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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
medium-paced
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Infertility, Antisemitism, Murder, War
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
tense
medium-paced
I don't say this often, but this is a must-read. Not only because it's a priceless historical document, but also because it's so incredibly well-written. I listened to this book on Audible and I don't think I've ever saved as many bookmarks for a single book, and it's been a while since I completed a book this quickly.
A lot of the things depicted, from prisoners having their heads shaven and their arms tattooed, to starvation, brutal SS guards, and deadly forced labour, will be familiar to those who have an average level of knowledge of the Holocaust, but even then, having them described in first person by an Auschwiz prisoner makes them feel far more real. It also goes into detail on less well-known parts of the Holocaust, enough so that I expect it will be a learning experience to most readers.
All in all, 100% recommended.
A lot of the things depicted, from prisoners having their heads shaven and their arms tattooed, to starvation, brutal SS guards, and deadly forced labour, will be familiar to those who have an average level of knowledge of the Holocaust, but even then, having them described in first person by an Auschwiz prisoner makes them feel far more real. It also goes into detail on less well-known parts of the Holocaust, enough so that I expect it will be a learning experience to most readers.
All in all, 100% recommended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
Minor: Rape
The book it self is really important and one of a kind. But I would like a “dictionary” at the end for all the German words.. they make it kind of exhausting to read
I had been waiting for the longest time to read this. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this as much. Although this focuses on one of the most horrific events in the world, I found it difficult to connect with this particular story, which is a shame because I wanted so much to like this.
Eddy de Wind shares his horrifying experience from his time within the concentration camp using the character Hans. He gives vivd descriptions of the day to day happenings in the camp. Eddy is Dutch psychiatrist and in 1943, he volunteered to work in a labour camp, Westerbork, in Netherlands where he met his wife Friedel. The only reason why he volunteered was to spare his mother from being sent to Auschwitz. That same year, both Eddy and Friedel found themselves on a train to Auschwitz and were separated to different camps. Through their time there, their love for each other remains strong as they find ways to meet and survive.
I felt that this wasn’t well written but given that Eddy wrote this while he was still in the camp and that he wasn’t an actual writer, this is understandable. Some of the writing seemed a little jumbled up but for the most part, it is still compelling. Another reason could be due to things getting lost in transition as this was a translated work from Dutch to English. Another thing I didn’t like was that a lot of the terms were kept in German. Which would have been fine if there were some form of translation next to the word. Instead there is a glossary at the back with all the translated which is a little troublesome to keep flipping back and forth.
This was a slow read for me but it is still a compelling and heartbreaking story. I got to learn some new German words as well as learned more about what happened in the different camps. I do still recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction but do bear in mind that this is a little slow.
Eddy de Wind shares his horrifying experience from his time within the concentration camp using the character Hans. He gives vivd descriptions of the day to day happenings in the camp. Eddy is Dutch psychiatrist and in 1943, he volunteered to work in a labour camp, Westerbork, in Netherlands where he met his wife Friedel. The only reason why he volunteered was to spare his mother from being sent to Auschwitz. That same year, both Eddy and Friedel found themselves on a train to Auschwitz and were separated to different camps. Through their time there, their love for each other remains strong as they find ways to meet and survive.
I felt that this wasn’t well written but given that Eddy wrote this while he was still in the camp and that he wasn’t an actual writer, this is understandable. Some of the writing seemed a little jumbled up but for the most part, it is still compelling. Another reason could be due to things getting lost in transition as this was a translated work from Dutch to English. Another thing I didn’t like was that a lot of the terms were kept in German. Which would have been fine if there were some form of translation next to the word. Instead there is a glossary at the back with all the translated which is a little troublesome to keep flipping back and forth.
This was a slow read for me but it is still a compelling and heartbreaking story. I got to learn some new German words as well as learned more about what happened in the different camps. I do still recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction but do bear in mind that this is a little slow.
I have read many Auschwitz books, all of which have moved me on different levels. I love reading about the past and other people’s experiences. However, for me I didn’t find this book as interesting as some others I have read, it may have just been the style of writing or all of the German words.
That said I did enjoy the storyline, and I loved learning about Hans (Eddy) and Friedel’s relationship and how they both survived Auschwitz off of their long lasting desire to be reunited properly. Their fleeting encounters, were risky but made the book that much better. They both stayed alive in Auschwitz and went through all those bad experiences just on the hope they would get out and be together again. One of the highlights of this book for me was Friedel’s letter to Hans when he was sick, fully informing him of what was going on in the women’s block, straight after reading this he went to see her.
From reading other Auschwitz books I commonly came across the name of the Doctor Josef Mengele, but in this book the encounter with him was very different, he spared Friedel and protected her from some of the shocking experiments that were being carried out on the women, because of all the work Hans was doing in the Hospitals.
*Eddy used the name Hans instead of his own while writing this book.
That said I did enjoy the storyline, and I loved learning about Hans (Eddy) and Friedel’s relationship and how they both survived Auschwitz off of their long lasting desire to be reunited properly. Their fleeting encounters, were risky but made the book that much better. They both stayed alive in Auschwitz and went through all those bad experiences just on the hope they would get out and be together again. One of the highlights of this book for me was Friedel’s letter to Hans when he was sick, fully informing him of what was going on in the women’s block, straight after reading this he went to see her.
From reading other Auschwitz books I commonly came across the name of the Doctor Josef Mengele, but in this book the encounter with him was very different, he spared Friedel and protected her from some of the shocking experiments that were being carried out on the women, because of all the work Hans was doing in the Hospitals.
*Eddy used the name Hans instead of his own while writing this book.
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was written while Mr. De Wind was in the concentration camps. He would write about what happens on scraps of paper. It was translated into a book after the war. A reminder of how awful human being can be to one another and what we cannot allow to happen again.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced