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The Child of Auschwitz: Absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 historical fiction by Lily Graham
akf95's review
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
While the story was heartbreaking like holocaust stories always are, it was too fast paced for me. It made me tear up a few times but I didn’t love the writing. A lot happened in a short book so it felt like everything was kind of just skimmed over.
jo_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
How do you write a review for a book where you know pretty much what it is all about from the title? How do you write a review for a book about one of the most horrendous periods of history?
I approach this with such trepidation.
Eva boarded a train to Auschwitz she is looking for her husband of only six months. She wants to find him and she is going to hell on earth to do so. But is he there?
Sofie befriends Eva as they share a bed, what food they can get and the knowledge that they are goign through the same, shaved heads, back breaking labour and ultimately fear of death.
As Eva dreams of her husband, Sofie dreams of being reunited with her son.
As the days go on, Sofie sees an opportunity to bring happiness to Eva, but at what cost?
When Eva's dreams come true the worse is still yet to come. Pregnant, Eva and Sofie now need to protect more than just themselves.
Will anyone survive the heartbreak of separation from the ones that they love?
This is an incredibly moving, researched, story that had me gasping in shock and with tears streaming down my face. The strength that these women went to, to survive makes our moans and groans of today's world pale into comparison.
It is a fascinating read and brought such horror to life and I think a lot of people need to know what human beings are capable of, both good and evil.
This has to be Lily Graham's best novel to date, the others were excellent but this seems to go above and beyond that.
A book worthy of your time to read.
I approach this with such trepidation.
Eva boarded a train to Auschwitz she is looking for her husband of only six months. She wants to find him and she is going to hell on earth to do so. But is he there?
Sofie befriends Eva as they share a bed, what food they can get and the knowledge that they are goign through the same, shaved heads, back breaking labour and ultimately fear of death.
As Eva dreams of her husband, Sofie dreams of being reunited with her son.
As the days go on, Sofie sees an opportunity to bring happiness to Eva, but at what cost?
When Eva's dreams come true the worse is still yet to come. Pregnant, Eva and Sofie now need to protect more than just themselves.
Will anyone survive the heartbreak of separation from the ones that they love?
This is an incredibly moving, researched, story that had me gasping in shock and with tears streaming down my face. The strength that these women went to, to survive makes our moans and groans of today's world pale into comparison.
It is a fascinating read and brought such horror to life and I think a lot of people need to know what human beings are capable of, both good and evil.
This has to be Lily Graham's best novel to date, the others were excellent but this seems to go above and beyond that.
A book worthy of your time to read.
southernbellebooks's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book because it was a different look into Auschwitz and the plight of women who may fall pregnant while inside the metal cage that they were forced to reside in. Eva was such a lovely character who you just fall in love with, as well as the other characters with whom Eva is close to. The only thing I didn't love was the flashbacks. I truthfully felt myself skipping past them and never actually feeling like I needed it when I got back Eva's current time and then the future (aka now). I will definitely be recommending this book and can't wait to purchase this when it comes out!
hollygo12345's review against another edition
4.0
Could a baby be born in Auschwitz and survive? I know that babies were routinely killed at Auschwitz but I would never have imagined that one could be both born and survive. The Child of Auschwitz is the story of that miracle and is based on the life of Vera Bein who gave birth to a daughter in December of 1944 while in Auschwitz-Birkenau.
I was born into a world that had forbidden my existence.
The simple fact of me, had any of the authorities known, would have been enough to end my life before it had even begun. Still, I came. Small, and half-starved, yet determined to be alive, on one of the coldest nights in one of the darkest places in human history.
Lily Graham seamlessly interweaves the story of Eva Adami while in the camps and several years before being captured. While there are sections that explore the past, Eva also tells stories, including how she met her husband and their courtship, to a small group of other female prisoners to detract them from their hellish existence. We become acquainted with Eva’s family and learn how Eva met Michal, who becomes her husband. Eva voluntarily goes to Auschwitz from the Terezin Jewish ghetto in order to find her beloved Michal. Accompanying her is Sofie, her new friend who’s in search of her cousin who looked after her young son Tomas until she was captured. She needs to find out from the cousin where she hid her son so she can find him after the war. We witness the exceedingly close and remarkable friendship between Eva and Sofie, both of whom are completely devoted to one another and will do whatever it takes to both protect and save each other. It is a beautiful friendship that seemingly knows no bounds.
Eva shows incredible strength and resilience and we really get to know her and Sofie. It is a moving and emotional story that will hold the reader until the final pages.It was truly miraculous that a baby could born to a mother who is starving and stick thin. It was also a godsend that the baby was unable to cry, due to the tiny size of her lungs, and so could live undetected by the Nazis.
I barely made a sound, my underdeveloped lungs unable to allow me to cry. It would make my life hard, a price I would pay for all my years, but it is why I survived.
While the atrocities inflicted on fellow human beings described here are unimaginable and incomprehensible, this is also a story about hope, courage, a determination to survive, friendship and a Mother’s love for her child. The Child of Auschwitz is beautifully written and the character development is very well done. The ending felt rushed to me but this did not deter from my overall positive reading experience.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
I was born into a world that had forbidden my existence.
