Interesting and different story from World War Two. The characters are very well described and the atrocities of war by the Germans against the Jewish people made very clear. A good read.

I absolutely adored this book. The storyline was absolutely heartbreaking and it had me gripped from start to finish. I can't wait to read more from the author in the future, after this brilliant read.

Told in multiple perspectives including a child, two Jewish prisoners of the camp, a series of “found letters’ in the floorboards of an old shed, and the surprising moments when families and people are able to share information in the present day – the story has moments of hope, futility, horror and memories of happier and better times.

With Anna and Isaac, both occupants of the concentration camp, we see a gentle unfurling of both stories: from Anna who learns of Isaac, flourishes under the kindness of the cook she is meant to assist in the household of the Camp’s commander. With a young son just returned to the house, Anna is forced to manage the outbursts of the woman of the house, her fear of the master, and the apparently ever-present and curious young Fredrich. With a gardener and the new arrival in the shed of Isaac, a watchmaker who was deemed “useful’ her moments to ‘be’ just accepted and able to speak of ‘before’ have increased.

Isaac is elderly and still grieving the loss of his wife some years earlier. When he meets the gardener as he’s put in the garden shed to repair items that Becher, the officer who manages Dachau has deemed needed for him, his men or his own greed. Making things work is Isaac’s special talent, He’s able to repair, and honestly if gently answer the multitude of questions that young Fredrich poses, and is given a bit of a reprieve from the ‘harshness’ of the camp simply in the form of warm food, blankets and the kindness of the cook, directing Anna to provide him with ‘extra”.

What emerges from the story is the contrast between blind adherence and allegiance to policies that empower one group at the expense of another, and the simple questions of right versus wrong, the questions of children, particularly one who feels unwanted and unloved, as he sees that others can (and will) offer him friendship, diversion, and answers to the many questions and concerns he has. Starting and ending with a funeral in Cornwall during a snowy winter, the story is able to bring us full circle as memories, people and the bonds that were created nurtured and provided moments of.

hope and brightness in the darkest of times. A lovely and emotional read that brings moments and people to the forefront, rather than the ‘overall horrors”, and allows an entrée into the moments that should never be forgotten – no matter the circumstance.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aRv /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

A brilliant and beautiful read, albeit a heartbreaking tale. I loved the characters and how despite the generational difference, Isaac and Anna connected in a very special friendship offering mutual comfort and hope. Such a thought provoking book that will stay with me for a very long time.

Carly Schabowski has written a beautiful heart-breaking story about the Holocaust. The Watchmaker of Dachau, as in all Holocaust stories tell the horrors of war. The difference between this story and others from the same subject matter is that this story centers on three main characters. Two are prisoners of Dachau and the third a child of a high ranking Nazi official.

The story rotates from the different point of view of each of these characters. The story moves back and forth between these three characters. There is Isaac and Anna who are prisoners of Dachau and Friedrich who is the son of the Nazi official. To give some perspective, the home of the Nazi official is within walking distant of Dachau. As it is with most greedy, selfish individuals the Nazi official took prisoners from Dachau and put them to work at his house. Anna helps with the cleaning and cooking. Isaac is a watchmaker. All the jewelry and watches taken from the prisoners that were broken were given to Isaac to fix so the Nazi official could hand them out as a reward to his underlings. Friedrich is lonely as his parents really don’t want anything to do with him and feel that he is just in the way. They keep him sequestered in their huge house. In an order to feel connected to other people he slowly makes friends with Isaac and Anna. He has no idea that they are prisoners of Dachau. Seeing the war through the eyes of Friedrich was heartbreaking. The friendship that grows between him, Isaac and Anna was very touching. This is the part where the story tugged at my heartstrings the most.

