The trouble with fictionalized memoirs and biographies of people who actually existed is, can be that fiction can risk trivializing reality, risk making something real seem so different from what it was that the meaning is changed. In the case of Mario Escobar's Auschwitz Lullaby, it risks making the Nazi 'Angel of Death' Josef Mengele seem almost sympathetic at times. Escobar took the risk and defeated it.

He balances every sign of hope, from Mengele, and counters it with the bleak desperation that pervaded every moment of every day at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The true hope is provided in the form of the semi-fictionalized Helene Hanneman. A woman named Helene, German and 'Aryan', did find herself interned at Auschwitz because she married a Romani Gypsy man and their children were going to be deported so she went with them. As she was a German woman, Josef Mengele chose her, in reality and in this story, to run a nursery school he set up for Gypsy children and twins. If you know history, you know of Mengele's twin studies and experiments. If you know of that, you know that there is nothing good in what Josef Mengele did.

Escobar makes it clear that Helene knew that. She knows that for everything he gives, there is something that he takes. It's a balance that's worth doing because it means a moment of hope.

That she used him as much as he used her, at least in terms of this book, is truly impressive and a light of hope in the darkness.

It's hard to say more, given what is widely known and what might spoil the message of this book. Suffice it to say, I didn't know as much about the Gypsy existence at Auschwitz as I thought I did, and I am happy to learn more now, and I cannot recommend this book enough.

(I received a copy of Auschwitz Lullaby from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.)

Recently I watched an interview with a twin who was subjected to Dr. Josef Mengele's experiments at Auschwitz. Her voice rang in my head as I read Auschwitz Lullaby by Mario Escobar. The atrocities of which Mengele was guilty were great, and he was never brought to justice on this side of eternity. In this book Escobar tells the story of Helene Hannemann, largely adhering to the actual facts of her time at Auschwitz with her five children. Helene, an Aryan, voluntarily accompanied her Gypsy husband and their children when the soldiers came to take them away. Her determination to care for her children and those of other Gypsy families in the camp improved the circumstances for many during their imprisonment. Hannemann worked under the direction of Dr. Mengele, running a nursery and school for the Gypsy children, some who were then taken to be included in his experiments. Her goal remained the same throughout her time there, to protect and care for the children.

Escobar's well-written, somewhat fictionalized account of her life allows Helene Hannemann to be an inspiration to another generation of parents, a generation that may be in need of a lesson in sacrifice. Helene could have spared her life, could have walked away from the filth, disease and death that was Auschwitz, but instead she sacrificed each hour, each minute, for the children.

I highly recommend Auschwitz Lullaby not only for fans of historical fiction, but for all who have a heart for children, and those in this generation who may need to be reminded of the gift they are. Received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I loved this book. It was well researched and I felt the pain of Helene and her children. I had no idea of some of the trials and tribulations of certain groups in Auschwitz. This is a great book that should be a MUST read for anyone interested in the Holocaust.
Great way to take a subject and make it more.

Auschwitz Lullaby
A Novel
by Mario Escobar
Thomas Nelson--FICTION

Thomas Nelson
Christian , Historical Fiction
Pub Date 07 Aug 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Aushwitz Lullaby through Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley:


Helene Hannemann was married to a Romani when the Nazi’s tried to allow her to stay and take her husband and children to a camp she refused to stay home. The family is eventually sent to Auschwitz .


In order to help the kids Helene would help to start a nursery school in Auswitz in order to help the children. When Dr Mengele suggests the nursery school she has no illusions about the man and his intentions but she wants to help the children and she's extremely protective of all of her children despite the fact she had been separated from her husband.


Dr Mengele had promised Helene Hannemann she and her children would be spared but the promise proved to be another lie as she and her children were led to the gas chambers. From the evening of August.02.1944 to the morning of August.03 the entire Gypsy camp was exterminated!


I give Auschwitz Lullaby five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is a perfect example of a mother’s unselfish love during the worst of times. I love when authors use historically accurate accounts to create a work of fiction. This book told a beautiful story, albeit sad ending, while still giving insight into the gypsy population at Auschwitz.

