I LOVED "Cilka's Journey" and still have "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" on my to read list, so I was excited to read this book. I hate to say it but I didn't love it and had an extremely hard time getting into the story. I would give it 2.5 stars. From the very start I knew it wasn't going to be my favorite. I didn't love the characters, I know they were based on real life sisters. The dialogue between them was somehow off to me and they definitely took their promise to their father to the extreme. Livi was supposed to be fifteen when she went into the camp, but the way she acted and talked it seemed like we were reading about a little child. Would girls who just escaped a death march really be able to dig graves and bury people? They were emaciated and almost died on the march but somehow but kept feeling the need to bury people they didn't even know. The story felt a lot like previous books I read and didn't add anything new. The last part of the book centers around the sisters after the concentration camps as they make a new life in Israel.

Definitively recommend giving the book a try. I really wanted to love it. I'm in the minority with my thoughts on the book. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Story of Hope and Family

Fearing that he will die under going and operation, Menachem calls his three young daughters, Cibi, Magda and Livi, together. He makes them promise to always protect each other and stay together. During WWII, the sisters find this a hard promise to keep.

Cibi and Livi are sent to one of the worst Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz. Magda remains at home with their mother until they were also sent away. At the camp they were luckily reunited. Sticking together helped them all to survive and after the war, the sisters helped each other to establish new lives in Israel.

This book tells a tragic story of Jewish families uprooted and sent to the inhuman concentration camps. The books gives horrifying details of the terrible conditions faced by the girls in the camp including losing loved ones to the gas chambers.

Although much of the book is sad, it is also a story of courage and hope. I found reading the book very upsetting. It’s hard to imagine that people were so callous treating other human beings to such horrific conditions.

I thought the author did an excellent job with a very difficult subject. She didn’t minimize the horror of the concentration camps, but she was able to give her characters strong emotional support and hope from being together. This is a book well worth reading and I did like the ending.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

All I have to say is wow! This book had me hooked from the very first chapter, and I did not want to put it down. Three Sisters follows the Meller sisters - Cibi, Magda, and Livi - from childhood, through Auschwitz, and beyond. It is based on a true story and let me tell you, it is remarkable. The bond that these three women share, based on a promise made to their father, is unrelenting. They protect each other at all costs and love one another fiercely and is the kind of relationship I think most people would love to have with their siblings. The bulk of this story takes place during their time in Auschwitz-Birkenau and it is not easy to read about the things that they witnessed and went through, but it is a major part of who each of these women are. I appreciated the research and thought that went into this novel and I think the story is one that needs to be told. If you enjoy historical fiction, this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

Three Sisters by Heather Morris is the third book in the Tattooist of Auschwitz books. It is the story of three Slovakian sisters: Cibi, the oldest, Magda, and Livi, the baby. They made a promise to their father to always watch out for each other. A promise they take to heart as they find themselves taken from their homes and imprisoned at Auschwitz. They cling together as they suffer from starvation, overwork and the brutal whims of the guards. As the allies are closing in and one last hurdle is overcome: the death march from Auschwitz. Against all odds they survived the camp and now they must find a way to survive again. But the fight for their lives and freedom are now truly beginning. The sisters must face new challenges as the world comes to grips with the events of WWII and the horrible atrocities the Nazis committed. Can they leave the ghosts of the past behind them as they strive to find a new life with peace and happiness?
Reading and studying the stories of Holocaust survivors, I always wondered would I have the same strength and courage to survive? One never truly knows how they will respond to a situation until they are faced with it. Inspired by a true story, the story of the sisters overlaps with those of Lale and Gita from The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka, from Tattooist as well as her own story in Cilka’s Journey. The story does not hold back on the vivid details of the horrors the sisters suffered and witnessed while at Auschwitz and even the continued prejudice once they were freed. It is a beautiful story of the amazing courage, love and strength of three sisters. There were times when I cried with the sisters, when I wanted to reach through the pages to hug each of them. I eagerly turned each page, wanting and hoping they would find the peace and happiness they desperately wanted. I highly recommend Three Sisters.

Three Sisters is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s Journey
are available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. It is a story of three sisters going through hell in the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau during the Holocaust. Although of all their losses they hold on to each other and have the courage to build a new life for them and their families after WWII. For all of those who love historical fiction I highly recommend it

Heather Morris has done it again! Ms. Morris has written this astonishing true story of three sisters who, against all odds, survived the horrors of Auschwitz. Cibi, Magda, and Livi's story is extraordinary and Ms. Morris has done an exceptional job of sharing their journey.

She has also, once again, brought to light little known history: in particular, the towns of Haifa, Kfar Ahim, and Rehovot, where many survivors of the Holocaust settled in their country of Israel, where they finally felt accepted and safe.