It sounds contrary to say you enjoyed a book like this due to the nature of the story line but it is so well done. Carly Schabowski’s writing is wonderful and skillful. You can feel the cold, the hatred, the hunger, the loneliness, and love. You can easily envision the settings. If you love historical fiction, more so set around WW2, then you have got to read this book. Well Done. I can’t wait to see what Carly Schabowski has in store for us next.

I would like to thank the author, bookoutour and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It truly fascinates me (if you read my reviews, you’ll know I’ve said this before) that no matter how many Holocaust stories are written (many of them based on fact – yes, all of them find their basis in the facts of the Holocaust, but I mean that many are based on actual stories that have been passed down by survivors of people who they came across in the camps, and these are the ones that find their way in to these ‘fact-based novels’), they are all quite unique; each with their own nuances. And I’m always amazed to come across information that I’d never known before.

This one is a poignant story of Isaac, who manages to survive for most of the war but then in 1945 he is captured by the Nazi’s and taken to the Dachau Concentration Camp. On arrival it is discovered that he is in possession of a tiny tool kit and when he explains to Senior Officer Becher that these are the tools of his trade as a watchmaker, he immediately finds himself singled out and separated from the other new arrivals, but he isn’t told why.

He soon discovers the reason, when he is taken to Becher’s home and told that he is to fix a grandfather clock. After that he is given various other things to fix, and he’s kept busy which suits him – the work at the house is certainly easier than in the actual camp, but more importantly than that, it is here that he meets Anna.

Isaac and Anna quickly realise that they are both from ‘the camp’ down the road when each recognises that the other wears the same blue and white striped uniform and cap. But Isaac is too busy keeping his head down and out of sight of anyone in the house (like he’s been told to do), and Anna is occupied staying out of the way of Becher’s insufferable wife, Liesl’s quick temper, so they have very little time to exchange even a ‘hello’. Isaac just wants to try and stay alive even though he realises that by working in Becher’s house, he has earned the resentment and contempt of his fellow prisoners. To Anna, it’s vital to stay alive so that she can return to her friend Nina each night and share her rations with her.

The only time they manage to have a whispered, covert conversation is on their walks back to the camp each night, where they are closely watched by the Senior Officer’s cruel assistant, who is tasked with overseeing them. These whispered exchanges slowly extend to brief opportunities to talk during the day, aided by the kindly housekeeper Greta, who also goes out of her way to see that both Isaac and Anna receive daily cups of hot coffee and as much fresh food as she can smuggle their way without it being noticed!

But the atmosphere is noticeably changing and the Germans are becoming desperate. The Becher’s young son Friedrich has arrived from his boarding school, with no idea as to why he’s been dispatched to this place – which is certainly not the home he’s used to! He literally has no inkling of where he is or of what’s going on around him. He is nothing more than a nuisance to his parents, who refuse to answer any of his questions other than to tell him he is not to speak to Isaac or Anna under any circumstances because they are evil Jews! But he misses his best friend Otto, and he’s bored. He naturally gravitates to the garden shed where Isaac works, inquisitive to see what he’s doing, and a warm, beautiful friendship quickly develops. By extension, so too does his friendship with Anna.

As the days continue, and Isaac discovers what seems to be a diary hidden in his shed, he and Anna read through the pages, dated from 1944 to 1945, initialled J.A.L. They wonder who this mysterious person could be and assume that he must be dead by now. And as they pore over the pages, clearly written as if to a loved one, they learn of the true horror of what is happening in Dachau – the place they return to every night. They always heard of the nightmarish atrocities that were taking place around them, but now they have it in front of their very own eyes, written down by someone who has seen it for himself … and what has become of him? Will they ever know?

This is riveting, if heartbreaking, reading. The diary that Isaac discovers is like a story within a story and adds an extra dimension to an already well-written book. The plot is character driven and each person has stand-out features. But for me, my favourite had to be Friedrich – a child caught up on the wrong side of something that he had absolutely no understanding of, with the added dimension of nobody being willing to explain it to him until it really was too late. I found there were echoes of The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas here. He remains haunted and damaged throughout his life. I would say that he too is a Holocaust Survivor. The author also draws a constant parallel between the beauty of the surroundings and the countryside, compared to the dark ugliness of what was happening inside the gates of the concentration camp.