Typical of any book that's written well about the horrors of the Holocaust, Auschwitz Lullaby was hard to read. As a Jewish American woman, most of my experience with the Holocaust has centered around the atrocities of the 6 million Jews that died at the hands of Hitler and his henchmen. I was of course aware of the other cultures and people that were wiped out by evil, but I hadn't gone into as much detail as I was able to in Auschwitz Lullaby. I was enamored with the stories of the Roma Gypsies and Nurse Hannemann and in total awe of her bravery in the face of some of the worst evil our world has ever known.

Auschwitz Lullaby is the true story of Helene Hannemann, a German woman who followed her Gypsie husband and children to her certain death at Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Because Helene was a full blooded German, the Nazi's did not require her to follow her family to the death camps; but, like most mothers, Helene could not imagine sending her family off to the camps without her. Once she got to the camp, she was quickly singled out as being valuable because of her German tongue and her experience as a nurse. Dr. Mengele - the ruthless doctor who performed experiments on innocent, vulnerable children - chose her to lead the Gypsie nursery and school in Auschwitz. While this role offered Hannemmann and her children a reprieve from the everyday horror of Auschwitz, they quickly learned that like almost everything in the death camps, nothing happened without a dark ulterior motive.

It's been a while since I have hunkered down and read a Holocaust story - I have to be in the right mindset as the "good" ones can leave me in a funk for days. No matter how many stories I read, I will never be able to understand or comprehend the hatred and evil that helped execute the Nazi Concentration Camps. After every story, I am left haunted, ashamed, astounded and devastated. This book left me feeling all of those things. We were not only shown the horrors of the camp but also the unrelenting love of a mother. The ability to keep going for the sake of your children. The ability to keep going for the sake of hope; for the sake of a better tomorrow.

I can't say that this story offered me hope but I can say it made me proud to be a woman. Proud to share a gender with one of the bravest women I have ever read about. Proud to know that her story lives on.

Amazing work by Escobar - he was able to capture so many feelings in a short read and I commend him.

Based on true historical events and real people, “Auschwitz Lullaby “brings to life the story of Helene Hannemann—a woman who sacrificed everything for family and fought furiously for the children she hoped to save.

In a straightforward and poetic style Mr. Escobar tells an enthralling story involving the Nazi persecution of Gypsies, Jews and other minorities during WW11. Helene was a German woman married to a Gypsy man, they had five children when they were brutally removed from their home and sent to Auschwitz. Helene could have evaded arrest, however she rather be with her family. This novel tells how as a German nurse under Dr. Mengele managed to keep hope in the midts of the darkness.

Mr. Escobar expertly describes the setting and characters while maintaining a captivating and fast-paced storyline that is brutal, honest and heartbreaking. The author demonstrates through his words the power of sacrifice and the strength of human dignity even when there is no hope left. This sad journey is powerful, haunting, chilling and one that shook me to my core. The pages are filled with the evil intentions and practices of Dr. Mengele but what is more remarkable is the strength and bravery of Helene Hannemann. All through her ordeal Helene sang a beautiful lullaby to calm the children…..

This is definitely not a feel good story but a well-researched one filled with details right down to the smells….it really feels as the author spent time in the camps….

This is an excellent novel worth spending time reading

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Through this fictionalized story of Helene Hannemann, a true picture of Auschwitz is portrayed. Helene, a true German, mother of five, married to a gypsy arrives in Auschwitz with her family to save her children. The day to day life of this prison camp is beyond belief. The cruel mind of Dr. Mengele as he experiments on the prisoners is truly evil. This novel is told in Mengele's viewpoint as if reading the supposed journal of Helene. The author follows history quite closely in this chilling story. Highly recommended!!

The whole story is one of heartbreak with shreds of happy and hope. However the end simply is agonizing and fills you with anger and a deep sadness, just like the true events and emotions experienced by people in Auschwitz camps.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Fiction through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Mario Escobar, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a very difficult subject matter to read about - Birchenau and Auschwitz. The book is about the Roma (gypsy) people held in Birchenau during WWII interspersed with the real-life story of a German woman, Helene Hannemann, and her Romani husband and five children. The book is a fictionalized account based on actual events.

It was a very difficult and heart-breaking book to read. I had no real understanding of the difficulty of the Roma during the Nazi regime. However, I would have appreciated more detail into the character of Hannemann and her family as well as the others assisting her. The book seemed to have needed a little more space to flesh it all out. The other notable thing was that I was terribly aware throughout the book that it had been translated from a foreign language - the prose was choppy (probably would have been beautiful in the original Spanish) and word selection seemed odd and antiquated, at times. Also, the German lullaby in the book was not translated so I could not fully understand its symbolism or what it was.

This is a book for hard-core historical fiction readers like myself. It is NOT an easy read at all and may not be for everyone as the situations could be difficult for some. It is a soft RECOMMEND.

Last week I finished a book based on a circus in WW2 and lamented the fact that the author had completely omitted to add any content on the persecution of Roma by the Nazis, and how there really isn’t much fiction about the systematic murder of nearly a quarter of the European Roma population during WW2. So I was really glad to see that Mario Escobar had written Auschwitz Lullaby, a novel heavily based on the true story of Helene Hannemann.

There are many, many books, fiction and non-fiction, on the horrors committed on the Jewish population in Europe during the Holocaust, rightfully so, they should never ever be forgotten. But there are other people who were also persecuted due to their race, and I do think it’s important that they are not forgotten either. The Roma, who have been systematically persecuted and discriminated against for centuries, are one of these groups. I applaud Mario Escobar for telling their story.

Auschwitz Lullaby is the story of Helene Hannemann, her husband Johan who is Roma, and their 5 children between 1943 and 1944. In 1943 the SS come for her family, and while she is told she is free to go, due to the fact that she is not ethnically Roma, she obviously doesn’t want to leave her family. They end up in the “Gypsy” camp in Auschwitz, where Helene and her children are separated from Johan. After a request from Josef Mengele, Helene, due to her German “Aryan” heritage and training as a nurse, is put in charge of the children’s nursery in the camp, where for a while the imprisoned Roma children, as well as some Jewish children, are able to eat a little better and enjoy clean water and even movies. The nursery ends up being a front for Mengele to keep all of the children (mainly twins) he is using for his horrific experiments, but it keeps Helene and her kids relatively safe for a while, and in return she is able to keep other children safer than they would have been in the barracks alone.

This IS fiction, but it’s so heavily based on truth that it reads like a memoir in journal format. Helene’s voice is strong and powerful, her love for her children is warmth in such a terrible place, and her heart and will to continue despite everything so inspiring. Exceptionally beautifully written in parts, the tone is however often devoid of hope – Helene knew how it would all end, and focused on making each day bearable for her children, rather than dreaming of the future. There are terrible, true descriptions of acts of horror (which one should expect if one is reading a novel based on genocide and extermination camps), and if you are looking for a happy ending, this isn’t the book for you. If you are however looking for a truthful story based on the reality of what happened during WW2, then please read this book.

My only complaint (and it's a bit of a big one) would be the use of the word “Gypsy” all through-out the book. Granted, this was the word used to describe the Romani at the time, and often still is today, although the general consensus is that it is an ethnic slur and should be phased out. Maybe there should be an added note in the author’s note about this? It just jarred me every time I read Helene referring to another woman as a “Gypsy woman”, as well as all of the generic “Gypsy” terms.

I highly recommend this book, and also for people to do some research on the topic of the Roma and their persecution. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy!

I saw the upcoming release of this book announced on Twitter a few months back and I've been anxiously waiting for my chance to read it since then. This is not your "fluffy bunny" kind of story, but rather a raw, emotional, heartfelt journey of a family trying to survive in the impossible environment of Auschwitz. There's no way that you can read through the pages without your emotions being wrecked. What's more, this book is based on a true story. The author shares at the end that he did the best he could to stick to the actual story. He even kept most of the names the same (including Helene herself).

Considered an Aryan herself, Helene could have stayed home while the soldiers tore her family away (her husband was a gypsy and therefore their children were labelled as such). More than once the soldiers told Helene that she didn't need to come.  She responded by saying "do you think a mother would leave her children in a situation like this?" The response she was given was "you'd be shocked if I told you all I've seen in the past few years." We've all heard that war can make people do crazy things they never thought possible, but this exchange really broke my heart. We all hope that in the same situation we would go with our families and comfort them, but when faced with a life-or-death choice would love or selfishness be our first response? Even after tasting what life was like in Auschwitz, Helene continued to refuse help for herself so that her children would not be alone (her husband had been separated from the family). Helene is a true model of love.

