This book is about its title. I enjoyed the writing and the story kept me engaged. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

I enjoyed it. I have read many WWII historical books and this probably falls in the middle. Parts of it seemed unbelievable. I loved the friendship between Eva and Sofie. I didn't care for the flashbacks, which I usually love in books. I felt like it brought me out of the story. The ending was predictable, but still liked the story, characters and writing style. I always feel the same way after reading books about concentration camps. I can't imagine the struggles people endured or how they were able to survive. The better question is - How could people be so cruel to each other???

I do recommend the book, especially if you are a fan of historical fiction. I look forward to reading more books by the author, especially since I loved The Paris Secret

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

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
There have been many novels set around the atrocities of Auschwitz - some have been fantastic and others not so good. This one for me seemed to fall in the middle.
At times I loved it and felt swept away in the story. At other times I felt it was dragging.
I enjoyed the way the friendship between Eva and Sofia was told. It was good enough to read to the end of the book.
But on the negative side, I didn’t really get the title as it did to seem to apply for ages! I expected to be more emotionally moved and wanted more descriptive narrative regarding the awful times this was set in.
Overall 3 stars from me.

This book is definitely not my usual type of read. It took me a few chapters to get into it but when I did, wow!

Poor Eva had only been married a short time to Michal and was ecstactically happy but their happiness would be dramatically ripped apart by the Nazis.

I read late into the night , during the night and again when I woke up. My heart broke for Eva and her friend Sophie. The worst thing of all is that you know all those horrors happened. How on earth anyone survived is beyond my comprehension. The bravery of everyone in those places was unbelievable. I do not think I could have endured those conditions.

Although all my emotions were tested to the limits, I still thoroughly recommend this book with a warning to be prepared!

I shall look for more of Lily Graham.

This book was on the story of Eva who was put in a train carriage destined for the camp at Auschwitz. Her husband was sent there 6 months previously, and she is desperate to see him again. She makes friends with another woman in the camp, Sofie and together they try to discover if Eva’s husband and Sofie’s son are still alive, however dangerous that may be.

Strange as it may sound, I do enjoy a good wartime book. There are a lot of books around at the minute based on the subject of the Holocaust, and particularly Auschwitz. These stories are gripping as whilst they are works of fiction, they are based on events that actually happened and events that cannot and should not ever be forgotten. Told from Eva’s point of view, the story was a heart-breaking and emotional one. I loved Eva’s character, just liked I loved all the characters of all the other Jewish people held in this camp. Full of courage and bravery, despite facing what could only be described as hell on earth. All Eva wanted was to be reunited with her husband, Michal and amongst all the horrors this story has to tell, this book also became a beautiful love story.

The author has done an amazing amount of research into this book and at times it’s really difficult to work out where reality ends and the story begins. The story is described beautifully and very sensitively written and whilst you can’t bear to read some parts, others draw you in until you can’t put the book down! This is a love story which tugs at the heart-strings yet fills you with hope that amongst all the darkness and horror there may have been real life stories such as this. Would definitely recommend.

This was an amazing read. The insight into the war and following the story of the lives of women in camps was captivating. It also broke my heart to read about the sadness and struggles these women faced.
The author did an amazing job writing this story to make us feel like we were there; part of the troubles, trials and tribulations between the Jewish, Germans and Austrians.
I would thoroughly recommend this book for anyone to read.

I've read a few of these Auschwitz fiction books that hit the shelves every couple of months and despite repeatedly saying that I don't like historical fiction I have thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them, including The Child of Auschwitz.
I have to hold my hands up and admit that I didn't really read the synopsis of the book (and by didn't really read I mean not at all) and so my expectations of what the story would be about were completely about. Just from the title I assumed it would be the story of a child growing up/spending time in Auschwitz and was a little miffed that this apparent child didn't seem to be making an appearance. However, once I realised what the story line was aiming for, which was the story of how this child came about, I was happy again.
I also don't do romance yet there is a beautiful love story carried throughout the book and still I enjoyed it!
Personally I feel that if an author can overcome all your objections and preconceptions so much that you end up loving the book and become emotionally invested in the characters then they must be an incredible writer.
This story was beautiful, harrowing and heart breaking, and I actually sat reading with tears streaming down my face at times.
I was very grateful for the fact that the ending gave proper closure of the story and the characters. It felt like I could be satisfied and finish the book without being left with the feeling of wanting to know what happened next in the characters' lives.
I'd happily recommend this book to.... well, everybody. This is history brought to life and everyone should experience that!