This is type of book that stays with you long after you’ve finished it, and I found myself wanted to know more about the characters it was based on – who were actual real-life individuals and who were pure fiction?

This is a 5-star read – but not for the faint-hearted as there are some very graphic descriptions of some particularly cruel atrocities performed by the Nazi’s. The worst part being not only that many were so willing to participate in these barbaric acts, but also the casual way in which many others just stood by and watched, and were then able to return home to wives and children – many of whom lived just outside the camp walls – as if they’d just spent a ‘normal’ day at work.

Many thanks to Bookouture for ensuring that stories like this are being shared. Even bigger thanks to the author, Carly Schabowski for writing stories like this so that people will read them and so that we can continue to have conversations about them!

Heartbreaking but this book is worth every minute of it. Words written based on true stories of the concentration camps and the two very different sides of them cannot be more heartfelt yet heartbreaking. I can only fathom at the courage Isaac and Anna must have had to show each and every day. The strength and the will of these victims should never be drawn into question.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I liked this book, but I’ve read better historical fiction about the Holocaust. It didn’t really blow me away. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

3,5/5

Jewish watchmaker Isaac is captured by the Nazis and transported to Dachau. His skills single him out and he is forced to work directly and personally for Becher. He befriends Anna, another Jew in the household who is serving as a maid but lives in fear of drawing attention to herself. Isaac also begins an unlikely friendship with the Bechers' son Friedrich who is blissfuly ignorant of the Nazi Final Solution...
I read The Watchmaker of Dachau in a state of trepidation and dread. There are some Holocaust atrocities included which will make your stomach churn with revulsion. However, the author shows the insidious fear that shadowed each and every encounter.
Isaac and Anna's perspective contrasts wonderfully and terribly with Friedrich's desperately unhappy childhood. They have both known love and a caring family whilst Friedrich has been indoctrinated with Nazi rhetoric but is deeply unhappy with his parents. We see another perspective, again one of love as Isaac discovers beautifully tragic letters hidden in his work shed.
Kindness, love and hope remain constant despite the devastating reality faced by the Dachau inmates. The book felt very unique to have a child's viewpoint feature heavily and the juxtaposition of Friedrich's emotional prison was just as real as the tragedy within the camp. The motif of smelling lemons being indicative of death is tragic yet poignant.
The Watchmaker of Dachau is difficult to read at times due to its powerful topic but overall it is an uplifting book and a privilege to read. The plot weaves together beautifully and I loved how the epilogue brought the strands of the story together.

‘Each watch told a story to Isaac as he mended them. The way they were worn, the way they broke, gave clues to him like a detective at a crime scene.’

At its heart, The Watchmaker of Dachau is a story about friendships in the midst of the Holocaust of World War II. Interestingly, the novel takes place towards the end of the war, where the hope that the Americans were soon to arrive - that an end to the suffering of so many would soon occur, provided this tale with an interesting aspect.

This book is told from multiple perspectives - Isaac the older Jewish prisoner, Anna a young Jewish prisoner, Frederich the son of the camp commandant and an anonymous narrator of discovered letters that are interspersed throughout the tale. The first three voices are clear and strong with good alternating stories. I struggled with the letters as it seemed to slow the story down somewhat. There are other interesting secondary characters - Commandant Herr Becher and his wife (Frederich’s parents) and Greta, their cook. Both Isaac and Anna work at the Becher house which is how they encounter Frederich. This is a book that most definitely is character driven rather than focused on the plot.