Another character that really stood out to me is Blaz, Helene's oldest son. Not even a teenager yet, Blaz showed the character of a man far beyond his years. Instead of thinking of himself first, he looked to others and their needs. In the very beginning of the book when the family is on the train to Auschwitz, they are given a small bucket of water for everyone in the train car to get a sip. It had already been a few days, and everyone was desperate for hydration. Instead of taking whatever he could from the bucket, Blaz declined his share so that others could have more. If that doesn't make you think of your own selfishness, I don't know what will. If I had gone days without water, would I be able to give up my drink to others as well? Especially when going into a world of unknown? The Christ-like character that Blaz had developed is remarkable. I could only hope I'd be like him in the circumstances.

A common theme throughout the story is Helene's search for "humanity" in everyone around her. Although initially oblivious to what Dr Mengele was actually doing to his patients, Helene was constantly observing him, hoping to find a shred of humanity left in him. She did the same with the guards and anyone else with position in the camp. The war turned many people into monsters, and she was hoping they'd change. This attitude really caught me. Even in the face of pure evil, she was seeking good and hoping that it could be restored. She was aware that war changed people, but she clung to hope.

After finishing this story, I'm left with many thoughts to ponder. How would I react to the same circumstances? How were they ever able to get that far in the first place? Would I be able to be selfless even when facing death? This story is certainly emotional, but I highly recommend the read. This was my first time reading anything by Mario Escobar, but I hope it's not my last. Most of his books are in Spanish, and while I do know some, I'm not confident in my ability to read a full novel. So I guess I'll just have to wait for some English translations. Looking at some of the titles, I hope they get translated soon!

* I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This book had me from the very beginning. I love that it kept me engaged the entire time. I couldn't wait to see how it ended. I would highly recommend to all my fellow readers. Thank you for the chance to review this book!

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley. This book had me from the very beginning. I love that it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I would highly recommend this book to my fellow readers. Thank you for the chance to review this book!!!!

A story of the Holocaust – told from the point of view of the Roma gypsies. A lesser known aspect of Nazi persecution is the story of Hitler’s push to rid the Reich of all undesirables—including gypsies. This is a fictionalized story of Helene Hannemann—an “Aryan” German woman who married a Romani gypsy. Given the chance to escape deportment to Auschwitz-Birkenau (due to her “bloodline”), she chose instead to go to the camp with her husband and 5 children. Her story is one of a mother’s love, sacrifice, and courage as she advocated for the lives of her children as well as the children of the others in the gypsy camp. This book is brutal in describing camp life and the treatment of prisoners. It is horrifying to read about the experiments on the children done by Joseph Menegle—all in the name of science and bettering the German race. It is a reminder of all the evil in the work, and also the supreme sacrifice of a mother’s love. Read it—you won’t be sorry!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Incredibly sad (but true) account of a nursery school inside Auschwitz camp, run by a german nurse who refused to let her Gypsy children be interred without her. People often forget that Jews were not the only target of the Nazi killing regime and this was a stark reminder of the fate of many Roma under that cruel dictatorship. It is a simple account, but one which tells eloquently of this painful time. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In 1943 Helene Hannemann, her husband and five children are sent to a gypsy camp in Auschwitz. Though she was Aryan, she was married to a gypsy. Her children were considered gypsy also. Helene opens a school for the children. Her and other gypsy mothers and volunteers helped run the school. Later it was determined that the school was a holding block for children waiting to be experimented on. The one true fact that I took away, is that Helene was the Sunflower among the weeds. She brought light where there was darkness.

"We cease to exist when there is no one in the world capable of loving us."

I have long been fascinated with the Holocaust and have a number of books on the subject. All are nonfiction. This one is a fictionalized account of a story based in fact. In 1943 a German woman, Helene Hannemann, who was married to a Gypsy, was taken with her husband and 5 children to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. She herself was not required to go because she was German, but she refused to stay home without her children and husband. Separated from her husband the moment they arrived, Helene and her children were placed in the Gypsy camp, yet another group of people Hitler deemed unnecessary to live. During her time there, Dr. Josef Mengele, dubbed the Angel of Death for his cruel experiments on the Jews, asked her to start a kindergarten and nursery for the Gypsy children in the camp. She agreed, and being a nurse, was able to help the children for as long as she could. Mengele wanted to have children at hand for his experiments and the nursery provided that.