I am a big fan of historical fiction and I really enjoyed this book. The storyline was well balanced and the characters were very likeable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC,

I’m a sucker for WW2 books and this was no different. A daughter is born in the thick of the holocaust at Auschwitz to a Jewish mother. A tale of survival and grit to endure an unimaginable life.

3,5 stars

The book is about Eva and Sofie who first meet at the Theresienstadt concentration camp. They end up on the same train to Auschwitz, each with her own agenda. Eva wants to find her husband and Sofie wants to find her cousin who hid her son.

When Eva realizes that she is pregnant, everything changes. It’s not safe to be pregnant in a place like Auschwitz. Not the best start to life and I guess it’s down to a certain amount of luck too.
The friendship between Eva and Sofie was a great thing to see in a place like that.

The book has two timelines: the present which is 1942 and the past in 1938. The past chapters weren’t necessary in my opinion and skipped those a bit but otherwise, I really enjoyed the book and it’s well written.

I spent nearly all of this book rating it as 4 stars, but then changed it to 5 in the last few chapters. I had already read 'the tattoist of Auschwitz' a year or so ago, and I admit I compared the 2 books for a long time. I was frustrated why the book was about a child being born there but it took so long to be introduced in the story. However, on full reflection, I see why the background story was given- to fully appreciate the horrors that happened and how remarkable it was for a child to survive there.
A life affirming story that shows the strength of love and the human spirit.

Just like any book which contains the topic of Auschwitz, Lily Graham’s new novel is a story that attempts to put you in the mindset of those who were involved in such a historically devastating event, whilst also keeping the readers entertained due to the fictional elements.

I love the way that Lily Graham’s writing style has taken more of a historical turn, and I am in awe of the fact that the author has chosen such an iconic topic to write about.

The dynamics between the women in this book, namely Eva and Sofie, were both heartwarming and emotive. Their relationship was incredibly iconic in terms of creating memories, and I feel that the author did an incredible job at allowing her readers to have a voice.

The historical elements of the book, in my opinion, were highly captivating and kept me hooked. As someone who is incredibly interested in the topic of Auschwitz, I thought that the author delivered in all aspects of the story and more.

A thoroughly enjoyable, if somewhat emotional, historically insightful and poignant read.

A beautifully written, heartbreaking story of some of the people at Auschwitz.and their resilience and strength. Also a story of friendship, family,and love. A young woman who finds love and becomes pregnant while being held there. I was so drawn into the power of love. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

The title alone of Lily Graham's new book suggests it will be a difficult yet important read. Her last few books have seen a vast shift in direction, especially when you think back to her first two or three books, but it is a very welcome one as I think Lily Graham is really settling into the historical fiction genre and the stories she is telling are brilliantly written and deeply engrossing. The Child of Auschwitz has a very powerful opening line that will have you immediately sitting up and taking attention. 'I was born into a world that had forbidden my existence.' Straight away you are questioning who is speaking and why is their existence forbidden? All will become clear over time as you delve deeper into a fascinating story. One of untold horrors, cruelty, deprivation, starvation and torture.

I was glad that the author did not shy away from the harsh realities of what went on in one of the most horrific places ever to have existed in this world. If you are going to write a book with such a devastating subject at its centre that happened not all that long ago, you are better to not spare the details or sugar coat things but be true to yourself and your readers by explaining and detailing everything the way it was. Thankfully, Lily Graham did this and in turn she has written an informative, tense, absorbing and haunting read.

In present day Prague, an old woman sits down to write her story. She is determined that what happened many years ago will not be forgotten once she is gone so whatever it takes she will get everything written down on paper for as she says herself, 'Life doesn't wait until we are ready. More often than not, it throws us into the deep end and asks us to swim. Ready or not.' This story highlights this statement and its how the main character Eva deals with what life has thrown at her that is truly remarkable.

There is no long lead up to the main events of this story, instead in the first chapter we are taken to where the majority of the novel is set. Auschwitz, Birkenau December 1942 and Eva Adami along with her friend Sofie, and several other women she has come to know in her hut, are living in one of the worst places on earth. Not by choice of course, rather due to the actions of an evil, insane man who thinks the Jewish population should be eradicated. All traces of humanity have been stripped from once proud people. They have been reduced to shreds of their former selves in more ways than one. Every minute of every hour of every day is a struggle to survive what is being inflicted upon them. Only the strongest will survive and out of the hundreds of thousands sent to this concentration camp where such cruelty unfolded only several thousand made it to the end to emerge to freedom. Although their state of mind and their physical state would never ever be the same again, how could it be given all they had witnessed and endured?