The book provides a heartbreaking tale of the Holocaust but I did not find it as strong as other tales on this same topic - sad, interesting and realistic certainly, however, some things were tied up too neatly by the conclusion for my liking. That being said, there is a definite message of positivity throughout the book (I will never think of the aroma of lemons quite the same again) with the importance of finding joy in the everyday. There is a solid balance between the tale of the horrific Dachau experiences with the goodness of humanity shining through despite and inspite of those horrors.

‘One thing I cannot understand is that the hum of bees, the singing of birds and the colours of flowers still exist. How can things carry on as if nothing so horrific is happening around us?’


This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

During the later part of WW2, Isaac has been deported to Dachau. Although he is already older, with a crippled leg, his skills as a watchmaker set him aside when the transport arrives at the camp. Selected by Becher, the commandant, he is granted a job at his home to repair a grandfather clock. Once successful, he is tasked with many other repair jobs--watches, toys for the commandant's son, even vehicles,

While at the house, he meets Anna, a prisoner who works as a housekeeper and the commandant's young son, Friedrich. He and Anna discover a series of love letters hidden in a shed, while Friedrich tries to get to know both prisoners better, despite his parents' rules.. As the camp crumbles around them, the bonds are just what might save them.

For fans of WW2 fiction, it's a strong pick with a great story behind it. The friendship between Isaac and Anna is one of the highlights, and more of a father-daughter role versus a typical romantic relationship as is normally found in this style of book. It's definitely a page turner and one that will keep you up at night reading.

This was such a wonderful historical fiction book! This was my second book from this author and it did not disappoint. I liked how it mostly covered a brief period of time of some people held at a concentration camp, rather than trying to encompass the entire war. It was hopeful and sad, and so important. I would definitely recommend this book. I recieved a free copy of the book from the publisher and netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

In The Watchmaker of Dachau, we meet several characters who are captured in Dachau concentration camp and other characters forced to work in one of the commander’s homes. These mix of characters form the base of a poignant and somber story which is fascinating from the start and is based on a real life story in an attempt to bring more awareness to some of the tragedies during WWII.

Isaac is taken in by Becher, one of the commanders, as soon as he is brought to Dachau concentration camp once the guards discover that he fixes objects. Some of the events that occurred on his way to the camp as well as once he arrived were tragic and I found some parts difficult to read. However, the friendship he forms with Anna, one of Becher’s housekeepers, brings an air of hope and positivity when they find a series of mysterious letters. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this friendship develop despite the bleak contrast of their surroundings.

The most curious character is most certainly Friedrich, Becher’s young son who doesn’t understand much including why his family have hired staff or the events happening at the Dachau camp. Although his character is originally portrayed as juvenile and naive, this brings about an element of positivity as he tries to form a connection with both Isaac and Anna in various ways despite often being scolded with his parents whenever they found out. This bond transforms into something even more beautiful in the epilogue which is ultimately a celebration of life and a bittersweet way to connect these characters and highlight their differences and similarities.

The writing in The Watchmaker of Dachau flows beautifully and the short chapters kept me invested in the storyline until the very end. I would have preferred if the book was more lengthy and descriptive as there were certain parts which skimmed years. However, the connection which this characters formed was a beautiful symbol for the struggles many faced during the war and the story a necessary one to be told.

I have just finished reading The Watchmaker of Dachau by Carly Schabowski

The Watchmaker of Dachau is a story about friendships, hardships, World War II , Holocaust, and the suffering that Jewish prisoners had to endure during those times.

I have read a great may books on this topic, and personally feel that we should all read as many of these stories as possible, to help us understand what occurred around this time, and to educate others so these horrors never ever happen again.

This story to me has wonderfully written characters and is about the strength and support that they offered to each other.

A wonderful book

I would like to thank NetGalley, Author Carly Schabowski and Bookouture for my advanced copy to read and review.

