auschwitz – Chat About Books

The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz

by Ellie Midwood

The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz is another heart-wrenching read set in one of the most horrific times in history. It is a powerful love story. Fiction, but based on true events.

Mala and Edek are inspirational characters as are others featured throughout the story. Some names I recognised from other books I’ve read about the atrocities these people faced in Auschwitz.

The courage these people demonstrated in the face of such horror will never cease to amaze me. I can’t even begin to imagine living through such an horrendous ordeal.

To have the strength of character to do what Mala and Edek do and what they ultimately end up facing is phenomenally courageous. What others do in support of them even more so, I think.

A compelling, emotional, disturbing, inspirational read with a strong message of hope and a lesson to us all that these books are essential in keeping history, however upsetting and uncomfortable, in the forefront of people’s minds.

I could barely read the epilogue for tears.

** Many thanks to my friend, Brian, for sharing this book with me. I will be adding Ellie Midwood’s other books to my wishlist. **

Millions of people walked through Auschwitz’s gates, but she was the first woman who escaped. This powerful novel is inspired by the true story of Mala Zimetbaum, whose heroism will never be forgotten, and whose fate altered the course of history…

Nobody leaves Auschwitz alive.

Mala, inmate 19880, understood that the moment she stepped off the cattle train into the depths of hell. As an interpreter for the SS, she uses her position to save as many lives as she can, smuggling scraps of bread to those desperate with hunger.

Edward, inmate 531, is a camp veteran and a political prisoner. Though he looks like everyone else, with a shaved head and striped uniform, he’s a fighter in the underground Resistance. And he has an escape plan.

They are locked up for no other sin than simply existing. But when they meet, the dark shadow of Auschwitz is lit by a glimmer of hope. Edward makes Mala believe in the impossible. That despite being surrounded by electric wire, machine guns topping endless watchtowers and searchlights roaming the ground, they will leave this death camp.

A promise is made––they will escape together or they will die together. What follows is one of the greatest love stories in history…

by Antonio Iturbe (Author), Lilit Zekulin Thwaites (Translator)

The Librarian of Auschwitz is based on the true story of Dita Kraus.

Dita is now 95 years old, but was only 14/15 years old as her story is told in this book. Honestly, I don’t really know how to properly review books like this one, when based on such horrific circumstances that really happened, not that long ago. I think it’s essential that these books are read by anyone and everyone though. It’s quite scary to think how many people think these atrocities never happened.

Dita is quite a feisty girl, considering what she endures on a day-to-day basis whilst at Auschwitz. She is tasked with the responsibility of looking after Block 31’s library. It might have only consisted of eight books, but she vows to guard them with her life, quite literally. If they were to be found, the consequences wouldn’t even bare thinking about. How terrifying that must have been! How courageous she was to take on this responsibility.

I found her story inspiring whilst also being reminded of the horrific conditions these people endured and the terrifying things they witnessed during these times. It isn’t an easy read by any means, but beautifully written. Dita sounds like an amazing lady who has gone on, thankfully, to live a long life.

I agree with a friend of mine who said that it’s almost as if God has granted some of these survivors a long life for the purposes of making sure they can tell as many people as possible, for as long as they possibly can, what happened at Auschwitz.

We should never forget.

If you get the chance to read this, please do, then pass it on to someone else who should read it too.