The simple fact of me, had any of the authorities known, would have been enough to end my life before it had even begun. Still, I came. Small, and half-starved, yet determined to be alive, on one of the coldest nights in one of the darkest places in human history.
Lily Graham seamlessly interweaves the story of Eva Adami while in the camps and several years before being captured. While there are sections that explore the past, Eva also tells stories, including how she met her husband and their courtship, to a small group of other female prisoners to detract them from their hellish existence. We become acquainted with Eva’s family and learn how Eva met Michal, who becomes her husband. Eva voluntarily goes to Auschwitz from the Terezin Jewish ghetto in order to find her beloved Michal. Accompanying her is Sofie, her new friend who’s in search of her cousin who looked after her young son Tomas until she was captured. She needs to find out from the cousin where she hid her son so she can find him after the war. We witness the exceedingly close and remarkable friendship between Eva and Sofie, both of whom are completely devoted to one another and will do whatever it takes to both protect and save each other. It is a beautiful friendship that seemingly knows no bounds.
Eva shows incredible strength and resilience and we really get to know her and Sofie. It is a moving and emotional story that will hold the reader until the final pages.It was truly miraculous that a baby could born to a mother who is starving and stick thin. It was also a godsend that the baby was unable to cry, due to the tiny size of her lungs, and so could live undetected by the Nazis.
I barely made a sound, my underdeveloped lungs unable to allow me to cry. It would make my life hard, a price I would pay for all my years, but it is why I survived.
While the atrocities inflicted on fellow human beings described here are unimaginable and incomprehensible, this is also a story about hope, courage, a determination to survive, friendship and a Mother’s love for her child. The Child of Auschwitz is beautifully written and the character development is very well done. The ending felt rushed to me but this did not deter from my overall positive reading experience.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
4.0
You realise from the start that when you read a book about the Holocaust, it's going to be emotional. This one is particularly so.
In 1942,s Prague, two women meet on the most horrendous train journey as they are picked up and transported to the Nazi camp in Auschwitz. They have both been separated from their family and loved ones and have to try and find them. Thrown together in such circumstances, they befriend each other and try to help eachother out. Eva has only been married for 6 months before he was taken away and she's sure he's in the dreaded camp. Sofie has been betrayed by a cousin and her baby is missing.
If the train journey was hard to read about, then when they get to the camp, you realise things are going to get worse. Their time here is horrendous and the everyday reality is hard to take. They are two ordinary women in very unusual circumstances and it's admirable to see their bravery whilst realising how hard it must have been to be in such a place and not know what is going on. Life in the camp is horrific as we know from history, but in the novel it seems all the more tragic as we see the women go about the laundry duties and taking the clothes and belongings from the 'newcomers' When you read this knowing exactly what was going on, it's all the more heartbreaking. The guards are evil personified and one even takes this further with one of the women which broke my heart.
How cam people even think of getting through something like this? How can they even cope day to day with the unknown? Well this novel is all about that and more and it's a deep and thought-provoking novel.. It's remarkable in so many ways and heartbreaking in equal measure.
A unique read about the Nazi camp but what shines is the determination and strength of the women (and men) there who refused to be victims.
In 1942,s Prague, two women meet on the most horrendous train journey as they are picked up and transported to the Nazi camp in Auschwitz. They have both been separated from their family and loved ones and have to try and find them. Thrown together in such circumstances, they befriend each other and try to help eachother out. Eva has only been married for 6 months before he was taken away and she's sure he's in the dreaded camp. Sofie has been betrayed by a cousin and her baby is missing.
If the train journey was hard to read about, then when they get to the camp, you realise things are going to get worse. Their time here is horrendous and the everyday reality is hard to take. They are two ordinary women in very unusual circumstances and it's admirable to see their bravery whilst realising how hard it must have been to be in such a place and not know what is going on. Life in the camp is horrific as we know from history, but in the novel it seems all the more tragic as we see the women go about the laundry duties and taking the clothes and belongings from the 'newcomers' When you read this knowing exactly what was going on, it's all the more heartbreaking. The guards are evil personified and one even takes this further with one of the women which broke my heart.
How cam people even think of getting through something like this? How can they even cope day to day with the unknown? Well this novel is all about that and more and it's a deep and thought-provoking novel.. It's remarkable in so many ways and heartbreaking in equal measure.
A unique read about the Nazi camp but what shines is the determination and strength of the women (and men) there who refused to be victims.
natalier3's review against another edition
5.0
I spent nearly all of this book rating it as 4 stars, but then changed it to 5 in the last few chapters. I had already read 'the tattoist of Auschwitz' a year or so ago, and I admit I compared the 2 books for a long time. I was frustrated why the book was about a child being born there but it took so long to be introduced in the story. However, on full reflection, I see why the background story was given- to fully appreciate the horrors that happened and how remarkable it was for a child to survive there.
A life affirming story that shows the strength of love and the human spirit.
