
Hiding in the Spotlight
A Musical Prodigy's Story of Survival: 1941-1946
Greg Dawson(Author)
Pegasus Books (Publisher)
Published on 15. October 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
296 pages
978-1-60598-128-4 (ISBN)
Description
By the age of six, Zhanna had developed a repertoire fellow students twice her age would envy. Scholarships to the most prestigious conservatories in the Soviet Union soon followed-conservatories that had produced legends like Rachmaninoff, Kogan, and Horowitz.
In 1941 disaster strikes. The Nazi Army is smashing through the Ukraine en route to Moscow. Zhanna and her family are to be executed alongside thousands of others in the ravines of Drobitsky Yar. A few short miles from certain death, her father bribes a nearby guard, and she escapes into the forest with only the clothes on her back, a copy of Chopin's Fantasy Impromptu in her pocket, and her father's parting words echoing in her head: "I don't care what you do, just live."
Adopting a new identity and ever fearful of recognition, Zhanna roamed the ravaged countryside. One lonely evening, the head of a local Nazi battalion hears her play. he is so taken with her exquisite interpretation of Chopin that little Zhanna soon becomes the performing darling of the Nazi forces.
In 1941 disaster strikes. The Nazi Army is smashing through the Ukraine en route to Moscow. Zhanna and her family are to be executed alongside thousands of others in the ravines of Drobitsky Yar. A few short miles from certain death, her father bribes a nearby guard, and she escapes into the forest with only the clothes on her back, a copy of Chopin's Fantasy Impromptu in her pocket, and her father's parting words echoing in her head: "I don't care what you do, just live."
Adopting a new identity and ever fearful of recognition, Zhanna roamed the ravaged countryside. One lonely evening, the head of a local Nazi battalion hears her play. he is so taken with her exquisite interpretation of Chopin that little Zhanna soon becomes the performing darling of the Nazi forces.
Reviews / Votes
"Summoning all the colors of a Chopin prelude, Greg Dawson has painted a vivid picture of his mother from her fairy tale childhood in the Ukraine to her final escape from the Nazis and her triumphant voyage to America. A wonderful, staggering achievement." -- Mona Golabek, Grammy-nominated pianist and host of The Romantic HoursMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
12 black-and-white photographs
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
281 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-60598-128-4 (9781605981284)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition

Greg Dawson
Hiding in the Spotlight
Book
06/2009
Pegasus Books
€43.55
No shipping information available
Person
Greg Dawson is the eldest son of Zhanna Arkashyna. Greg has been a journalist for over forty years and has worked for a variety of newspapers, including Boston Herald and Indianapolis Star. Greg is currently a columnist for The Orlando Sentinel. He lives with his wife in Orlando.