scenes. I love every minute of reading this and will continue to grab Heather’s books whenever I can.

Listening Well
Bringing Stories of Hope to Life
by Heather Morris
Pub Date 02 Aug 2022
St. Martin's Press
Biographies & Memoirs



I am reviewing a copy of Listening Well through St Martin’s Press and Netgalley:



Listening Well explores Heather Morris’s extraordinary talents as a listener. A skill she used when she first met Lale Sokolov, the tattooist at Auschwitz-Birkenau and the inspiration for her bestselling novel.. Heathers ability as a listener led Lale to entrust Heather with his story, which she told in her novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz and the bestselling follow up, Cilka's Journey.



In Listening Well Heather tells the story behind her inspirational writing journey and the defining experiences of her life, including her profound friendship with Lale, and explores how she learned to really listen to the stories people told her. A skill she believes we can all learn.


I give Listening Well five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

This book is inspirational. It’s a non fiction. It’s shows the importance of listening. It’s a fantastic read. There are great advices that we all could apply in our lives. Highly recommend it.

This is a nonfiction account of the authors research and interviews of Lale, the main character in her prior book "the Tattooist of Auschwitz" interwoven with why listening is so important. Having read two of her prior books, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her real life friendship with Lale and more about his story. This book spends too much time delving into the art of listening though. Frankly, I could have done without it, but I do understand the purpose and how it ties everything together. There is a bit of repetitiveness in this book.
Overall, if you have read this authors other books, you will be sucked into this story and will want to learn more about the real Lale and Chilka. It also got me interested to read her newest novel "the three sisters", so she did a good job selling herself (and quite frankly, anything else she writes)! This is a real life account of their experience in a concentration camp. Stories we should never forget.