999 by Heather Dune Macadam is a well written, well researched, and very comprehensive account of 999 (mostly) Slovakian women on the first transport to Auschwitz in 1942. It was heartbreaking and very hard to read at times, but I was impressed by the author's dedication to telling the story of these women during World War II. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced ebook copy. All opinions are my own.

I love books about WWII. This one was a different focus about the first women transported to Auschwitz. These 999 young women were misled to believe they were helping the government. However, the interviews the author conducts reveals the atrocities they experienced. And while some survived, due to the evil reign of Hitler, making it home was not a positive experience. The research conducted by the author is astounding and admirable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Citadel Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz goes over the story of the first women that were transported to the concentration camp. This book was chosen because of my interest in concentration camps as well as it was an ARC from NetGalley. Upon finishing the book I was appalled and saddened at the number of lost lives and treatment of so many young innocent women. This book was unique because most of the recollections about the camps are told from mixed-gender or males but never singly female.

I enjoyed the author following the lives of the selected women from start to end. She told their full story from before they were taken to after they were liberated. She tells their physical, emotional and mental stories of spending years as prisoners and after freedom. She tells of the physical, emotional and psychological abuse that these young women suffered during their time in captivity.

These women’s stories needed to be told and Heather did so. Anyone wishing to know of the trial and tribulations that the first women went through the need to read this book. Anyone wanting to know more about Auschwitz and what the prisoners went through the need to read this book.

This book was sobering, chilling and yet so important. As we grow further away from WW2 and fewer survivors remain, it is important to hear their stories. Heather Macadam does an amazing job of painting the picture of the first women's transport to Auschwitz- bringing the women to life and telling their stories so they are so much more than a number. It took me a while to read this book as I could only digest a little at a time,but it is an important read to honour and remember those who suffered- and survived- the Holocaust.

This was just an excerpt but it's a fascinating subject that I would really like to research more, so I will be reading the full book.

I told myself I would stop reading Holocaust literature for a while after finishing The Child of Auschwitz. I've been fighting a book slump by reading on familiar topics, reading books that I've always enjoyed reading. So, in my hopes to return to what I know in regards to reading, I've been diving into a lot of very easy, fluffy romance novels, and then again into a lot of very difficult, heavy Holocaust fiction and nonfiction.

So it's been fun.

I decided to read this anyway because even with how much I've read and studied WWII and the Holocaust, the events leading up to and following, and everything in between, I knew of the 999 in name only. Nearly a thousand unmarried Jewish girls and women boarded a train departing Poprad in March of 1942, feeling spirited, no doubt, as they headed for what they believed to be a few months of work service.

This was the first ever transport of Jews to Aushwitz.

One thousand women were sold by their own government to Germany as slave labor. They would arrive in Aushwitz on March 26, and while at the time of their arrival it wasn't the Nazi center of mass extermination that it would grow to be by its end in 1945, the women of the first transport would be forced to build that camp. It was not the work they expected when they left the warmth and comforts of their homes, to say the least. Of the 999, only a handful would survive the three years at the camp.

Dozens of books, articles, essays, and accounts, and this is the first thing I've read about the first transport, this first deportation. This is such a disservice to these women, to the small but mighty few survivors, to the legacy of the 999 Jewish women who went on that train, most of whom never made it back home.

Macadam's book is excruciatingly detailed, thoroughly well-researched, and at its heart, a surprisingly hopeful story of survival. I think that might be why, in spite of the heartbreak they inspire, I keep coming back to Holocaust narratives. There is a thrum of hope in every single one, because while you cannot open one without encountering some of the worst humanity and history have to offer, the other side of it is that we get to hear about the survivors. In every tale of pain, suffering, and loss, there is the relentlessness of the human spirit, there is humanity's sheer will to survive and thrive, even in places created to strip people of their identities, of their humanity, and there is hope.

