Publication Day Book Review - The Violinist of Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood - #TrueStory #WW2 #Holocaust

 

TITLE - The Violinist of Auschwitz

AUTHOR - Ellie Midwood

GENRE - Based on a true story, WW2, Holocaust

SYNOPSIS - 
Auschwitz, 1943: In the depths of hell, can hope rise? And can love triumph over hatred?

Based on the unforgettable true story of Alma Rosé, The Violinist of Auschwitz brings to life one of history’s most fearless, inspiring and courageous heroines. Alma’s bravery saved countless lives, bringing hope to those who had forgotten its meaning…

In Auschwitz, every day is a fight for survival. Alma is inmate 50381, the number tattooed on her skin in pale blue ink. She is cooped up with thousands of others, torn from loved ones, trapped in a maze of barbed wire. Every day people disappear, never to be seen again.

This tragic reality couldn’t be further from Alma’s previous life. An esteemed violinist, her performances left her audiences spellbound. But when the Nazis descend on Europe, none of that can save her…

When the head of the women’s camp appoints Alma as the conductor of the orchestra, performing for prisoners trudging to work as well as the highest-ranking Nazis, Alma refuses: “they can kill me but they won’t make me play”. Yet she soon realizes the power this position offers: she can provide starving girls with extra rations and save many from the clutches of death.

This is how Alma meets Miklos, a talented pianist. Surrounded by despair, they find happiness in joint rehearsals, secret notes, and concerts they give side by side––all the while praying that this will one day end. But in Auschwitz, the very air is tainted with loss, and tragedy is the only certainty… In such a hopeless place, can their love survive?

This devastatingly heartbreaking yet beautifully hopeful tale proves that even in the darkest of days, love can prevail––and give you something to live for. Fans of The Choice, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Orphan Train will lose their hearts to this magnificent tale.

I have read some really great books based at Auschwitz and have an interest in the Holocaust. I have to say this is one of the best books I've read in this subject matter. 

Alma, the main protagonist, comes across as a warm and friendly person. She coped amazingly during such an awful period of our history, helping others to survive in the process. 

The author has written a great story, merging both fact and fiction. The characters were really brought to life; not just Alma but also Dr Death himself, Dr Josef Mengele. 

A must read book I couldn't put down. 

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher Bookouture for allowing me to read and review this book. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author.

She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl.

Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it.

Book Review - Surviving the Angel of Death - The story of a Mengele twin #Historical #True Story #WW2 #Holocaust #Auschwitz

 

TITLE - Surviving The Angel of Death - The True Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz

AUTHORS - Eva Mozes Kor and Lisa Rojany Buccieri

GENRE - True Story, WW2, Auschwitz

BUY LINK - Click here

SYNOPSIS - 
Eva Mozes Kor was just ten years old when she arrived in Auschwitz. While her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, she and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man known as the Angel of Death, Dr. Josef Mengele., Subjected to sadistic medical experiments, she was forced to fight daily for her and her twin's survival. In this incredible true story written for young adults, readers learn of a child's endurance and survival in the face of truly extraordinary evil. The book also includes an epilogue on Eva's recovery from this experience and her remarkable decision to publicly forgive the Nazis., Through her museum and her lectures, she has dedicated her life to giving testimony on the Holocaust, providing a message of hope for people who have suffered, and working for causes of human rights and peace.

Having just watched the Netflix series about Auschwitz, I saw Eva Mozes Kor interviewed, who had been featured on other documentaries before. I then remembered that I had a book of hers to still review on NetGalley.

It's not a very long book, but well written, I would say with the young adult in mind. It's therefore written in a easy to read and absorb manner. 

As a twin in Auschwitz, well known for the evil Dr Josef Mengele, who operated on twins, it is amazing the twins even made it out of there alive. The story is quite harrowing in places, but it's a story that needs telling and is very moving. It makes you think hard about what life was like for people living in these places. 

I enjoyed the read, and it gave me another perspective on life at Auschwitz. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read and review the book. 

Book Review ~ The Tattooist of Auschwitz ~ Author Heather Morris

TITLE - The Tattooist of Auschwitz

AUTHOR - Heather Morris

FORMAT - Kindle

PAGES - 293

Buy Link - click here

SYNOPSIS - 

**4 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE**

For readers of Schindler's List, The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas comes a heart-breaking story of the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstances.

I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart.

In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.

Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did, too.

So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz.

MY REVIEW 

I have always had an interest in the subject of the Holocaust. I don't know why, but it's something I like to read about and something that I think should be talked about and shared.

I'd heard a lot about this book so had to read it. What is upsetting is that this is not a book of fiction, but based on a true story. It's harrowing but at the same time unputdownable (if that is even a word!)

It's based in 1942 around Auschwitz-Birchenhau concentration camps. The main character, the Tattooist, is Lale. He was determined to do whatever he could to survive. He did not sacrifice others along the way, and did all he could to help them, with the privileges he was given being the Tätowierer. He even fell in love, so made the best of life that he could whilst he was in the camp. 

This book is a sad read, all the more knowing these events happened. It's very rare I ever shed a tear reading a book but I have to admit having done so reading this one.

It's an important read and something that should never be allowed to happen again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

(Courtesy of the authors website)
I was born in Te Awamutu, New Zealand, a small rural town in the middle of the North Island. I had an older brother, then three more boys followed. My childhood was spent in the even smaller village of Pirongia with four generations of my family living within proximity of each other. My primary school years were spent at the local school which at that time only had a handful of classrooms. For secondary schooling I went to Te Awamutu College.

Photo by Lori Mayger 2019

An average student, according to my reports, except for commercial subjects, shorthand and typing, and sport. I was an athlete, a swimmer, played netball and tennis. And while I loved reading, devouring the Encyclopaedia Britannica where I could escape to far-away exotic lands, attempts to make me write my own stories, failed. I was told from a very young age, I could tell a good story, and growing up in a time when children where asked to be seen not heard, was enough.

In 1971 I moved to Melbourne, Australia, to escape what I considered the claustrophobic environment of having too many extended family members around me. Soon after arriving in Melbourne I met my husband to be Steve (don’t call me Stephen) Morris and we married in 1973.

In 1975 Steve and I returned to New Zealand, living in Christchurch, South Island, a reasonable distance from my hometown and family in the North Island.

Our first son was born in 1976, another son in 1980 and our daughter in 1985.

Waking up one morning I realised I had missed out on something – the extended education I secretly craved that was not offered when I left school. I commenced a B.A. degree at Canterbury University (NZ) in 1986 before moving back to Melbourne in 1987. After a year settling our family into a much bigger city, I enrolled and completed my B.A. at Monash University in 1991. I majored in Political Science.

In 1995 I began work in the Social Work Department at Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne where I stayed until 2017.

During this period, I watched our three children grow into amazing adults. I was involved in their sport and at the age of forty-five became a competitive Veteran athlete, primarily taking part in the various ‘throwing’ competitions. Shot-put, discus, javelin and my favourite, hammer throwing. I never stopped telling stories, or as my husband called them – long-winded tales.

In 1996 I decided to follow my passion for storytelling and enrolled in The Professional Scriptwriting Course through the Australian College of Journalism.

I went on to attend many screenwriting courses, seminars and workshops in both Australia and the U.S. My workplace provided me with a wealth of heroic storylines, several of which I adapted into screenplays that now line the bottom drawer of my desk.

And then I met Lale Sokolov.

http://www.heathermorrisauthor.com/about-heather/