Eva is an incredible character whom you will quickly come to admire for the strength she garners in the toughest of times. She not only forces herself to keep going but those around her she gives care, support and comfort to when they feel they can no longer keep struggling on. Existing on the most meagre of rations and being made to stand outside for roll call for hours upon on end not to mention the forced labour they had to partake in were just some of the many things the Germans enforced innocent people who did not deserve this treatment. What sets Eva apart from the rest is that she volunteered to take the train to the camp. Her family had been forced to live crammed into a ghetto – Terezin - and when the Germans were once again rounding up people Eva stepped forward to go. Without question, such madness to go but there is something driving Eva on and it is this force that forms her strength and backbone. It is the love for her husband Michal.

Michal had been sent away months ago and she hopes to reunite with him. What follows is a desperate search throughout the camp where danger and suspicion lurk around every corner. Putting one step out of place could result in instant death but Eva's passion and devotion for Michal remain unwavering and she will do anything to find out news of the man she loves so much and wants once again back by her side. We come to understand through a series of recollections between chapters as to how Eva and Michal met and how important they became to one another. An insight was also given into her family's life pre-war and how a close relative taught Eva many things which she is now putting into practice in the camps.

I loved the chapters told from Eva's point of view before her and so many others worlds were turned upside down. It offered some light relief and highlighted happier times which were in stark contrast to the dark and soul destroying days in the camp. Camp life existed on a currency of favours where the smallest thing could make the biggest difference and Eva was well able to play this game. She used her ingenuity, her bravery and knowledge to seek out information. But would she able to discover anything and if she did would she be pleased with what she heard? Would she be strong enough to survive the camp considering starvation and illness were the greatest enemies not to mention the destruction and barbarous actions carried out by the guards? One thing is for sure you will be rooting for Eva all the way with a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes.

As for Sofie, she too had a mission in volunteering for transportation to the camp. Instead of a husband it was the love of her missing son Tomas that drove her on. He was taken from her and supposedly kept safe yet she knows nothing as to his whereabouts or whether he is still alive. She wants answers and as she seeks someone she has on her mind who may well give them to her, she too will not rest until she is reunited with her son. Sofie as opposed to Eva was slightly more tougher in her approach to getting what she wanted. The fact that she had no qualms about establishing a friendship/connection with one of the guards demonstrated how she was prepared to go to any lengths for her child. At times I found some of Sofie's actions uncomfortable. Yes the entire nature of the book and the details of what I was reading was uncomfortable and horrendous but Sofie's took things to a new level and I wondered would things turn out worse rather than better for her.

I found The Child of Auschwitz to be a quick read. The chapters weren't unnecessarily long and before I knew it I was nearing the end of the book. The themes of hope and survival came across very well throughout and there was so much raw emotion and tension apparent at every turn of the page. It was evident such detailed research had been undertaken into the conditions at the camp, the daily routines and also the punishments and torture that existed that I did gain a really deep understanding of what so many experienced. But resilience, determination and self belief were all key traits that Eva possessed and I wondered whether they would be enough to see her through to the end or perhaps there would a lot in store for her before the final page was reached.

The last quarter or so of the story really picked up the pace and there were many surprising twists, turns and revelations and it made for an absorbing read. Despite the harsh nature of the subject matter this is a book that fans of the genre will love, even if that does seem like the wrong sort of word to be using. Yes it a heartbreaking story of darkness but yet there is light and hope amidst those times.