It isn't an easy book to read, but then I don't think anyone considering reading this thinks they are signing up for a lighthearted read. Still, I feel a sense of obligation to these women to hear out their stories. The suffering they experienced is difficult to comprehend, but I feel we owe it to these women to read about them, to remember them as the bright young women they were, who had families and dreams and so much potential. To honor the memory of the 999, the first ones to go.

Macadam does the very difficult subject matter justice. She isn't overly sentimental, doesn't embellish, and really it's an amazing feat that she has as much information to offer to us as she does given just how little is actually known of the first transport. As is the run with this sort of book, it was compelling and emotionally charged and a bit of work to finish. More importantly, it was absolutely meticulous in the research. I cannot emphasize enough how impressed I am with the obvious, exhaustive amount of effort that Macadam poured into these pages. If you only read one more book about the Holocaust, only have it in you for one more story about the horrors of Auschwitz, make it this one.

Thank you so very muchly to NetGalley, Heather Dune Macadam, and Citadel Press for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Title: 999

Author: Heather Dune Macadm

Gener: Nonfiction ( WW 2 History)

Pages : 417

Read as a NetGalley ARC

Rating:4.5

On March 25, 1942, nearly a thousand young, unmarried Jewish women boarded a train in Poprad, Slovakia. Filled with a sense of adventure and national pride, they left their parents' homes wearing their best clothes and confidently waving good-bye. Believing they were going to work in a factory for a few months, they were eager to report for government service. Instead, the young women--many of them teenagers--were sent to Auschwitz. Their government paid 500 Reich Marks (about $200) apiece for the Nazis to take them as slave labor. Of those 999 innocent deportees, only a few would survive.

The facts of the first official Jewish transport to Auschwitz are little known, yet profoundly relevant today. These were not resistance fighters or prisoners of war. There were no men among them. Sent to almost certain death, the young women were powerless and insignificant not only because they were Jewish--but also because they were female. Now acclaimed author Heather Dune Macadam reveals their poignant stories, drawing on extensive interviews with survivors, and consulting with historians, witnesses, and relatives of those first deportees to create an important addition to Holocaust literature and women's history.


My thoughts

Would I recommend it ? Yes

Will I read more by this author? Yes

This is a most read book even though it's on a really tough topic to read about and will make you very emotional as well. Because up until I read 2 historical fiction books about this horrible place I had no idea it existed and what went on there, and while those historical fiction books did nothing to bring this place or the story of the people who was there alive ,this author did the complete opposite ,she really did her research and not only that but she brought to life the characters as well as the places she was talking about, she brought their fears and their struggles to life so much so that you could feel it. As well as the stories of the ones that didn't come back , in many ways she give them a voice to tell their story so they could be remembered. With that said I want to thank NetGalley for letting me read and review it .

This is a very emotionally challenging book, but could add to a Holocaust history lesson for older students. I had never read anything about the first transport before, and it is both compelling and heartbreaking.

Heart breaking and informative, this is not a light or easy read.
Often times when I read books on the Holocaust, unless they are written by survivors, I wonder how much has been assumed, or embellished by the author for the sake of the story.
However I never got that feeling with this book.

Macadams tells the story of the 999 young girls who, under the guise of going to work at a factory, made up the first transport of women to Auschwitz.
With firsthand accounts from Auschwitz survivors, this book is not for the faint of heart

999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz by Heather Dune Macadam is a Historical account of the Holocaust.
The author did exhaustive research and used this research to reproduce conversations, events and scenes in this book to make it more realistic. Before I choose a book to review I like to research the author and any previous books if available. I was pleased to find Ms. Macadam had written a previous book that focused on Auschwitz Rena's Promise: A Story of Sisters in Auschwitz. I read a sample of it, immediately purchased it and requested her newest book 999 to read and review.
Her writing style has understanding, warmth and empathy for the lives of those she portrays. This book is well written with excellent descriptions, extensive details and some photos of the families, homes, religious practices, and Nazi concentration camps. In this book there many heroic actions and I found the brave endurance of the Holocaust victims incredible. Holocaust tories are so important to history, therefore we must hear as many as possible before they are lost forever.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