. #TheWatchmakerofDachau #NetGalley

My heart was just ripped out of my chest and crushed. I was so moved by this story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys World War II Historical Fiction and specifically stories centered around the Holocaust. Much of the story takes place outside the Dachau camp and gives the reader a narrative about those that were chosen to serve Nazi commanders in their homes and outside the camp. This book was a 5 star read for me and is in my Best of 2021 list. I will definitely pick up a book by Ms. Schabowski again.
My reviews are posted on Amazon, Goodreads, my book club page on Instagram @The.Telltale.Book.Club, FB at The Telltale Book Club, and Twitter @TelltaleBookClb.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishing house, Bookouture, for providing an advanced e-copy for review. All thoughts and opinions written in this review are my own.

4/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: historical fiction, WWII, the Holocaust, slice-of-life stories, multiple POVs

This review has been posted to GoodReads and my blog.

TW: minor sexual assault, the Holocaust

This is a pretty quick read that I thought was fairly enjoyable. The beginning was a bit confusing, since we're immediately introduced to a lot of different narrators, but it's one of those things where things start making sense after each narrator has had a chapter or two. It's definitely a slice-of-life story, which I tend to not like that much, but I do think it's a nice end/beginning of year book and I do love historical fiction, so the lack of plot didn't bother me.

Ignoring the prologue, the book opens with Isaac, the watchmaker, as he's hiding a watch in his shop and making his way home. Isaac is someone who's already had a lot of loss and grief in his life, and he's already kind of in a bad place mentally when he's scooped up and brought to Dachau. Despite his grief, he's friendly to everyone and makes fast friends with another prisoner, the cook, a prisoner-gardener, a young child, etc., and so it was nice to see an older, grizzled character who wasn't a complete ass at the same time. I liked reading about Isaac fixing watches and other things, and it's clear he has a great appreciation for how things work.

Anna is a rather skittish character at the beginning, understandably. She's also suffered loss, though hers is more recent than Isaac's, and she's still dealing with it even as she tries to survive Dachau. She takes on somewhat of an older sister role for another prisoner, Nina, as well as for Friedrich. Anna looks for nice things where she can, such as in Greta's cooking or in the spring air, though it's often difficult for her to balance the pain and the beauty. Anna's a survivor, though, and her hope begins to show through as the book goes on. Anna does have a couple brushes with sexual assault, twice with Becher and another time with a guard, though luckily it doesn't get very far either time and isn't explicit.

Friedrich is the young son of the Bechers, and is freshly home from boarding school. He's caught between his childish curiosities, his parents' strict (and extremely Nazi) nature, and what he's able to see and discover for himself. I feel bad for Friedrich, considering neither of his parents seem to want to even be parents, and he's so lonely for just any company. It makes sense, then, that he begins befriending Isaac and Anna. I enjoyed seeing Friedrich's reckoning with what was going on in what is basically his backyard, as well as his decision to break away from his parents' beliefs.

The last narrator, who actually narrates through past tense letters, goes by J. A. L. and was a gardener at the Bechers' place before Anna and Isaac got there. I enjoyed the reading of his letters, though some of them did contain some disturbing anecdotes about the camp, as would be expected. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of a trip he went on with his father as a young teen. J and his dad were clearly close, he features in several anecdotes, and the letters function as both a vector of memory and as a way to introduce his lover to his father. Some of the early letters are kind of boring and drag on, but once J starts getting into some of his stories I enjoyed them a lot more.

For side characters, Greta was an absolute charm. She works for the Becher's as a cook, though she's from the nearby town and not the concentration camp, and is sympathetic to the prisoners. She's continually looking out for them and taking the blame for things as well as sneaking them food and drink to help them keep their strength and stay healthy (or, as healthy as possible). Nina is a prisoner in the same cabin as Anna, though she's about a decade younger. Despite having been in 3 other camps, Nina is more optimistic than Anna about their outlook, though she worries for the brother she was separated from. Levi is another prisoner who works at the Bechers', though he's only there when the gardens and yard need tending. If Nina is optimistic then Levi is 10x as optimistic, always smiling and cracking jokes, and just generally refusing to let the situation bring him down.