These stories of survival always leave me astonished and remind me of the many blessings I have and the many things I take for granted. Though difficult to read, they always remind me if what is truly important in life.

Many thanks to Erica at St. Martin's Press for reaching out to me with this early review copy and NetGalley for providing it in exchange for an honest review.

Three Sisters is a continuation of the Tattooist of Auschwitz series but can be read as a standalone. The sisters made a promise to their dying father as young children that they would always stay together and help each other. Then in 1942, rumors go around the community that the Nazi's are gathering up the teenage Jews to work for Germany. Cibi, the oldest, is away taking part in the Zionist youth movement, and Livi is thought to be too young to be taken. When Magda gets a serious fever and must be hospitalized, the doctor keeps her there to keep her safe. Unfortunately Livi is on their list even though she's only 15, and Cibi volunteers to go with her. They are transported to Auschwitz, working in the labor camps transporting bricks to build a new camp...Birkenau. Meanwhile, Magda hides out every time the Germans come looking for her, but eventually she also gets caught. The girls take many risks while in the camp in order to stay together. When they are released and able to return home to Slovakia, they suffer terrible treatment by their neighbors just for their religion so they decide to make a new life in Israel, reuniting with the surviving members of their extended family.
I love that this and the other books in the series are based on real life characters. The abuses they suffered are just terrible and I admit I had to reach for the tissues a few times! The fact they were able to stay together was a miracle in itself. Heather Morris has a way of writing in a compassionate, relatable way to paint a picture of the true conditions of the camps.
Happy Publication Day! I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

This book as the title suggests involves three sisters; Cibi, Magda, and Livi who are determined not only to survive the war but to stay together. The book is at times heartbreaking at times inspirational. There are plenty of hard-to-read examples of extreme cruelty and more in this book as with any similar story, there are also many instances of small acts of kindness. It is the latter that gives us hope. Besides, if people can survive the horrors that Holocaust survivors like these went through then we can survive anything.

Inspired by a true story, the three Meller sisters make a promise to their father before he died to all stick together no matter what. This becomes even more true as the Jews are being rounded up and taken to camps. Magda was of the age that the Nazis were looking for. As she was ill at the time, the doctor sent her to the hospital to protect her from being taken. Then the age of the young people was lowered, and Livi was to be sent to the camps. Cibi came home to go with Livi to protect her. Although Magda wanted to be with her sisters, she was put in hiding until the time came for all Jews to be rounded up. By some miracle the sisters all wound up in Auschwitz together. The stories of the atrocities they endured are beyond horrifying, and how they managed to survive and keep their promise to their father is amazing. The author’s description makes you feel the events they went through. At the end of the book there are statements from some of the family members that are very inspiring.

Also reviewed on Kobo under the name IrishEyes430

Oh my stars. I adore this series! This is the 3rd book in the Tattooist of Auschwitz’s series, and I have now read all 3, but I think they can all be read a stand alone.
Three sisters, Cibi, Magda and Livi make a promise to their dying father that they will stay together no matter what. Then WW2 starts and everything changes in their world. Livi gets called to go work for the Germans and so she doesn’t go alone Cibi goes with her. Magda can’t go because she is being held in the hospital in order to protect her and her family. When the war ends, they settle in Israel after surviving concentration camps, but the majority of the book is about their journey and all the things they faced to get there and be reunited again. It is traumatic to read even though it is fiction because the reality is that people did endure what these girls did. The resilient of these girls is incredible and what their life was like afterwards was super interesting, especially since their felt bad for surviving when so many others didn’t.
Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

The Three Sisters by Heather Morris is the third book in the Tattoo of Auschwitz series. It is based on the true story of Cibi, Livi and Magda and their time during World War 2.

The book starts with the three sisters making their father a promise that they will always stay together, no matter what. That promise stays with the girls for the rest of their lives.

When the guards come to take all the Jewish girls, Magda is in the hospital. The doctor is keeping her there (even after her fever is gone) because he is hearing of the round up and is trying to keep her safe. He assumes that Livi too young and at the time Cibi is off training, so the doctor assumes that all the girls would be safe. He was wrong. Magda was the only one he was able to protect. Cibi who was home from training, went with Livi when the guards came to get her, remembering her promise to always stay together. The girls were ultimately taken to Auschwitz and Birkenau. Eventually the whole family winds up in Auschwitz, but before they could all reunite, the girls watch their mom and grandfather die at the hands of the Nazi's.

A lot of this book takes place after the War is over, and I love that! It isn't easy for the girls though... They realize that even though they have been freed , they really aren't truly free. They are still haunter by dream, by guilt, and still looked down on in their own country.