The fictionalized account begins now. Readers are told through Hannemann's diary of her life in the death camp until one fateful day. Escobar's research is spot on and we are given glimpses into this most infamous of Hitler's death camps. It is a very difficult book to read at times, but it is beautifully told and is something we should remember. Man's inhumanity to man is at its worse here in the death camps. I read this book in one day. Heart-wrenching and painful though it was, it will be a wonderful addition to my library.

*My thanks to Nelson Publishers for a copy of this book via Net Galley. My opinion is entirely my own.

This was a very hard book to read. Sometimes I just had to have a break from it and go do something else.

It’s a true story of the Gypsies who were imprisoned at Auschwitz, told from the perspective of Helene Hannemann, a real person who arrived at the camp in May, 1943, with her husband and five children. Although not a Gypsy herself, Helene was married to Johann, who was. She refused to be separated from her family and thus found herself imprisoned. Dr. Mengele notices her, a blue-eyed, blonde German woman, and offers her the position of director of a nursery school,which operated there in the camp for about one year. It offered her and her children a bit better quality of life during those months, though her husband was in a different part of the camp, away from his family.

We’ve all likely seen or read accounts of those imprisoned by the third Reich, but this account, written rather like a diary, was especially hopeless in tone, at least to me. I’m a member of a book club, but would not recommend this book as one of our selections.

I received this book from the publisher via netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

I started reading, AUSCHWITZ LULLABY and before I knew it.. I'd finished reading it in two days. I could not put it down. To find out that this was a true story.. WOW. That was beyond mind blowing. This story about a mother's love for her children.. a love so strong that even though she was not a gypsy, Jew or undesirable.. she chose to remain with her family all the way to Auschwitz. To work under Mengele's eye.. and run a kindergarten for the gypsy children in Auschwitz.. she walked such a fine line every single moment.. and managed to keep her children alive is a true testament of the ultimate mother's love.

AUSCHWITZ LULLABY will tug at your heartstrings. It will hit home with every parent out there. Just how far would you go to protect your little ones? Even if it meant intolerable conditions.. and the threat of catching diseases, being killed by the cruel guards, or other prisoners. This is one of those rare stories that will stay with the reader well beyond when they've finished reading it. An amazing courageous story of a family of gypsies.. struggling to survive in Auschwitz during WWII.

++++++++++++++++++++
Separate review for Authors on the Air:

AUSCHWITZ LULLABY: A NOVEL
By Mario Escobar
Historical Fiction
Publication Date: August 7, 2018
Print Length: 304 pages

AUSCHWITZ LULLABY is based upon the true story of Helene Hannemann. Helene is married to her childhood sweetheart, Johann who is a gypsy. The couple have five children. Helene is German who chooses to remain with her husband and children when the German police show up at their doorstep and take them into custody. Helene cannot allow her husband and children to leave without her. She insists on going with her family to Auschwitz even though the SS gives her the option to remain. As Helene is a nurse and an Aryan, Dr. Mengele selects her to organize and run a daycare school for the Romani children in the camp.

AUSCHWITZ LULLABY is so well written that one can devour it in a very short time. It is a very fast-paced novel. But, one that will stay in your mind forever. The author clearly researched the camp and highlights the treatment of the gypsies in Auschwitz. Most folks are unaware of other “undesirables” that were taken as prisoners by the Nazis during WWII.

I highly recommend, AUSCHWITZ LULLABY: A NOVEL. It’s an amazing story of one woman’s love for her children. She sacrifices her freedom to accompany her husband and children to Auschwitz. This one will tug at your heartstrings. There are many stories of Auschwitz, but this is the first one that I’ve read.. that focuses on the treatment of Gypsies. They suffered in the camp from their brutal captors as well as their fellow prisoners. Poor Helene is seen as a sympathizer of the Nazis as she cooperates with the monster Mengele. The real reason she agreed to run the day camp and school was to ensure that the children of the camp would receive good food, an education, and a respite from the daily grind of being held as a prisoner in a death camp.