On the other side of things is Obersturmführer Becher himself, who is a nasty piece of work. He runs Dachau and clearly has no love of Jews, but he pulls from the camp to get most of his house staff. He gives Anna and Isaac smiles accompanied by threats and is just generally also horrible to his son as well, screaming at Friedrich and being a control freak. His wife, Liesl, is also a horrible person. She often freaks out about Anna and Isaac, and is terrible to Friedrich as well. She gets increasingly horrid as the book goes on, blaming people for things they had nothing to do with and falling into fits of either glazed eyes or screaming. Herr Schmidt is really the last side character and no one actually seems to like him. He struts about the Bechers' house like he owns it, bosses Friedrich around in the same way as his parents, and is terrible to Isaac and Anna.

There are two twists at the very end of the book, the first of which has more hints throughout the book than the second. I really enjoyed reading the epilogue because of the two twists, particularly the second one, and I thought Schabowski did a good job with hinting at both of them and drawing them out throughout the book.

One thing I wasn't entirely a fan of in the book was the hinting at a budding relationship between Anna and Isaac. At first I wondered if maybe I was just thinking there was a smaller age difference than there was, but Isaac is 60-something and Anna is 29. Their friendship is fine and I think it's very sweet, and honestly it could've been left at that and the book would've still been fine. There are a few references to them developing more romantic feelings for one another, though, and though it seems to be reciprocal, huge age gaps just aren't something I'm a fan of.

Overall I think it's a good book. I enjoyed the three main narrators' relationships with one another, barring the potential budding romance between Isaac and Anna, and I really liked reading J. A. L.'s letters. I took off a star because 1) as mentioned, I didn't like the potential Anna-Isaac romance, and 2) I enjoyed it, but it was a 'good/meh' book and not a 'great' book.

Heather Morris fans will not want to miss Carly Schabowski’s affecting, heart-breaking and powerful tale of love, courage and sacrifice: The Watchmaker of Dachau.

It’s 1945 and fear, sorrow and despair have become daily companions to good people everywhere who are struggling to survive in an unfair and unpredictable world. For a group of terrified men and women packed in a train travelling over the Bavarian countryside, the future has never seemed more insidious or uncertain as they wonder what tomorrow will bring. Among them, Jewish watchmaker Isaac knows that time is running out for him and wherever he is being taken to against his will, the only certainty he has is that he won’t be leaving it alive. But on arrival at the Dachau concentration camp, Isaac is shocked to his very core when he is pulled from the crowd and put up in the nearby household of Senior Officer Becher. Why was Isaac singled out like this? What is Becher planning? And what plans does the officer have for the Jewish watchmaker of Dachau?

Installed in the house Becher shares with his spoiled wife, Isaac immediately realises that this was not an act of charity on the officer’s behalf. But his skills in watch-making will prove useful to Becher and as long as the officer can find a use for him, than Isaac is safe. But once Becher has no more need of him, Isaac knows that a terrible fate awaits him. Until he meets Anna Reznick, who is employed as a servant by the Becher family. The two immediately strike up a friendship which quickly leads to something far deeper than either one of them imagined. But when Isaac makes a shocking discovery that puts his and Anna’s life in even more danger, he cannot help but wonder what price he will have to pay in the name of love?

Carly Schabowski’s The Watchmaker of Dachau is a haunting, atmospheric and intensely dramatic tale that will shock, devastate, enthrall and captivate readers and have them feeling every single emotion which the characters in this wonderfully written novel go through. Carly Schabowski writes with great depth, compassion and feeling about finding strength in difficult times, the power of kindness and the reserves of courage which we find within ourselves when going through difficult times.

A brilliantly nuanced tale about resilience, redemption and love, Carly Schabowski’s The Watchmaker of Dachau is a superb novel I won’t forget in a hurry.