After the book is over, the afterwords are by members of the family, Livi and three of the sisters children. Those are the most beautiful and touching parts of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Heather Morris for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Three Sisters by Heather Morris was another heartfelt, emotional moving account of what the Jews went through during world war 2. These sisters were close and a family that survived unspeakable conditions. HM is a great writer and has a gift when sharing WW11 details. This can be read as a stand-alone and is actually book 3 of a series. I’ve read all of them and highly recommend them.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley.

#NetGalley #ThreeSisters #HistoricalFiction #Ww2Books

Horrifying and Inspiring

"Three Sisters" is not your ordinary WWII horror story of the camps. Or, at least, not just that. I found this book riveting, the first part prior to the camps, the 2nd part at the camps, the 3rd part about what happened when they went 'home', and the 4th part when they emigrated to Israel. I guess this is a bit of a spoiler, but the camp reality is so very dreary that if I were starting the book, I'd want some hope, too. This is such an important topic that is not usually covered in WWII fiction, that is -- "what came next"? The 'celebrations' of the end of a war are so very bittersweet; things will never be the same again. Heather Morris has done us readers such a service by giving us a glimpse of 'what comes next', the good, bad and ugly.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion. PS If you haven't read the first two books of this series, don't worry; you won't be lost and you can read them in any order.

The final book in "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" series, "Three Sisters" follows Cibi, Magda, and Livi as they strive to keep the promise they made to their father before he died-the promise to always stay together. It's a book about the unbreakable bond of sisterhood, even when facing the ultimate adversity in the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Based on true events, "Three Sisters" is an inspiring story of strength, love and courage; but also of heartbreak and loss. I liked how the sisters' stories didn't end when the camps were liberated but continued on to show how the horrors they endured continued to affect every aspect of their lives.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege or reading an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The third book in the Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris is equally as good as the previous two. The Three Sisters is, as the name suggests, about three sisters and the ties that bind a family. What sets this book apart is that roughly 40% is set after Cibi, Magda and Livi escape the camp and one-third of the story tells of their lives in the Promised Land. As with Morris’ other two books, the story is true and was created with the help of many interviews. At the end of the book are several afterwords — one from Livi and the others from descendants. These end notes provide a sense of closure and validate that the story is about three real sisters and their time in Auschwitz and thereafter.

When I’ve read books about the Holocaust, I find myself reading in disbelief because it is still so hard to believe that these atrocities happened and did so in the recent past, yet there is no doubt they did. This story is filled with courage and hope as these girls struggle and succeed at staying alive. It’s truly an amazing and inspiring story. Morris, through one of the characters, raises the question on many readers’ minds — How could God let this happen? I have no answers but appreciate that one of the sisters has such reservations and doubts about religion and spirituality. I am sure that many who suffered in concentration camps also lost such faith.

“There will be no more praying, little sister. No one is listening to us.”

“… we needed God in those camps, and where was he?’ Cibi says, firmly.”

Another major issue that survivors faced is how to heal and how to put these fears behind them. These experiences led to severe PTSD, feelings that did not have a name back then and no way to deal with them.

“Is this her reality now? Must she carry this crippling fear into her new life? She may no longer be a prisoner, but will she ever be truly free?”

“Cibi understands now: some things are just too awful to accept. Maybe it’s a good thing—who knows what they may yet have to endure? Maybe it’s a skill she too will have to learn to cultivate.”

“Like Cibi, she has no idea if, when or how they will begin to heal.”

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

A story of courage and family. You can feel the anguish, pain and also the love within these characters. We will never truly understand what they went through, but Heather writes a heartfelt and telling story about the past that we should never forget.

"Even in hell, they found enough hope to help them fulfill a promise." ~ Heather Morris

Heather Morris concludes The Tattooist of Auschwitz series with another shocking and inspiring novel, Three Sisters. Based on the lives of the Meller sisters — Cibi, Magda, and Livi — the book reminds readers that even amid darkness and the most horrific circumstances, family is always worth fighting for! A journey of survival, loss, hope, and restoration, Three Sisters recounts the sisters' lives, held together by an unbreakable promise to care for one another and never let anything separate them.

"The three of you are stronger together, you must never forget that." ~ Heather Morris

As the tensions of World War II increase, the rumors that the Nazis are rounding up teens for work becomes a reality in the Meller family's small Slovakian town. Determined to keep their vow to their father, the sisters will do whatever it takes to stay together. However, when Livi (15 years old) is selected to be transported to Auschwitz, Cibi (19 years old) follows her, refusing to let anything but death tear her away from her sister. Meanwhile, Magda (17 years old) is saved by a local doctor and remains in their hometown, frequently hiding from the Nazis and praying for her sisters' safety.