I received this book from Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Just when you think all the stories have been told and the horror of Auschwitz can not be added to, a book comes along that resonates with fortitude and ingenuity, filled with stories of survival and yes, even hope. With photos and individual survivors accounts, this book will stay with me for a very long time. This is the story of the first official transport of Jewish women to Auschwitz. Told this would be a work opportunity, that they would return in a few months, these young girls and women would leave Slovenia hopeful and excited. Few returned. How can I say I enjoyed the book as I read from the comfort of my home, with warmth and a full belly. Not an easy read, but a necessary one. As the history books state, do not forget the past or be doomed to repeat it.

I read a lot of WWII set fiction so when I saw a nonfiction book was the first Jewish transport to Auschwitz at Netgalley I had to request.

I have read WWII novels since I was a young adult. Then many of the novels romanticized the era and focused on the soldiers with a few about Jews. When I grew tired of romance novels, I also stopped reading a lot of WWII novels. In recent years though more of the unknown stories of WWII have come to light and are the focus of the novels. I have really enjoyed these stories, especially when the authors provide notes on the historical accuracy of the novel.

So I was really excited to see a nonfiction book about an aspect of WWII that I had not heard of before. I was a little worried that it would be a dry, textbook type read. I'm thrilled to tell you that it was not like that at all. Actually, the tone was very conversational - more what you would expect from a memoir. I actually read this in two days. Granted, I spent the majority of the day reading it. I just couldn't stay away from the story Macadam weaved from interviews and archive materials.

999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport is a truly captivating read.

The opening chapters, where Macadam describes village life in a town in Slovakia, read like a newsreel from WWII. I actually heard the announcer in my head as images flashed in my mind. That's how descriptive the writing is.

It has been more than 75 years and not all of the historical records have survived. Though some survivors are still alive, age and the traumatic nature of the events make personal recollections difficult. So there is a bit of speculation, but it is evident that it is speculation in the text.

The story doesn't end with liberation which I appreciate. I always wonder what life was like for the survivors, some who spent 3 years in a concentration camp. As Macadam followed the lives of several of the girls from that first transport, the reader gets to see a variety of what life looked like after. One of the things I had never thought about was how others viewed the survivors. I always assumed that family and friends rejoiced that the person survived a death camp. And they did, but they also were suspicious. What did they do to survive? What moral compromise did they have to make?

I've always been glad that the personal stories of WWII veterans and Holocaust survivors have been preserved. However, I've never thought about the quagmire that all the testimonies could create. The task Macadam undertook was monumental. She had to piece together individual stories like one would piece together a jigsaw puzzle, except she didn't have the benefit of the final picture on the cover of the box. Not to have gotten lost among all the information and being able to put that information into a form that is coherent and interesting to others is a feat well accomplished by the author.

If you read WWII fiction, I highly recommend reading this book to give you a new perspective on the time period. If you love history but want something that doesn't read like a textbook, then I highly recommend reading this book. If you want to understand the present by looking at the past, I highly recommend reading this book. Are you seeing a pattern? I highly recommend reading this book!

The review will be published at Girl Who Reads on December 27 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2019/12/999-by-heather-dune-macadam-review.html

999 is the meticulously researched story of the first official Jewish transport to Auschwitz from Slovakia in 1942. Due out 31st Dec 2019 from Kensington Books, it's 417 pages and will be available in hardcover, audiobook, and ebook formats.

The writing was riveting and emotionally difficult to read in some places. Especially in light of the trends in modern politics, and the fact that it's all too believable that it could happen again, I felt an undercurrent of urgency reading this book. It was compelling and the third person narrative put an accessible human face on the history.

Most of the books I've read about the Holocaust seem to have been a lot more focused on the male dominated parts of the war, the Holocaust, and the history. This book seemed a lot more personal to me.

