Mala has a privileged position in the Nazi concentration camp but she dreams of freedom. Edek was one of the first inmates but knows the end is near. Together they fall in love and dare to dream of escape…
The Girl Who Escaped From Auschwitz is a devastatingly good historical fiction novel. I’ll be honest: it isn’t easy reading and I had to take a break every few chapters. The writing is clear yet emotive, pulling no punches. Difficult to read but impossible to put down.
The prologue gives a glimpse of the end of the story. I then made the mistake of googling the characters after the first chapter so I knew how the plot would end. This ramped up my anticipation but did remove all hope. Mala and Edek were real people, real victims of the Holocaust.
Set in the brutal environment of Auschwitz, the prisoner characters never lose their humanity despite the awful experiences. Yet, they are three dimensional characters, their foibles, doubts and nuances of personality are brought to life.
Mala and Edek are both inmates, surviving day to day amidst the horrors of death and violence. Their love story develops slowly, giving us time to enjoy their gentle passion in a place where love is scarce. The reality of their story makes the book even more tragic and adds a greater depth of poignancy to the unfolding plot.
The Girl Who Escaped From Auschwitz is a stunning novel that uses horrific historical detail to bring the Nazi extermination camp to life. I have previously reviewed the equally brilliantly terrible The Violinist of Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood.
CURRENT Media Pack
Author: Ellie Midwood
Book: The Girl Who Escaped From Auschwitz
Publication Day: March 9th 2021
Buy LINKS
Amazon: https://geni.us/B08P3HH53VCover
Apple: http://ow.ly/mZuu50CBqkh
Kobo: http://ow.ly/C5Ft50CBqbv
Google: http://ow.ly/oVUo50CBqm7
Description:
“We must die standing up for something.”
“And what are we standing up for?”
“The most important thing there is. Freedom.”
Millions of people walked through Auschwitz’s gates, but she was the first woman who escaped. This powerful novel tells the inspiring 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…
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and The Orphan Train will love this breathtakingly beautiful tale, of courage in the face of tragedy and bravery in the face of fear. Based on a true story, The Girl Who Escaped Auschwitz shows that, in darkness, love can be your light…
Author Bio:
Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, The Girl from Berlin.’ Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.
In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.
Author Social Media Links
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/EllieMidwood
Website: http://elliemidwood.com/