A life affirming story that shows the strength of love and the human spirit.
robinlovesreading's review against another edition
5.0
My rating: 4.5 Stars
Eva Adami is in Prague. But then the story goes back to 1942. She survived a very long and grueling train ride, with the worst possible treatment imaginable, Eva is about to begin yet another tragic chapter in her life.
Eva is one of thousands of Jewish people being lined up for extermination. Dragged out of her home, her life, and the happiness she knew, her life will forever be changed. This story, and that last couple that I have read, have focused on what women suffered during that time. The Child of Auschwitz is one such story.
For readers of this genre, or about this time in history, there is no need to repeat the many horrors these women experienced. Another woman highlighted in this book is Sofie. The story goes back to her past life occasionally. We read of her falling in love, mothering a child, Tomas, then losing her husband and all contact with Tomas. Eva and Sofia become very close and offer a tremendous amount of support to one another during their horrific trials.
We meet other women who are forced to live together on the block. They did manage to become part of Kanada, a special camp, and thus were spared gassing. They had a lot of advantages, but were not spared much of the suffering and humiliation.
Before Eva was dragged off to the camps she met and married. Blessedly she finds her love again, and they even manage to create a life between them. Eva struggles to keep her child alive, all while Sofie hopes to see her son again. Both Eva and Sofie are forced to face even more brutal and tragic trials.
Despite the sadness... Despite the tragedy...This is a story of survival, of hope, of friendship, and of love. I cried more than once but I was left with a very full feeling in my heart at Eva's perseverance through it all. This was an amazing read, and as always, Lily Graham has done a stellar job.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Eva Adami is in Prague. But then the story goes back to 1942. She survived a very long and grueling train ride, with the worst possible treatment imaginable, Eva is about to begin yet another tragic chapter in her life.
Eva is one of thousands of Jewish people being lined up for extermination. Dragged out of her home, her life, and the happiness she knew, her life will forever be changed. This story, and that last couple that I have read, have focused on what women suffered during that time. The Child of Auschwitz is one such story.
For readers of this genre, or about this time in history, there is no need to repeat the many horrors these women experienced. Another woman highlighted in this book is Sofie. The story goes back to her past life occasionally. We read of her falling in love, mothering a child, Tomas, then losing her husband and all contact with Tomas. Eva and Sofia become very close and offer a tremendous amount of support to one another during their horrific trials.
We meet other women who are forced to live together on the block. They did manage to become part of Kanada, a special camp, and thus were spared gassing. They had a lot of advantages, but were not spared much of the suffering and humiliation.
Before Eva was dragged off to the camps she met and married. Blessedly she finds her love again, and they even manage to create a life between them. Eva struggles to keep her child alive, all while Sofie hopes to see her son again. Both Eva and Sofie are forced to face even more brutal and tragic trials.
Despite the sadness... Despite the tragedy...This is a story of survival, of hope, of friendship, and of love. I cried more than once but I was left with a very full feeling in my heart at Eva's perseverance through it all. This was an amazing read, and as always, Lily Graham has done a stellar job.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
shanlyz's review
3.0
“That’s how we can’t afford to think- like there’s no hope left, because that’s the only way they really win.”
“All because they’d happened to do nothing more offensive than exist.” -To simplify what it was like being Jewish during WWII
“All because they’d happened to do nothing more offensive than exist.” -To simplify what it was like being Jewish during WWII
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
4.0
It feels bad to say how I love reading books about the Holocaust. It’s just something that has always interested me and I think they are also a great reminder and how we should be learning from that period of time.
A story that is set in the camps, is always going to be an emotional read. The atrocities that went on inside them is just horrific. Through Eva and Sofie’s story though, we also get a glimpse of the friendships that happened inside as well as the hope and the fighting spirit that some of the prisoners never lost sight of.
Eva and Sofie are in a way quite different but their quests are very similar. To a certain extent it’s their hope of being reunited with loved ones that keep them fighting to stay alive. Sofie was a character that I especially loved, she goes above and beyond more than a few times with huge risks to her own life. Her courage was just outstanding.
The Child of Auschwitz is an emotional roller coaster of a read. Parts were horrific, saddening, shocking, heart warming, I think I went though every emotion possible whilst reading it. Even though fiction, for me, the author gives a very real account of what life was like in the camps as well as what took place inside them. An absolute must read.
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
A story that is set in the camps, is always going to be an emotional read. The atrocities that went on inside them is just horrific. Through Eva and Sofie’s story though, we also get a glimpse of the friendships that happened inside as well as the hope and the fighting spirit that some of the prisoners never lost sight of.
Eva and Sofie are in a way quite different but their quests are very similar. To a certain extent it’s their hope of being reunited with loved ones that keep them fighting to stay alive. Sofie was a character that I especially loved, she goes above and beyond more than a few times with huge risks to her own life. Her courage was just outstanding.
The Child of Auschwitz is an emotional roller coaster of a read. Parts were horrific, saddening, shocking, heart warming, I think I went though every emotion possible whilst reading it. Even though fiction, for me, the author gives a very real account of what life was like in the camps as well as what took place inside them. An absolute must read.
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.