*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.
Title: The Seamstress of Auschwitz
Author: C.K. McAdam
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
Germany, 1932
Sara Schönflies, a young Jewish woman from a line of
gifted tailors and seamstresses, finds her world shattered by the rise of the
Nazi regime.
When Sara and her sisters are transferred to the
Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, their talent becomes a lifeline. Their survival
hinges on sewing beautiful dresses for the wives of SS officers and Nazi
dignitaries.
Amidst the horrors and suffering, Sara's determination,
her sisters' unwavering courage, unyielding defiance, and the unexpected
friendship with a member of the Sonderkommando become beacons of hope.
From displaced persons camps to the distant shores of
Palestine, Sara's heartrending journey continues as she searches relentlessly
for the man who had once saved her life.
The Seamstress Of
Auschwitz is a new and incredibly powerful Second World War historical fiction
novel from author C. K. McAdam. This was my first time reading anything from
the author and I believe hers is a newer voice in the genre but she has a compelling
writing style which has crafted an unforgettable story.
Told through a first-person
narrative, we follow Sara and her family through their time in Ravensbrück and then Auschwitz as they depend
heavily on their skills as seamstresses to survive. It’s an incredibly emotional
and harrowing story which had me sobbing at times and is a brilliant tribute to
the bravery, determination and resilience of those in the concentration camps.
The chapters
prior to the family being arrested were also very good and they touched on
subjects such as the Kindertransport. We often see historical fiction novels
covering what was happening in the larger cities in Germany so it was
interesting to have the story initially set in a smaller town, just south of Hamburg.
This is a very
fast-paced story which is on the shorter side. This did mean that at times it
lacked the depth I wanted certain chapters to have, particularly those exploring
the deaths of Sara’s different family members. It felt at times like those
deaths happened, many of them very traumatically, but the plot just moved on
regardless. I can understand to a degree that that was ultimately life in the
concentration camps; people died and everyone else just had to carry on and try
and stay alive themselves, but ultimately I do think that we did need greater
depth in these scenes to do them justice.
Overall, The Seamstress Of Auschwitz is a powerful and compelling story which is a strong addition to the Second World War historical fiction genre. I’m excited to see what comes next from C. K. McAdam.
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