The Midwife of Auschwitz: Inspired by a heartbreaking true story, an emotional and gripping World War 2 historical novel (Women of War)

Reviews

Erica Gori

It's tragic. In my opinion, it had little do with with midwifery and everything to do with human kind during WWII. They represent a complex jigsaw of vulnerable human emotions, which are laid bare when the fragility of the lines between life and death, defeat and survival, love and hate, trust and duplicity, the frailty of the human mind and indeed their very existence, are drawn. It explains clearly, the synergy between actual events and characters, which have been so well researched and then sympathetically and painstakingly rendered into this WWII fictional tour de force, which absolutely demands undivided attention and quality reading time…It is not often that wartime fictional stories, which are largely centred around Nazi labour camps, are narrated almost exclusively from a female perspective.

April saade

If this topic makes you comfortable then this is the book for you. They are well developed and defined, and whilst not all are easy to connect or empathise with, the overall dynamics and synergy between them, makes them completely investable, genuine and authentic in their individual roles, as they are given a generous and strong voice with which to tell of their courageous efforts of resilience over adversity. The last 80 or 90 pages of this book I binged.

Emma's Biblio Treasures

This goes on about half was through the book. There is good and bad news for both ladies, reunions tinged with sadness for those who will not be joining them, and the aching loss and search which Ester will never give up on, as she continues to try and find the missing piece of her, which will bind her to Filip forever. When liberation is in sight, Ester and Ana, together with a small handful of women from Lodz, are lucky enough to be offered a way home without the need for any delays or red tape, which they grasp with open arms. But here, Anna Stuart writes a compelling story in which I as the reader am forced to draw images in my mind.

Fiction books

Trainee nurse, Ester, meets and falls madly in love with apprentice tailor, Filip. Anna Stuart is a skilled storyteller. I’m not sure if it was just the copy I got, but the pages in the left side are lighter than the pages on the right side. As war breaks out they decide to marry, anticipating that, as Jews, they may either both have to flee the country, or that they may be separated for some time.

Emily

Again, thank you Anna for creating such a story and giving light to the souls lost during this time period. The story is powerful, intense and highly textured, with an all pervading claustrophobic atmosphere of mistrust and fear. And it's a part of our history as a collective. …The compassionate honesty and integrity of this totally immersive, multi-layered storyline, really shines through in its fluent and well structured writing.

Lola-Bear

Heart breaking but beautifully written Despite the decimated locations of a country in turmoil and the terrible conditions in which the unfortunate and totally innocent detainees were incarcerated, some beautifully nuanced and descriptive narrative and dialogue, afford a terrifying and all-encompassing visual and evocative sense of time and place, lifting the sights, sounds and smells from the page, as I took my ‘armchair journey’ back in time.

Inan

Auschwitz, 1943: As I held the tiny baby in my arms, my fingers traced the black tattoo etched across her little thigh. So much so, that when a Nazi doctor is challenged by Ester and Ana, and is forced to speak up for his Hippocratic oath, their relief is unbounded, as every small step is seen as a victory for the women and their unborn children. While it isn’t an easy read, it is an incredibly important one that I highly recommend. News from family had stopped arriving some time ago, so it is with an air of trepidation that they enter the city, not knowing what they will find and more importantly, who amongst them has survived.