Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for making this ARC available to me.

Based on the true "love" story of Helena Citronova and Franz Wunsch, The Girl in the Striped Dress uses research, authenticated documentation and artistic license to create a unique tale. And so, like a moth to the flame, I found myself unable to put it down.

Historical fiction intrigues me. As such, I love to discover how authors create their stories, reading historical fiction in large part for the authors' acknowledgements and end notes. I therefore found it difficult not to leap forward to the end to read Midwood's notes. I instead held myself back, desperately wanting to find "the good" in this story.

In her Author's Note, Midwood describes in great detail the lengths that she went to write this book, specifically all of the research on specific characters, events and places in history.

I love this book's cover and description. Originally published as Auschwitz Syndrome: A Holocaust Novel based on a True Story (Women in the Holocaust #3), it will release as The Girl in the Striped Dress on August 9, 2021.

Midwood grew up with a love for story and history. Her grandfather accordingly told her stories of his time as a member of the First Belorussian front in WWII. Her love for history reflects from this book.

Midwood knows her way with words...an enchanting wordsmith. She writes with haunting frankness. Unlike other historical fiction novels based around WII, The Girl in the Striped Dress holds nothing back in its descriptions of Auschwitz...to the point beyond disturbing. As such, it triggers intense emotion.

Bottom Line
While this tale seems implausible, it in large part took place. Whether Helene and Franz's love relationship proved real or something akin to Stockholm Syndrome will remain in history.

The reader should prepare for an intense and graphic read. To illustrate, moments of terror and vivid imagery make it difficult to read at times.

Mixed feelings leave me undecided on this novel. In the midst of all the atrocities of Auschwitz comes an unexpected story of love. I could not help but like Franz at times. Yet, I find it difficult to justify these feelings understanding what he assisted in.

Lingering Questions
Does Helene and Franz's story constitute a place in the immortalized literary world? While compelling, their love story remains a mystery and an anomaly. I would find it easier to accept if we knew for certain that their love was real and not a mirage. Of important note, Helena ended up in Israel after the war while Franz remained in Austria (from The Real Love story between a Nazi SS guard and Jewish prisoner at Auschw). As an idealist, I hoped for happier ending. Frankly, Midwood misleads her readers with her description of the book. Did love truly grow? Whatever the case, it cannot be denied that many were spared by this unlikely relationship.

Does it detract from the atrocities of Auschwitz, camps like it and the Holocaust in general? No, because Midwood writes the unacceptable. She in essence holds nothing back.

Was it an enjoyable read? That's debatable. Well written with real-life character development, an engaging and smooth dialogue, it reads well. I don't know that I could call it enjoyable though.

A Final Word
Tales based in truth endure. For that reason, stories surrounding WWII persist to remind us of our collective past, all we have to lose and what evil does to humanity. Although difficult to retell and even more difficult to read, if we delete these parts of history, no record exists we are therefore bound to repeat the same mistakes. Even with them, there is that risk. May this story and others like it remind us. May we see the atrocities for what they are and never repeat them again.

The Girl In The Striped Dress - Ellie Midwood

This is a very different Auschwitz story. A love story involving Jewish prisoner Helena and SS Officer Franz Dahler.

The story is told through Dahler's Denazification Tribunal in 1947, in which Helena is called to give evidence on Dahler's contribution to the running of Auschwitz. Helena's testimony tells her story from her arrival in Auschwitz in March 1942.

The structure works superbly, with a lot of reflection and hindsight from the characters, which as a reader I found deeply involving and thought-provoking.

While it is labelled as 'Based on a true story' (rather than directly from testimonies), I had a quick look at Google and saw that these were the lives of real people and the basis of much the story is from real events.

It is a very moving story, there is a huge amount of historical detail which only added to the believability. As I was reading I felt I trusted this author to document rather than overdramatise.

It reads brilliantly as we see Helena's struggle to survive, Dahler's struggle to remain human while carrying out SS orders. The portrayal of Auschwitz is hellish, with plenty of vivid description of the gas chambers, the crematoriums and the piles of burning bodies.

Helena and Dahler find something in each other that gives them both the belief and ability to hope for something better.

Definitely recommended if you want historical fiction based on real people...

Then, as I was fascinated by the story I googled a bit deeper, and found that while Helena's life in Auschwitz appears to have been accurately portrayed major events and key points were fabricated to create a particular, and more appealing narrative.

Honestly, I felt a little bit cheated.

So 5* as a moving historical fiction read, 4* if like me you read it in trust, only to later investigate the factual history a little bit deeper and feel like you might have been spun a tale.


Thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre

The Girl in the Striped Dress is a great read for lovers of Historical War Fiction, providing the classic experiences you would expect to read with a new perspective – not only is the protagonist, Helena, in a privileged position in Auschwitz due to her working in the Kanada sorting warehouses, but she also fell in love with the enemy.

Through the changing perspectives of Helena (recounting her experiences in Auschwitz from 1942 to 1945) and Dr Hoffman (a psychiatrist overseeing the Denazification trial of Helena’s now-husband, Franz, in 1947) we see both an inside and an outside perspective on this unusual tale of love found between a Jewish prisoner and an SS guard in the worst of places and times. It is incredible how Midwood manages to show the beauty of love and care amid the horror and tragedy of Auschwitz. She brings both the historical and the fictional characters to life, and the information she provides at the end of the novel about what happened to the historical characters after the war, and about how she gathered and verified her information, brings a credible quality to the story.

It cannot be easy to tell the stories of those who suffered in one of the worst crimes against humanity in our history, but Midwood does it with care and integrity. She understands the importance of telling these stories with accuracy and compassion, lest we forget the horrors of the past and again commit these atrocious crimes.

After stepping off the cattle train in Auschwitz, Helena and her fellow arrivals are informed they are scheduled to die the following day. Shortly after arrival she is ordered to serenade an SS guard on his birthday. Franz, celebrating his 20th birthday, is instantly captivated by Helena and orders her life to be saved, forever changing the course of her fate. She is then transferred to his work detail, the Kanada, where Franz is in charge. He offers her protection and an unlikely relationship is formed.

We learn at the start of the novel that Helena and Franz eventually married after the war, and Franz faces a Denazification Tribunal for his crimes against humanity. The book is told from the perspective of Helena and a psychiatrist who is trying to determine whether Helena can truly love an SS guard or whether her testimony in support of Franz is a result of coercion and fear.

It's so hard to say you've enjoyed a book when it's a story that is so heartbreaking. I can say however that I love Ellie Midwood's writing and she clearly has done so much research. Her stories never fail to move me.

I like that the author doesn't sanitise the truth to make it more palatable for the reader. It's harrowing to read about the horrific treatment of the victims but as they are based on real life testimonies, I feel it's important to tell these stories. I also liked how the author in no way excuses Franz's actions as an SS guard but does show glimpses of the man (and the humanity) behind the uniform.

I found the switches in time and perspective were done really well and intertwined nicely. I found the psychiatrist's discussions of Helena and her devotion to her husband really interesting. I my opinion Helena was clearly suffering from Stockholm syndrome, though it is never named within the novel.

It's a powerful story and I'll continue to look out for more of Ellie Midwood's future novels.

You can read my full review at https://mmbbookblog.com/the-girl-in-the-striped-dress-by-ellie-midwood-review/

In Germany 1947, Frank Dahler a former kommandofuhrer at Auschwitz concentration camp was under trial before Denazification Tribunal for war crimes. He brings along his wife Helena, a former inmate of Auschwitz, as his witness. She narrates the heart-wrenching and poignant tale of her life at the concentration camp. When she was minutes away from being gassed, a stroke of luck saves her and she is sent to work in Kanada detail under the command of Frank Dahler. Surrounded by inhumanity and barbarity, Frank’s acts of kindness nudges Helena towards him.
Once in a while, a book comes along your way that breaks your heart. The Girl in the Striped Dress is one such book that broke me from within, tore me apart and left me shattered. It is a gut-wrenching book. Such brutality and ghastliness are beyond my comprehension. The details of the treatment meted out to the inmates made me squirm. Ellie Midwood has left it on readers to conclude whether it was true love or the “Stockholm Syndrome”(a term which wasn't coined yet) for Helena. The narrative does not falter at any point and you are thrown right into the Auschwitz Camp, next to Helena where you can smell the death all around you. A book worth reading.