This book quite honestly blew me away.
This was my first time reading a book by this author but also my very first time reading a fiction book on Auschwitz and the concentration cramps.
Having visited Auschwitz-Birkenau on a trip to Poland some time ago and the profound effect it had on me whilst learning about the horrors inflicted on Jewish people during World War two, I couldn't ever bring myself to read anything fiction relating to such a barbaric time in history.
Lily Graham's book has changed that for me....
Her story is a beautiful, heartbreaking story about a woman Eva Adami who puts herself forward to go to Auschwitz in the hope of finding her love and husband Michal who has been taken there previously, little realising the awful atrocities going on in the camp.
She meets a friend in Sofie who is also in the camp hoping to find out from her cousin about her son Tomas and where she left him before she was captured....
A beautiful friendship between the two woman ensues and it is this friendship that will get them through their darkest days in the camp....
Eva by some miracle, gets the chance to meet her husband Michal again for some time through the help of another campmate before he is taken away to another camp.
Upon learning of her pregnancy, Eva knows she must conceal it from the Nazi soldiers if she and her baby are to survive the concentration camp.
One wonders how this would have even been possible as prisioners were watched all the time in the camp.
We do get a glimpse of a special time in Eva's life before the concentration camps where she meets her husband for the first time and we watch how their love grows....
For me, this is such an amazing and poignant read..
While it shows us the horrors inflicted on a daily basis and the inhumane treatment of the Jewish people, it also portrays friendship, strength and resilience in a time where you would least expect it....
This story is based on the life of Vera Bein who gave birth to a daughter in December 1944 in Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Well done Lily, a story very well portrayed.

A fascinating look at the human spirit in the face of pure evil, this book had me running the gamut of emotions. Eva was an inspiration with her ability to find hopefulness even in the darkest and direst of situations, and there were significant sacrifices that were made by friends and family alike. There were gut-wrenching scenes and references that illustrated the sheer brutality of the Nazis. These may be difficult for some people to get through, but they are true to what we now know occurred. It was very well-written, and I recommend it. For a detailed review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a complimentary, pre-release, digital ARC of this book.

I don't know, you guys, it seems like everyone is really enamored with this one, but I'm not as excited about it. I feel I’ve been in a book slump for something like a year and a half now, to my great frustration. There have been gems, precious and rare, but never something to snap me out of it. If anything, they only sent me deeper into that slump, and with the added edge of, “Well great, now there’s nothing that can measure up to THAT.” So I’m trying a new approach.

This is the fourth book in my new Slay the Slump (possibly Sleigh the Slump as the holiday season cometh hence) project of sorts, the fourth one I’ve forced myself to finish. But really, I don’t want that to be what people take away from this review, that this is the sort of book you would have to force yourself to finish. It’s not that at all. I’ve been returning to the familiar. Tentatively diving into books of mythology and fantasy because those are things I enjoyed when I still loved to read. I’m a bit of a history enthusiast, I’ve read many Holocaust narratives, lots of nonfiction on the Second World War, and of course, plenty of WWII fiction. Naturally, I’m going to hone in on those sorts of books in my quest to Slay the Slump. So I ended up here, enticed by the many optimistic reviews, and really I feel...underwhelmed. Though honestly, I want to say it’s probably more The Slump than the author or her book. This one just didn’t speak to me like others in the genre have in the past.

Comparison truly is the thief of joy.

This was, for me, neither a bad nor a great book. It’s well written enough, captivating enough, but ultimately it’s just another title in the Holocaust fiction market. I feel like other stories have explored similar themes in ways that resonated more strongly for me. It’s not a bad book, it’s just not leaving me reeling. Still, I’ve never read a work on the Holocaust that didn’t simultaneously captivate me and break my heart, and in that regard, The Child of Auschwitz is no exception.

It is well-documented that there were babies born in the Nazi camps, Auschwitz and otherwise. It isn’t the first time this has been examined through fiction—<i>The Shawl</i>, <i>The Boy in the Striped Pajamas</i>, <i>Anna and the Swallow Man</i>, etc.—but then, this story wasn’t really about the children, so much as it was about the mothers, Eva and Sofia. Graham has written some likable, interesting characters in these two, and that’s what probably kept me reading more than my own stubborn will to avoid adding to my DNF shelf right now. This story focused on the fierce friendship between the two main women, Eva and Sofie, their love for each other, and for their children. I found myself quite charmed by them, by their determination and their hope. They were enduring and endearing, and at times so terrifyingly reckless.

Graham also excels at driving home the idea of humanity in Auschwitz, and in the struggle to maintain your humanity under conditions designed to make you more abstract, more animal or beast or thing than human. It's a theme I don't really tire of in these sorts of books. I greatly admire resilience, and I found myself warming towards these characters of great strength.

<blockquote><i>She didn’t know sometimes if it was better to let their old lives go or not, but it helped to remember them anyway, to be more than the animals they tried to reduce them to.</i></blockquote>

In a place like Auschwitz that is inherently inhumane, dehumanizing, a place where you're given a number making you more of a piece than you are a person and the very act of being human, of surviving and maintaining your humanity, the sheer bravery, the defiance of daring to be human there. I loved that Eva collected photographs to preserve that.