The blurb of this book says that it is based on a true story. I've not been able to find the person(s) whose life is depicted in these pages. But it does make for a very interesting attempt to tell an honest Holocaust story.

The book is told from multiple perspectives: an old Jewish man Isaac, a young Jewish woman Anne, a German boy Friedrich, and an anonymous Jewish man who narrates his version of the events unfolding around him through his letters. Each character has a unique voice and hence each of them revealed a different aspect of the war. I enjoyed the first three perspectives a lot. Isaac and Anne bring such realism to the horrors of the concentration camps, some of which were absolutely unbelievable to accept. Friedrich's pov is unique not just because of his age but because of his ethnicity too. Having a kind German voice in Holocaust fiction is a rarity. The fourth anonymous narrator does have an important role to play but a lot of his narration simply dragged and hence reduced the pace of the original story.

There are many other interesting characters in the book such as Greta the cook and Herr Becher the German commandant. This is a book that seems to be driven ahead entirely by its characters than the plot.

I did enjoy a major part of the book (except for the aforementioned 4th narrator) but found the ending a letdown. The picture-perfect movie ending spoilt the overall impact of the book for me. Don't get me wrong; the book is still a heartbreaking and seemingly realistic read all the Holocaust. But the end didn't impact me as much as the rest of the book did.

The book definitely pulls at your heartstrings. The story starts towards the end of WW2 and tells the story from 3 POVs Isaac and Anna who are in a concentration camp but have been chosen to work for the Commandant of the camp and Friedrich who is the son of the Commandant.

This story provides a glimpse into the lives of 2 Jewish adults and how they came to be at the camp and shares their memories and stories of happier times in their lives and the way in which they are treated by the Commandant and his wife. Friedrich’s POV shows a child growing up in a hostile home and learning from the secret friendships he makes with both Anna and Isaac as he questions the world around him at a time when it was most dangerous to do so.

All characters interact with Greta the housekeeper who is not Jewish and the kindness and courage she shows in small ways to help Isaac and Anna in the most horrendous of times.

There is a message of positivity throughout the book that the small things are important and that you should take joy in the things that you can when you can. Not to compare present day to the events of WW2 I felt this message was especially poignant reading this story in 2021 during a global pandemic when so many are suffering.

The story is well written and the characters are developed well, which made me a reader feel like i knew them which certainly triggers an emotional response from their story.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.

#NetGalley #TheWatchmakerofDachau

The Watchmaker of Dachau by Carly is a historical fiction book set in Dachua, one of the Nazi death camps during World War Two. I have read Carly Schabowski's work previously and loved it, so I had nothing stopping me with this book.
The prologue begins in Cornwall 1996, and soon transports us to 1945 to the death camp Dachau. Issac Schüller arrives and is singled out to use his watchmaking skills in the household of senior Officer Becher. Issac realises he will only stay alive while he is useful. Anna Reznick is maid to the Bechers and finds she has a real friend in Issac, even in the horrific circumstances they are in. The discovery of a pile of letters puts both Issac and Anna in danger.
The story is told from multiple points of view which helps us get to know the characters more and creates depth to the setting. A story that is all things at different times while reading it, horrific but yet touching. It is stories like this that are needed in todays world, if only to refresh peoples memories that it wasn't just about the camps and the atrocities, it was about the people and their strength while in these terrible places. They weren't just numbers or a religion, they had families and dreams. This book evoked so much emotion for me, the kindness and the hope of the occupants hurt so much knowing that so many million Jewish people were brutally killed during this time.
Needless to say I was transported to Issac and Anne's world and the writing was beautiful, and even though the suffering was almost tangible the fact that the people could still have hope and have little moments was heartwarming.
A book that put me through the emotional wringer and back again and is a beautiful and emotional read, a powerful story that begs to be read and one that is so thought provoking that it lingers qfter you have put it down.
Thankyou to Bookouture and NetGalley for the book to write this review today.