Really well written, full of annotations and a bibliography for further reading. This would make a superlative resource in an academic setting as well as an important personal read.

Four stars.

This is the incredible true story of the 999 first women deported to Auschwitz. It was a captivating read, and even though I already know a lot about the subject, I learned quite a lot of new information in this book. It's really well done and an important book for all history lovers to read.

I have read a TON of Holocaust books about survivors and have even read the definitive work of Martin Gilbert, however, this book provided a great light upon a part of the Holocaust that I had not read much about.
This book is about the ladies of the first transport to Auschwitz. They were promised to work for 3 months and then sent home. Most did not survive.
Some, some of the lucky did survive.
This book is about the choices that they had to make, the hard reality of their situation (watching loved ones taken to the gas chamber) and then freedom.
It was overwhelming, yet I felt that I must bear witness.
I learned something new and I am grateful to the author for telling a new side of the Holocaust story.

This book is very compelling, though as always with this type of book, at times it can be emotionally challenging. I've read quite a few books about the Holocaust and the various transports to different concentration camps, but this is the first book I've read solely dedicated to the first transport and dealing mostly with female inmates. It was interesting to see the names of some of the more notorious capos described with more detail and to see the types of jobs the inmates were forced to do.

Often when I read these histories, I feel like the reader only experiences things from the outside. This book really allows you to look inside the lives of these women and feel as if you are living through the hell they lived through. It is a very well-written, well-researched book that will give you a viewpoint that many other books do not.

If you are interested in the history of the Nazi occupations and the concentration/death camps, this would be an important book to add to your collection. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the inside story of these events, from those who lived through it, and those who did not--through the eyes of those who knew them.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Emotional. That's the one word I would use to describe "999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz". Heather Dune Macadam paints a very realistic picture of the lives of these women, based on extensive interviews. Books like this are invaluable.

One thing Macadam does extremely well is making sure her narration is as accurate as possible. It's extremely evident the time and research that went into writing this book. Repeatedly it is noted which things might have been true or which things were foggy in the memories of the survivors. This adds a layer of authenticity to the text that draws readers closer to the subject matter and makes it more personal.

Books like this can tend to be dense and full of despair. Macadams does good work on keeping the story moving, so no one aspect can be overly dwelt upon, but also nothing is overlooked or made to seem less important. The sheer number of subjects within the text makes the story move quickly from girl to girl and story to story. Also, the book has a relatable feeling. Young women with dreams and futures is something most readers can relate to. Leaning into this feeling carries the story like nature of the narrative.

Overall, this book was so good! Macadam takes serious subject matter and presents it in the most interesting way possible: giving names and faces to victims. Macadam makes readers take a moment to truly care and remember and reflect. This book is a must read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book.

999 by Heather Dune Macadam is a fabulous book that brings to light the stories of the almost 1,000 women that were taken in the first transport from Slovakia to Auschwitz on 3/25/42.

This compilation of accounts of these precious Jewish women whom were taken against their will to this atrocious destination is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking. Yet, the reader is left with a sense of courage, hope, friendship, and love that knows no bounds and is not suppressed despite the trials and tribulations that these women were unjustly taken into.

The author clearly has done her research, as the amount of material, documents, and interviews that were needed to give these women a voice is astounding.

As someone whose distant family perished in this horrid place, I read this with emotions that leaked into my very bones and being. This is a stunning remembrance and book that will stay with me forever.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and and Kensington/Citadel Press for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

This is a fascinating story of more than just the first transport of young women to Auschwitz but many others. The research that was done to write this book is amazing. The tragedy and heartache of the Jewish people resonates in this book. The many stories of survival in an inhumane time is hard to read.

The tale of nearly 1,000 Jewish women from Slovakia to be shipped to the German death camp at Auschwitz, March 1942.
A tale of strength and how these women helped each other survive. The author did a wonderful job of interweaving her interviews with witnesses, survivors, and families in this story.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC