I was totally impressed by this book. Any stories from Auschwitz are hard to read and don’t get me wrong this one is as well. But I couldn’t put it down. I was hooked on the love story of the SS soldier and the Jewish inmate. Thoroughly well written, told by both characters. The book flits back between 1942-1945 and then to 1947 when the SS soldier Franz is at his tribunal for denazification.

There is much tenderness and care, amongst the suffering and pain in The Girl in the Striped Dress. One scene, in particular, stands out for me (I can’t say without spoiling it for you!) where they could be anywhere together and you kind of forget who Franz is. Their love for each other is powerful and strong. They are hopeful of a future despite the odds stacked against Helena.

It’s a book that stayed with me for a long time after. I can’t wait to check out the author’s other books if they are as good as this one! Highly recommended, but be warned it does contain terrifying scenes and not for the faint-hearted.

EXPLORING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE HOLOCAUST

I have read a lot of World War II fiction in my time - and I will continue to read a lot more in the future. There are so many fascinating and heart breaking stories yet to be told and there are so many takes to take on this piece of our history. I loved how this book explored both the concept of good vs. evil and the psychological effects of the Holocaust after the war.

"It was our common belief that we had arrived at a place, which one could only leave through the chimney."


👍 What I Liked 👍

Psychology: It's no surprise that living through a traumatizing event like the Holocaust that you are going to come out on the other side with some psychological scars. However, I have never seen another book go this far into exploring those scars. Here, we see three different survivors, who each have their own way of coping. We also see an SS officer, who has to find a way to live with what he's been a part of. And through it all, we get the psychological evaluations of an actual psychologist. It really got me curious and made me feel like I learned something, which I always enjoy.

Good/evil: When we think about the Holocaust, it's easy for us to say that all the Germans and Nazi supporters were the bad guys. And in the large scheme of things, there's no denying that. But if you go to each individual person, the truth is hardly ever that clear or clean-cut. Yes, there's definitely a degree of evil in any person who can stand idly by and watch the atrocities that unfolded in places such as Auschwitz. But this book shows that there's another side to the coin. In Dahler, we have the perfect example of the grey areas of human evilness. At first there's no doubt in your mind that this guy is evil. But slowly you see another side, you see little acts of kindness, you see him putting himself in danger and sacrificing for another person. And you see a conscience. I really loved this revelation and evolution of Dahler's character.

Timelines: This story takes place both in the Holocaust years and during Dahler's trial in 1947. I found this to be a really creative and great way to get the story across. In the 1947 bits, a lot about the characters were revealed and showing their psychological after-effects of their experiences. It was also a great way to move the plot along in a different pace than the Holocaust parts.

I can not recommend this book enough! I read The Girl in the Striped Dress in one day. This book is one of best books of 2021.. I appreciate net gallery and selected publishers for this early copy

During the Third Reich it was Verbolten for relationships of any kind between Aryans and Jews, which were spelled out in the Nuremberg Laws. However, such relationships did exist during this horrific time. The Girl in the Striped Dress is a historical fiction book that is based on the true love story of Helena Citrónová, a Jewish prisoner and Franz Wunsch, a SS guard at Auschwitz.

Written from three point of views, a psychiatrist, Helena, and Franz, the story moves between the Denazification tribunal for Franz in 1947 and the recollection of Helena of her experiences at Auschwitz-Birkenau between 1942-1945. The story does flow well between these time frames and I felt the descriptions were clear and appropriate of concentration camp scenes.

While this is very steeped in historical fact, I had a hard time accepting the true bounds of this love story. There are just too many boundaries crossed whilst being a SS commandant at a concentration camp for a prisoner, much less a Jewish prisoner, to find herself in falling in love such a man. I had seen a PBS special on these very same people and while in the book, they got married, in real life, they did not, which seems much more realistic to me. I understand that this is a book and is fiction. What did happen was once Helena and her sister lived through the death march, they both returned to Czechoslovakia. Franz was desirous of continuing their relationship, but Helena was not, and moved to Israel with her sister. However, when Franz’s wife asked Helena to come testify in his trial, Helena came.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I am not into trial novels so the beginning was difficult but I am so happy to have stuck with it. Loved the story, from both sides of WW11 and how love overcomes. It would make an amazing movie. Highly recommend.

This book was interesting because it was based on actual case files and history. The characters were developed but I never seemed to connect with their story. I did like when I finished and realized they were real people, I have read a number of holocaust stories, but never where a prisoner fell in love with their enemy. That aspect of the story seemed hard to imagine.
#Netgalley provided this copy.

I am beginning to love Ellie Midwood's books. They are very original, all taking place in WWII (my favorite) and all have a lovely romance that defies the odds. She is a first-class researcher, because the way she describes her locations make you feel like you are there as well. This novel takes place in the horrors of Auschwitz, and even more incredible, it is based on a true story. I couldn't believe it! This book is wonderful and perfect for fans of "The Tattooist of Auschwitz"

A powerful novel that will stay with you long after you have finished it, a love story in the most unlikely setting between the most unlikely people. An amazing true story that pulls no punches when describing the life at Auschwitz, harrowing but compelling reading that you can't put down.

4.5 stars

I am a big fan of well-done historical fiction stories where the historical greatly outweighs the fiction. I have found that in the book The Girl In The Striped Dress written by Ellie Midward.

The Denazification Court has convened and a different case is being presented, that of a young SS officer stationed at Auschwitz who fell in love with a Jewish girl, Helena. We all are aware that to care about Jews is a crime according to the Nazi way of thinking, so when Dr Hoffman and American psychiatrist, is called in to render his opinion about the case, he is entranced by the very thought of it.

Franz Dahler, the SS officer is brought to trial bearing with him a most unusual witness his wife, Helena. As the trial proceeds we learn of how Franz first met Helen as she was pulled from the gas chambers. Listening to her signing at his birthday celebration, he feels drawn to her, and then embarks on a way to keep her safe. That way is to place her in the Kanada area where women and men separate clothes and baggage collected from the many victims who are brought to Auschwitz. It's a prized position where people are permitted to wear regular clothes, women's hair was not shorn, but life was still hard and hazardous with evil and vile men and women in control.

All of this adds up to much danger for any burgeoning romance, although both Franz and Helena are drawn to one another. Their love seems to be their fate.

By the time of the trial with a Nazi Hunter looking for revenge, it seems like Franz might find a prison cell awaiting him.

This book, based on real people, was intense with many graphic scenes of what hatred does. If people are indoctrinated to hate and believe others are terrorists, deplorables, and vermin they will eventually believe. If newspapers, radio, and speeches are inflammatory placing all of life's ills on a particular group of people, what else can we expect when instead of understanding and respect for others, we are taught animosity and hatred?

Interestingly, there might be a term for what Helena experienced called the Stockholm Syndrome when a captive falls in love with a captor. However in Helena's case, it just might have been that Franz became the rock on which she built her life upon.

Franz, through Helena, learned a most important lesson for love will always win against hate.

Thank you to Elle Midwood, Bookouture, and NetGalley for this most powerful story. It has already published.

I was very excited to get the opportunity to review The Girl in the Striped Dress as I thought the plot sounded very exciting and I was not disappointed. It was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read more from the author in the future.

This is another emotional World War II book by the author. As with her previous books, she has a profound way of presenting a story that is so thought provoking, it will stay with the reader days after finishing.

All too often we here stories of victims being held captive by a horrific person, only to develop a connection so strong, they believe they are in love. Are they truly in love? Or, has the yearning to be saved grown so strong, they are only being fooled?

The subject matter in The Girl in the Striped Dress revolves around the Stockholm Syndrome, as described above. Helena is a victim, taken prisoner to a camp during World War II. Being sentenced to the gas chambers upon her arrival, one of the SS officers pardons her due to her singing voice. Franz soon becomes quite enthralled with her, and even falls in love. Helena (his now wife) also claims love.

What happens when someone is put in a situation where death is inevitable and one person reaches out a helping hand? Not ever being in that situation, I have no idea how I would handle it. Is it the desperate situation that tricks the mind into ‘loving’ a person of pure evil? Is it the will to live, the act of trying to survive? Given that Helena was in such a situation, leads me to believe that when faced with death, the human reaction is to grasp at the only possible way of survival, even if it calls for depending on the enemy.

The author, who based this work of fiction on several true accounts, presents the story in a way that had me going back and forth on the idea of whether it truly was love that brought Franz and Helena together. I’m not going to share my conclusion. Instead, I will leave it up to you, my friend, to read the book and discover for yourself.

I personally love historical fiction novels and this time period is such an important point of history so I decided to request in hopes it provided a much needed historical fiction want. This novel did the trick.

I wasn’t sure how I would like the love story that was included in this novel. Just because in such a negative environment finding loce can be a cautionary tale. Although they go through a lot of trials through the novel. The author also included important aspects of the world around the main character and how Helena reacts with surviving while many others did not.

It was a powerful novel that took time to get through but it was something that many people should pick up. Beautiful and powerful, can’t wait to buy it for my own shelf!

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC for an honest review of the novel!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Girl In The Striped Dress' by Ellie Midwood.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Ellie Midwood, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 9th August 2021.

This is the third book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Girl Who Escaped Auschwitz' and 'The Violinist Of Aushcwitz' which I also recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover, its intriguing synopsis and title and its extremely talented author. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and The Orphan Train will be utterly gripped by this unputdownable page-turner.' I am a huge fan of 'The Tattooist Of Aushcwitz' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Nicole Trope and if this is half as good as' The Girl Who Escaped From Auschwitz' and 'The Violinist Of Aushcwitz ' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of an Introduction and 32 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is set in Auschwitz, Kraków, Poland 🇵🇱.

This book is written in first person perspective and the main protagonists is Helena Citrónová and Franz Dahler. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.

'The Girl In The Striped Dress' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Ellie discusses/includes the Holocaust.


It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.


Well, what can I say but wow!!! This story is definitely not going to leave my head anytime soon. Firstly I must congratulate Ellie Midwood for yet another extraordinary novel that seriously needs to be made into a movie which I assure would be best selling!!!

This book is very powerful and extremely well written. It is devastatingly heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. The storyline of this book is based on a true story which is another thing that drew me to read it. It is absolutely rammed with emotions that will make you smile, cry and laugh on the roller-coaster ride to hell that is Aushcwitz. Nothing is left out and the author has done an immense amount of research and brings Helena and Franz's story to life. Helena and even Franz in his own right are such powerful, strong and kind hearted heroes and I am looking forward to reading more about them. I had never heard of either before reading this but have read 'The Violinist Of Aushcwitz', 'Celia' s Journey', 'The tattooist of Aushcwitz', 'The Girl Who Escaped From Auschwitz' and 'The librarian of Aushcwitz', all of which I enjoyed so when I seen this I was intrigued to discover the ongoing of Aushcwitz through another person's eyes. I have now also added many books to my wish list thanks to Ellie, her own and ones that she recommends at the end of this story.

This book did not disappoint. Some people believe that these stories should not be written but I am a strong believer that these victims earned the right for their stories to be told and to not be forgotten and this book does just that. I loved discovering not just Helena and Franz stories but those who surrounded them also. I also loved reading more about characters I met in 'The Violinist Of Auschwitz' and 'The Girl Who Escaped Auschwitz' . This amazing group of people who supported and lifted each other up during these dark times and helping them see the light are absolutely... Words can't really describe but I will go with angelic. This book was very hard to read as a whole but there were certain parts that will stay with me for a very long time and that we're soul destroying. What the Nazi's did to these innocent people makes me absolutely sick to my soul. The poor children and parents watching each other suffering especially. I really liked that the story started in a courtroom and then went back to tell what happened.


Again congratulations Ellie Midwood on all your research and for writing this amazing story of both Mala and Edek who deserved to have their stories told in a way that did them justice and you have done that. I would say this book is on par with the likes of 'The' diary of Anne Frank' which left me with the same feelings your novel has of not even more emotional.

Overall a heart wrenching, absolutely beautifully devastating story of two lesser known heroes of Aushcwitz.


Genres covered in this novel include War Story, Romance Novel and Jewish History amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Ellie Midwood, The Tattooist of Aushcwitz, The Librarian of Aushcwitz, 'Celia's Journey', 'The Diary of Anne Frank' and anyone interested in Auschwitz and its history.


364 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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The Girl in the Striped Dress (previously published as Auschwitz Syndrome) by Ellie Midwood
This story is based on historical facts and persons. If you are a fan of WWII history, then you will enjoy this book. The subject matter of a concentration camp can be daunting. However, this is a story that begs to be told.

Meeting the love of your life is usually a wonderful thing. But, what if you meet in a concentration camp and he is one of the enemies? What if you become dependent on him for your very existence? And what if later, others question your love? How do you prove it in a court of law?

Read the story of Helena and Franz where love is stronger than hate and where the psychological trauma inflicted shaped one’s reality for a lifetime.

I am always drawn to WWII fiction and appreciate when I have the opportunity to hear a different view point or learn something new from this time period, and The Girl in the Striped Dress provided both. This was a gripping story based on true events that captured my attention from the very first page. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ellie Midwood is fast becoming one of my favourite authors of historical fiction and as soon as a new book by this author appears on my radar I just know I have to read it. The Girl in the Striped Dress is the third book I have read by this author and to say I devoured it in more or less one sitting would be an understatement. It’s impossible to leave her books out of your hand once you begin reading. Yes, the subject matter is very difficult to read about but you certainly gain an even deeper appreciation for what the prisoners of Auschwitz went through. You think you have read it all but then along comes another story that just completely blows your mind. This story definitely provides a lot of food for thought and even now having long finished the book I am still contemplating the implications of what I have read.

I am torn as to my actual stance relating to the two main characters Helena and Franz. The human empathetic side of me felt the love between them. But then looking at the overall concept of - can a Nazi really fall in love with a prisoner and want to do their best to protect them at all costs? Was the love Franz and Helena felt genuine or was it a love of circumstance and survival? After all, no doubt it was forbidden, and it should have been impossible, but somehow a seed was planted that grew in the darkest of times. Did it flourish successfully, or did it struggle on to some form of control and obsessiveness due to the situation Helena found herself in? I still find it impossible to decide and I think this up for each individual reader to think about and decide upon when they have finished this remarkable book.

It’s 1947 and the memories of the war are still very much evident in the hearts, minds and physical appearance of all those who lived through it and survived. Dr.Hoffman, an American psychiatrist, is looking through the denazification tribunal folder of Franz Dahler who had been an SS guard at Auschwitz. Dr. Hoffman is an expert observer of the human character and he knows when people are lying. Franz is using his wife Helena to testify for him but what makes this unusual is that Helena was a prisoner in Auschwitz and that she is where she met Franz. Helena in court appears as if in a trance. Yes she can speak and answer questions and she relates her story of her time in the camp when asked but she is very dependant on Franz.

The question instantly arises how can a prisoner fall in love with their captor who is from a group of people who inflicted so much barbarity, sadistic cruelty and human suffering on so many people simply because of their race or religion? The court must decide if the charges against Franz stand and what punishment he should meet if so. But fellow prisoner and now Nazi hunter Andrej is determined that Franz will pay for what he did to Helena and so many others. He is intent on serving the hell back that he and so many others endured back on these who inflicted it. Andrej burns with fury and hatred and can’t comprehend how Helena has married a man who deserves to pay for his crimes. What spell did Franz cast on her?

The story moves back and forth between the courtroom scenes and Helena’s time at the camp. The two strands interweave seamlessly and when it switches back to the courtroom it’s almost like a breath of fresh air so to speak as you need time to process what you have read especially as there are innumerable disturbing scenes. The insights from Dr. Hoffman regarding the human psyche and why Helena may be the way she is are incredible and add so much to the story. They allow you to see each characters side to the story and you try and form your own judgements as to the situation unfolding before your eyes post war. There are brief allusions to a certain syndrome although nothing is specifically mentioned until the end notes and once again it is very much an eye opener. But still I felt as if you were left on not a cliff hanger a such but there was nothing concrete declaring one thing to be certain over another. The reader has to make up their own mind and to do so as soon as I finished this book I found myself looking up these characters and reading more about their fascinating and intriguing experiences.

Helena arrives at the camp in March of 1942, herself and her fellow Slovakians are destined for the gas chamber but singing a song saves her from that fate but that’s not to say her life is safe and secure. Thanks to Franz taking a liking to her and her singing she has been spared the worst fate and given a job working in the Kanada. A detailed explanation of this area allowed me to understand the work Helena did sorting clothes for disinfection and locating jewellery and money from the belongings of the Jews brought to the camp. It was a position of privilege within the camp and although it sounds ridiculous to say those that worked there seemed to fair better than some of the other prisoners. The only escape from Auschwitz was by death or madness but Helena had a saviour in the form of Franz who declares his love for her. You instantly think has she gone completely mad? Does she feel she owes him such a debt of gratitude for saving her from death? Did she persuade herself that she loved him because of his actions? At what point does her resistance falter and Franz ceases to be the enemy?

