Listening Well: Bringing Stories of Hope to Life was a great read by Heather Morris. In this book Heather explores her extraordinary talent as a listener. She employed this skill when she first met Lale Sokolov, the tattooist at Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was also the inspiration for her bestselling novel. Heather shares the story behind her writing journey and the defining experiences of her life. This included her profound friendship with Male. She also explains how she learned to listen to the stories people told her. I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read more by the author.

A glimpse into process that Heather Morris used to interview Lale Sokolov as she wrote The Tattooist of Auschwitz. She gives tips about how to listen without just hearing. True listening without focusing on coming up with your response to what you hear is a very difficult skill to learn. I admire the way that she could focus on just what was being said and was able to absorb such a tragic story.

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

I've previously read Heather Morris' previous books so quickly requested this one when I saw it. I'm so glad I did. It's non-fiction but, as it's an audiobook, feels like she's talking directly to you as she recounts her story along with the backstory of, mostly, Lale Sokolov and her other books. I found this was a book I listened to in chunks but found breaks helpful.

Overall it was a combination of her story, how to listen well, back stories, and tips. I could see listening/reading this again when I find myself wanting to listen more mindfully or just to revisit the stories. Overall I'm really glad I came across it and can see this being a great book to listen or read.

The author writes historical fiction -The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey and Three Sisters, are titles by Heather Morris. This is a non-fiction book. There is a lot of good information on how to really listen but the book doesn't read as a self help/learning type book but more of a behind the scenes of her books and writing process. The information about her research of her books is interesting But, for me, there was a bit too much repetition and if you have not read her previous books you would not be able to relate very well with this title.

If you have never read this author…you are missing out! She has three super good books: The Tattooist of Auschwitz , Three Sisters and my absolute favorite, Cilka’s Journey. Listening Well is a non fiction book about how the author came upon these stories and how she ended up writing novels instead of screen plays. Her relationship with Lale, the tattooist of Auschwitz, is very intriguing and unique. I so enjoyed getting to know him through her eyes!

I would have loved this more if the author had narrated it herself. Just my opinion. I think her expressions when she discussed many aspects of this book would have added so much. But, Nicolette McKenzie did a very good job.

Need a good nonfiction with a great story to tell…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Listening Well by Heather Morris was a captivating account of how she learned how to become a good listener as others told their stories. As she listened intently without taking notes or recording the conversations or interviews, she was able to help them tell their stories in their own words, expressing their pain and memories. Heather Morris noted that she continually re-examined and dug deep inside herself to make sure that she was truly listening, hearing and seeing all that the speaker was expressing verbally and non-verbally. She discovered that to truly listen to a story she needed to exhibit a great deal of patience and perseverance.

The parts of Listening Well that I enjoyed the most were Heather Morris’s recollection of the stories her grandfather shared with her when she was a young girl growing up in rural New Zealand. She and her grandfather had a very close relationship so her grandfather chose to share his stories about his past with her. Perhaps, that was the first opportunity she had to begin to cultivate her listening skills. I also enjoyed listening about the three years she spent with Lale Sakolov, getting to know him and listening to his story which became the book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Hearing what went into the process of listening to Lale as he told his story and how it led her to write not only The Tattooist of Auschwitz but also Cilka’s Journey and The Three Sisters was quite emotional and commendable. I also enjoyed when she shared one of her own family’s rituals that they practiced during family dinners. Each one of the members of her family were given the opportunity to talk about their day. A “talking thing” was placed in front of the person who was talking. The other members of her family listened until it was their turn to share something. What a nice way to practice listening to each other and showing respect for what was being shared.

Heather Morris has become astute at listening to others as they shared their stories, experiences, memories or feelings with her. I believe that her objective for writing Listening Well was to inform us of how she used the sophisticated act of listening to tell Lale’s and Cilka’s story. Heather Morris also wanted to share the many ways of listening that exist with her readers as well. She described various ways to be a good listener in her book. Examples were provided for ways to listen to children, friends or just people we meet. How many times do our own thoughts or comments get in the way of really listening to someone else? Being a good listener is not always an easy feat. Heather Morris also mentioned how the listener must always allow the person telling their story ample time in which to tell it and to try and avoid eye contact so not to make the person feel uncomfortable. Listening Well was a very informative book that I enjoyed very much. I recommend this book highly.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Listening Well through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is author's journey of writing The Tattooist of Auschwitz. It is biographical personal growth book . She tells us by listing well we can build better relationships with people we care about as well as with strangers in our lives. I really hope this becomes our monthly pick next year 😊 Here is couple of quotes :
"Politics and history aside it is small acts of humanity that echo down through generations. "
"Each of us has lived unique life; we all have something to say that is worth listening to. "
"If you wake up in the morning than you had a good day. "
"No one comes to see a Social worker if they have a good day."

“𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦."—Heather Morris

𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭!

I read my first book from Heather Morris, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and fell in love with her writing, learning a bit about her and her experience listening and writing these stories was a wonderful and insightful experience.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 by Heather M. Morris- Author released August 2, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

Listening Well
by: Heather Morris
narrator: Nicolette McKenzie
Macmillan Audio
Pub Date: 8/2/22
Biographies and Memoirs

Listening Well is a very personal and enlightening account of author Heather Morris' journey as a listener. She is well known as the author of books including The Tatooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey. In her new memoir, Morris conveys the purpose and techniques of listening in communication and sharing stories. Regardless of the language we speak, active listening to people of all ages is an art form that can unite us and lead toward doing good in the world.

Morris shares intimate yet fascinating details about interviews she has conducted as research for her books. Things like prompts, questions, timing, responses, and setting all play a role in listening. She gives good insight into the importance of hearing about the lives of older people to preserve their stories. I took away many ideas about how to improve my own conversations with people to deepen my relationships and form new ones.

Listening to the audiobook was a wonderful auditory experience, thanks to the talent of narrator Nicolette McKenzie. She read with enthusiasm, emphasis, and subtlety in all of the right places. I feel that her voice was perfect and respectful for the subject matter of the book.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio
for the advance reader's copy audiobook and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#NetGalley #ListeningWell #MacmillanAudio #HeatherMorris #NickoletteMcKenzie

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

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.
And beautifully narrated.

It’s always a wonderful experience reading Heather Morris. This was a totally different style, but it did not disappoint. The stories are moving and informative. The book teaches the importance of listening to your elders stories and passing them on. Some parts were repetitive, and I caught myself getting distracted, but overall a great book.

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 is a memoir that emphasizes the importance of listening to others. As an SLP, I am regularly teaching my students about the importance of active listening. Thus, many of Morris' lessons were relatable. That said, I have never read any of her books, so there was a lot that I couldn't appreciate or connect to as well. The interviews were still interesting, though.

Listening Well is a memoir that emphasizes the importance of listening to others.

Being an SLP, and teaching many many lessons on active listening, I felt many of Morris's lessons were easy to relate to. When there was a new piece of advice I liked, I jotted it down and now hope to practice in future interactions. I also liked how Morris made part of this memoir an extension of the acknowledgments sections of her books and dived more into her interviews with Lale, Cilka, and the Three Sisters. I thought the narration was great. The one negative is that I will say that there is a bit of repetitiveness in this book. Also, I think that people who have not yet read her books, may find it harder to connect to the story.

Thank you MacMillan and NetGalley for a copy of this ALC! pub Date 8/2/22

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio version of this book. I am already a big fan of Heather Morris so hearing her story and the why to her story is fascinating to me. Learning new ways to be a better listener is always a plus. I feel like this was more of the backbone to her very popular book "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" & it touched some of her other books. Even still I found the book to be rich in knowledge.

At 37% I REALLY liked Listening Well.

In finishing the book, there were a couple parts that were a little repetitive; probably rounding up to 5 stars. But in a book titled Listening Well, I think that reemphasizing points at the end of a chapter is helpful. We could all use a little help in better listening.

Combines how to listen (which has the same letters as silent) and memories of talking with the Auschwitz tattooist Lale and of her grandfather, and how to talk to children or to someone you might not see again like at a performance.

Very well written.

I had read the Tattooist of Auschwitz, but it has been several years. I'm looking forward to Heather Morris's next book and am likely to reread the Tattooist of Auschwitz.

(As a non-coffee drinker, I could probably have done without coffee critiques throughout the book.)

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance LISTEN version of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author Heather Morris, the narrator Nicolette McKenzie and to the publisher Macmillan Audio. Well done!

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.