This is a story of Helena, a Jewish woman sent to Auschwitz, and a SS officer who fell in love with her. I’ve read many many WWII stories and each one tells a different event that happened. It’s so important to read WWII books to learn everything that happened so it can never repeat itself.

In the author’s note at the end it is explained what events really took place and which ones were invented for the story. Much of the story is real. I enjoyed reading this book and learning more about this time. If you love WWII historical fiction, you will enjoy this book.

5 stars, Survival of Auschwitz Prison Camp

THE GIRL IN THE STRIPED DRESS
by Ellie Midwood

The heartbreaking ordeal of a young woman who lost most of her family to the Nazis. She and her sister were saved. This is their story. It is a fictional telling, based on the true events of an SS guard who fell in love with a Jewish woman.

At the beginning of the novel, we are in a Denazification Tribunal where whatever Nazis were still alive were charged with Crimes Against Humanity and punished accordingly. Helena Kleinova barely survived Auschwitz and managed to save her sister through her relationship with a Nazi guard, Franz Dahler. Another man who survived Auschwitz has brought charges against Franz because of his cruel treatment of the camp's prisoners.

Helena has a lot of emotional issues, but she is okay if Franz is near. Helena and her sister survive the cruelties of Auschwitz as they work in an area called New Kanada. Franz is the Nazi in charge of the work area. From the first moment he sees Helena, he is in love with her.

The story is told from Helena's point of view. It bounces from 1947 the tribunal and 1942 the incarceration in the prison camps Highly recommend for anyone who is interested in WWII and survival against all odds

Much gratitude to #bookouture #netgalley for the complimentary copy of #thegirlinthestripeddress I was under no obligation to post a review.

He was a Nazi, a SS man...she was a Jew...but there are no boundaries for love despite their love is forbidden in the eye of the Reich laws...

When I was in college, I read an article about a Nazi soldier named Franz, who was apparently known as the demon of Auschwitz and his love story with a Slovak Jew named Helena who arrived at the Auschwitz camp. Helena worked at Kannada, a place where many women worked and they were allowed to grow hair and exchange goods in return. While reading that article, I realized that despite the racial laws that forbid Aryans from marrying Jews, there was no boundary for love. Though after the war they moved on with different lives, Franz was arrested for his crimes at the Auschwitz camp but it was Helena who testified for him, citing he saved her life.

This book is loosely based on this true story--the first names were similar but the author has altered the last names. though the events that took place in the book is eerily similar to what happened. Because of Franz's love to Helena prompted to save Helena's sister from going to gas chambers and because Helena sang for him on his birthday that made Franz save Helena from execution. Like all her books, the author has done tremendous research and as such, the story was heartbreaking, tear jerking and emotional at times to read. The most interesting part was the court scenes as lawyers had no idea if Helena genuinely in love with Franz or is it just the Stockholm Syndrome. But as we go through the book, we do feel that the love between Franz and Helena was in fact genuine. As always, the brutal conditions at the Auschwitz camp was too disturbing to read, particularly the treatment towards Jews and the fact that this was actually a true story made it more interesting and emotional to read. The book was unputdownable and there were some parts, guaranteed that will make you cry. The story was so beautifully written and for the first time, though I cannot stand the Nazis, I actually felt for Franz at how he worked hard to save his true love!

Overall this is a heartbreaking, tear jerking and emotional book, the one that will not let you put the book down, the one where you will remain hooked into the story until the end--worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

How many Holocaust/Auschwitz books can one person read, and still be horrified that this truly happened just 80 years ago, to human beings, by human beings.

This book takes a new angle on the horrors, focussing on one Nazi’s post-war criminal trial, and how a prisoner became his wife. There’s no celebrating what he did during the way, but this book touches upon his humanity. We forget that whilst they did unspeakable things, most were simply humans simply following orders. I think Midwood does a great job at telling the truth, whether that truth by good or bad. It is not over the top or gruesome simply for entertainment, it is truthful and informative and powerful.

It must have been hard for the judges, jury and those involved in the post-war trials to remain objective. If I knew how many had died in such gruesome ways at the hands of the defendant, I’m not sure I could be as impartial.

I suppose there’s a risk of repetitiveness when it comes to books about the war, and especially about the Holocaust, especially as we have been taught so much about it over the years. I mean, how different can one prisoner’s experiences be from another? But approximately 1.1million people died in Auschwitz, and 1.1million of those stories deserve to be told, written down, and read, so we can honour them. It is the only way we can stop it happening again - to remember them.

This is an emotional love story between a Jewish woman and a SS officer. I found it to be a bit of a heavy read but would recommend if you’re a fan of historical romance.

The year is 1942. Helena, a Slovakian Jew, arrives at Auschwitz and is scheduled for the gas chamber the very next day. While her possessions were being taken away, an SS officer appears and requests that all who can sing and dance report to him immediately. Bumped out from behind by another woman who stepped up, Helena is unwittingly “volunteered” to sing to an SS guard at his birthday celebration. Having suffered a knee injury in the front, Franz Dahler was transferred to Auschwitz, and is the overseer of the “Kanada”, a warehouse that sorts the belongings of prisoners. Charmed by Helena, Dahler gives her a piece of his birthday cake and orders that she be struck off the gas chamber list and instead be transferred to his work detail, the Kanada, saving her life and marking the beginning of a forbidden love story between a prisoner and her guard in the largest German Nazi concentration camp during World War 2.

This novel is actually based on the true story of Helena Citrónová and Franz Wunsch (their last names were changed in the story), which came to light when Helena testified for Franz during the Auschwitz trials in 1972. I’m not sure how much and which parts of the novel were true and which were fiction, but Ellie Midwood has woven an unusual story of love amidst the horrors of World War 2. The book is centered around Franz’s trial, and their story recounted mostly by Helena as she testifies for him in court. I was riveted by their story even as my mind grappled to understand how love could develop under such circumstances.

I’ve not visited Auschwitz before, but I’ve had the chance to visit Dachau concentration camp, and I can only try to imagine the kind of unspeakable horrors that prisoners of an extermination camp faced, for no fault of their own. This story is well-researched and Ellie Midwood brings to life the kind of fear and horrors that Jewish inmates face daily under Hitler’s rule. There were some German terms used in this novel, mostly military terms, but I still had to google to find out their meaning. Perhaps, a glossary of some sort would be helpful.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

This is a gut-wrenching story of a Jewish woman and an SS officer during and shortly after World War II.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "The Girl in the Striped Dress" in exchange for my honest review.

Ms. Midwood has once again written a gripping story based on true events that captures the reader from the very first page.

The story starts in Germany in 1947 at the Denazification Tribunal. Franz Dahler (25) is before the tribunal because he was an SS guard at Auschwitz. With him is his Slovakian wife Helena Kleinová who had been an inmate under his charge. Dr. Hoffman, a psychiatrist and Lieutenant Carter, a lawyer are part of the Tribunal - asking questions, observing. Andrej Novák - a Nazi hunter and former inmate himself wants Franz put away. He thinks that he has forced Helena to marry him and keeps her prisoner. Franz and Helena tell a different story.

The story continues from Helena's perspective at Auschwitz on March 21, 1942. She had just arrived from Slovakia and was scheduled to die the following day. She had been forced to sing for Dahler's birthday. He asked that she be assigned to Kanada where he was in charge.

By April Dahler slips a note to her saying that "I fell in love with you". He gives her real food, he gives her money to barter with.