To be honest I couldn’t believe the way the story unfolded, that she placed such trust and love in this man. Yes, the author writes the character of Franz in such a way that you do feel the love between the pair but all the time you are thinking sure at any point he could just snap and that would be it for Helena. It was like she was cast under a spell from which she couldn’t awaken and you just wanted to warn her to watch out for she was playing a very deadly came and with one wrong turn it could all come crashing down. I thought she had gone into survival mode and was using Franz as a protection mechanism to make it through the darkest days of her life at all costs but then to see they had married post war makes you reassess your opinion and this happened many times over.

The Girl in the Striped Dress out of the three books I have read by Ellie Midwood is perhaps the most divisive. I still am not sure how I feel about either Franz or Helena and this is what makes this such a remarkable novel apart from the sheer brilliance of the writing and descriptions from this astounding author. Usually when you finish a book your mind is made up about what happened and whose side you are on so to speak but here I found this not to be the case. That’s what would make this such a good book club selection as you really need to discuss and explore this deeper with other readers. Books of this nature featuring Auschwitz and all its horrors are not meant to be enjoyable that is the wrong word to use but instead I will say this was engrossing, opinion dividing, and another stunning read from a very talented author. I’ve said before no detail is ever spared when she writes and that only adds to the intensity of what you are reading. There was a particular scene towards the end of the book where Franz is recollecting an event towards the end of the camps existence and to be honest it was just stomach churning and I had to read those pages very slowly in fear of what was coming next. But all this has to be present in novels of this sort and I am glad Ellie Midwood does this. It teaches us never to forget. I would definitely recommend The Girl in the Striped Dress, it’s certainly an eye opener. Thankfully given how much I am loving this authors writing it’s only a month to go until her next book is published and I will be eager to get my hands on it.

I absolutely loved this story.

Ellie Midwood knows how to write historical with romance and all the emotions.

The love story between the main female character and Franz is written beautifully with so much emotion that it jumps out of the page at you and hits you in all the right places.

The story flows nicely and will keep you gripped from page 1 to the end.

Highly recommend

This book is told by the characters during court after ww2. I really enjoyed this type of storytelling and it made me want to read more, since I wanted to know if Novak was right or just presuming things. Later in the book Novak started really annoying me, whilst Helena and Franz made the story readable. I was unsure in the beginning in how their love story would go. But in the end I was surprised by how the author made it work

Helena is at the trial of her husband Franz after the war. They were together in Auschwitz. He as an SS officer and her as a prisoner in the Kanada camp- one of privilege if you could call it that- as they had access to what came out of the pockets of the prisoners and could trade accordingly within reason. Helena is at the trial as it is thought that she may have married under duress. She tells her story of her time in the camp and how she met the man who later became her husband. A love story like no other- where one is afraid of the other to begin with and the other wants to protect her against all odds. In an environment where they can't even hold hands or be seen together- an SS and a jew would take both of their lives without a second thought. I loved this , there is an ethereal quality about it due to the circumstances, yet as the book progresses a deepness of feeling. That feeling of what happened in Auschwitz and Birkenau and although fiction that this could possibly have happened….. and then I finished it and read the notes- much of this is truth with gaps filled by the author. There was a Helena and Franz and several of the other characters.(including the infamous Oskar Groning) Wow! This stopped me in my tracks and shed a tear. We must never ever forget and as Ellie says never differentiate between us all. Stunning
amazon done- misfits farm)

This is, quite frankly, a hard book for me to review. I found the story gripping and emotional, a very stark look into the horrors of Auschwitz/Birchenau. It was a fast-moving story, and I didn't want to put it down. My problem was with the central plot of the story--the love story of Helena, an inmate, and Franz, one of the SS who helped run the concentration camp. I understand that it was based on a true story, but it was very hard for me to stomach the feelings between the couple. She was desperate and grateful for any humanity shown her, which explained her dependence and even affection toward Franz, although it is hard for me to believe that it was anything deeper than what we know call Stockholm Syndrome. It was harder for me to fathom someone who had been brought up under the Third Reich, completely indoctrinated by Hitler and all that he stood for, someone who upon seeing a Jewish prisoner---someone he had been taught to revile--fell in love with her in a matter of days. As I said, I know that this is based on a true story, but I ended up finding their "love" disturbing. This is a well-written, heavily-researched novel, and I can't fault the author for her storytelling ability, her characterizations, and so therefore I will give it 5 stars. But I had to conclude that this was just not a good fit for me, and my own feelings.