Thrust into horror beyond your worst nightmares, Cibi and Livi must learn how to navigate and survive the Nazi's infamous death camp, the hope of being reunited with Magda driving them to live another day. Nevertheless, as one year turns into two, the sisters become weary. Will they ever be free and reunited with Magda? What has happened to the rest of their family? If they do survive, will they be able to move past the trauma?

"The story of these three sisters, Cibi, Magda and Livia, is an amazing tale of wits and courage. Their incredible survival, their arrival to and settlement in Israel, and their thriving 'tribe,' are all evidence of their victory." ~ Yossi Lahva (Lang)

As I read Three Sisters, the magnitude of the heinous acts of anti-Semitism and persecution struck me. It seemed wholly unfair that I should be reading this book in the comfort of my home while the sisters were starving and suffering. Yet, a part of me was also filled with deep gratitude because through the survivors' strength, the roads of Israel were paved for our generation to dwell in the Promised Land we see today!

While I didn't connect to this book as much as Heather Morris' other publications, the Meller sisters' story deserves to be read. Written in the third person, the novel didn't flow as well as The Tattooist of Auschwitz or Cilka's Journey; however, the scenes and atmosphere changed whenever Magda was present. I'm not sure if this is because the author felt more connected to her or because Magda was the hope and glue that held the sisters together. No matter, as I spoke to Heather (interview coming soon) and understood the purpose of this novel, I knew that it was a significant piece of literature that people need to read. It doesn't matter who you are; the way the Jews and those who didn't fit into Hitler's "Aryan" vision were treated should never be justified or repeated!

"'We are all survivors,' Cibi tells her sisters. 'We have all been beaten, starved and tortured, but look at us, we're still moving, still alive.'" ~ Heather Morris

Positive content: 3⭐️
Language: 0⭐️
Sexual content: 0⭐️
Violence: 4.5⭐️
Age: 16+

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a pre-release copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own!*

Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me this beautiful ARC. The third book in a series of stand-alone novels written by author, Heather Morris. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

Available today, October 5, 2021.

A fictionalized story based on three sisters from Slovakia, who make a promise to their father, to always stay together. Little do they know, just how far this promise will test them. When Livi, age 15 is rounded up by the Hlinka Guard, her older sister Cibi, age 19 volunteers to join Livi for “work detail”. Middle sister Magda, is hospitalized and unaware that her sisters are being taken to “work” for the Germans. So begins a 2.5 year nightmare. The sisters are sent to Auschwitz, where they are faced with atrocities and cruelties unimaginable. What saves the girls time & time again is their wits, determination, resilience and promise to stay together at all costs. The afterwards in this novel brought so many tears to my eyes. The sisters survive to lead prosperous and fruitful lives filled with many generations of proud, strong willed Jews. Every new life is a victory against Hitler and his plan of annihilation. While this book lacked some of the emotional elements I felt in both The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s Journey, Heather Morris does capture the intensity, compassion and will to bare witness. It’s an ultimately uplifting story and one worth reading. As we are already mark the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, fewer and fewer survivors are left to share and record their stories. It is a testament and privilege to hear and read their accounts. #NeverForget #NeverAgain

Having read the Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s journey I had great expectation for this story and wasn’t disappointed.
This is a true story about three sisters that survived their imprisonment in Auschwitz and later immigrated to Israel. It is a heart breaking story that not only shows the strength of human endurance but also how often impulsive reaction overrides clear thinking. This would result in a spontaneous action that could have had deadly consequences for themselves or other people.
The return to the family home didn’t exactly have the welcoming mat out.
One of the things I hadn’t realized up to the point of reading the book that it wasn’t an easy accomplishment to immigrate to Israel after the war. Lots of politics between the various countries made it hard and not always successful.

I'm having a hard time writing a review for this book. It moved me so much! Meticulously researched Heather Morris gives us the third in a loose trilogy that began with The Tattooist of Auschwitz and continued on with Cilka's Journey before concluding with The Three Sisters. It's hard for me to come up with the words to describe the feelings of despair and sadness that I experienced, but also the hope I felt reading these books. Tears fell....I felt a kinship with the sisters. Even though not Jewish, my mother's parents came from Czechoslovakia (Slovakia) around the turn of the century. With 7 aunts and uncles, not to mention all the cousins, our family gatherings felt very much like the one Ms. Morris wrote of near the end of the book. We need to never forget the Holocaust! The sisters will stay with me for a very long time. After finishing the story be sure and read the author's notes at the end.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.