<blockquote><i>She wouldn’t forget that they were human. That they were people once, who had lived lives full of joy and heartbreak. They had had jobs, and mortgages and homes filled with families and food and love. he wouldn’t forget, either, that she had been a person once, too, with a life, a future, a family, and a home, like them.</i></blockquote>

That said, I can't really whether or not I can attribute that to Graham or to the circumstances. Graham isn't a bad writer, but as far as the parts of her characters that I loved, I know I can find that in most works of Holocaust fiction. Resilience is not hard to find in Holocaust fiction when you're seeking it, as I often am. She does write some delightful minor characters though. Her Uncle Bedrich and Michal immediately come to mind.

<blockquote><i>Tell me again, about the river, about the sun. About the day you met Michal.</i></blockquote>

Yes, <i>please</i> tell me more of these things. I adored the brightness of the moments she would tell their story, loved the sweetness of them. Such a small thing, this romantic subplot, but I am such a sucker for a cute, wholesome romantic subplot. They were just really sweet kids thrown into such horrible circumstances, but I could feel how intensely the women listening to their story needed it. Michal and Eva were both so endearing in their love for one another. Similarly, the small, familial moments with Sofie. I adored Sofie throughout.

The ending was kind of predictable. I had an idea pretty early on who would make it to the end and who wouldn't, and that's fine. This build was appropriate and the ending nothing really shocking, but the book didn't need the shock factor to sum things up nicely.

Solid 3/5 stars. A nice read all around but I doubt I'll pick it up again. I'm not sure I'd recommend it over others in the genre, pick it out amongst the myriad of excellent titles, but if someone asked me about it specifically I wouldn't discourage them from picking it up.

Thank you muchly to NetGalley and Bookouture for a free ARC of <i>The Child of Auschwitz</i> in exchange for an honest review!

This was a beautifully written piece of historical fiction that focused on the heartbreak of life in Auschwitz and of the life of the child born to Eva there. I was so emotionally involved in this book that I read it in one sitting and have already recommended it to several people!

How do you write a review for a book where you know pretty much what it is all about from the title? How do you write a review for a book about one of the most horrendous periods of history? 

I approach this with such trepidation. 

Eva boarded a train to Auschwitz she is looking for her husband of only six months. She wants to find him and she is going to hell on earth to do so. But is he there?

Sofie befriends Eva as they share a bed, what food they can get and the knowledge that they are goign through the same, shaved heads, back breaking labour and ultimately fear of death. 

As Eva dreams of her husband, Sofie dreams of being reunited with her son. 

As the days go on, Sofie sees an opportunity to bring happiness to Eva, but at what cost?

When Eva's dreams come true the worse is still yet to come. Pregnant, Eva and Sofie now need to protect more than just themselves. 

Will anyone survive the heartbreak of separation from the ones that they love? 

This is an incredibly moving, researched, story that had me gasping in shock and with tears streaming down my face. The strength that these women went to, to survive makes our moans and groans of today's world pale into comparison. 

It is a fascinating read and brought such horror to life and I think a lot of people need to know what human beings are capable of, both good and evil. 

This has to be Lily Graham's best novel to date, the others were excellent but this seems to go above and beyond that. 

A book worthy of your time to read.

It feels wrong to say that this was a book I enjoyed – the setting and subject matter do rather demand that it shouldn’t be something you “enjoy”. Some may even feel that Auschwitz isn’t an appropriate backdrop for a work of fiction – and I might just veer towards agreeing with that. But I did think the author handled her difficult subject matter exceptionally well, with a well-judged balance between the horrifying environment and the many acts of unimaginable cruelty, the friendship between Sofie and Eva with its moments of selflessness, and the moving love story that extends both before and after the confines of the camp. Inspired by a number of real people and events, the environment and the primary characters had the feel of authenticity, the detail showing that the author had clearly researched her subject in some depth.

But this is a novel, not a memoir – and the author certainly demonstrates that she is an excellent story-teller. I really liked the relationship between the two girls, the use of dual-time narrative to flesh out the back story (that also provided some respite from the horror), and the way the more emotional or harrowing moments were written in a low key way that made them all the more powerful. My only minor criticism might be the slightly too tidy ending – but this is a work of fiction after all, and with that thought in mind I think it really worked, a welcome hint of hope and light after all the darkness.

A compelling read, a story of endurance and survival, both heart-breaking and uplifting, and beautifully written. I’ll be looking out for more books from Lily Graham.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)