The story continues back and forth between the tribunal and Helena and Franz's recollections from Auschwitz. When Helena was transferred to Birkenau she first met Andrej. He tells the Tribunal that Franz beat her and he saw this. Helena says that it was the only way he could save her from a worse fate.

When her sister arrives in the camp and is heading to the gas chamber it is Dahler that saves her. Helena testifies that they can ask her sister who has traveled from Palestine about who brought her out of the bunker. (Her sister is 10 years old than Helena but at 35 she looks more like her mother than her sister.) Franz nursed Helena back to health from typhus. Hiding her in his office, bringing her food and medicine. Helena felt that she needed Franz more than he needed her. Franz needed her out of love but Helena needed him to survive.

After Franz is released from the POW camp, they are married in December 1945. Because of his low rank, his birth date and the fact that he didn't participate in what was happening in the camp, he is allowed to go free by the Tribunal.

This was based on the true story of Helena Citrónová and Franz Wunsch.

I read a lot of Holocaust World War II books. It is that type of books I read often due to my Jewish roots. It is important for me to educate myself more and more every time, so I would be able to educate the others.

Holocaust was not that simple. Not all Germans were Nazis, not all Soviet Union solders were good. And this book shows exactly that. This story is about Auschwitz guard Franz, Jewish inmate Helena and how their felt in love. It takes place two years after the war in the courtroom, where Franz Dahler is tried for his crimes, one of which is abusing his wife and forcing her in this marriage to save him from prison. But did Franz really force on Helena or he is truly in love?

I must say this book is a so well written and well researched. It’s been a while since I read something different about WWII. I used to read similar stories of prisoners, Jews in concentration camps, how they escaped and how they survived. This book covers WWII from a different angle. I learned about Kanada, Denazification program…This book is unique and a true eye opener. It makes you to see the war a little bit from German’s side: how so many young kids were simply brainwashed to believe that if government is saying to do this, it means it is right thing to do. “Order is an order”. It also encourages to teach and talk to others about racism and Anti-Semitism, because unfortunately it is still quite present in the 21st century. “The hatred, the racism, the xenophobia didn’t miraculously disappear with Hitler. They are all still very much alive and kicking and it’s up to us to do something to fight them.”

This should be read not only by people who love historical fiction about WWII. It should be read by everyone to not forget about the horrors that happened in the past, so we would not repeat them in the future.

"The Girl in the Striped Dress" by Ellie Midwood
Release Date; 8.9.2021

In 1947, Dr. Hoffman, an American psychiastrist serving in Germany, reviews a case scheduled for Denazification Court.

Franz Dahler, a former Auschwitz guard, is expected to appear in court. He has requested to bring a witness to testify in his defense -- a former inmate and his current wife, Helena Citronova, a Slovakian Jew.

Helena arrived in Auschwitz and was 24 hours from being gassed on a cold, snowy day in the spring of 1942. She was pulled out of line to sing happy birthday. The birthday boy shared a piece of cake with Helena and ordered to spare her life; Helena would work under his command in the Kanada work detail.

Andrej Novák, a Nazi hunter and former inmate, recognizes the name of the officer and demands an investigation of all of Dahler's crimes. Novák believes that he abused Helena in the camp and is only using her now to evade punishment.

Helena is quiet and shy. She appears to be a classic victim of abuse and will help the prosecution's case more than her husband's case.

Dr. Hoffman listens to Helena's testimony and feels confused. As Dr. Hoffman begins to know each participant in this court, he needs to decipher if this is a true love story, or if Helena has a psychological disorder, the Auschwitz Syndrome and only testifying out of fear.

I felt a range of emotions reading this novel. Based loosely on a true story, I felt immersed in Helena's thoughts and emotions during her time in the camp and during the trials. Well-researched and written, there was an even blend of description and dialogue to share the pain, atrocities, and forgiveness Helena experienced. What a story of love and survival!

Thank you @netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleybooks #2021bookreleases #historicalfiction #worldwariifiction #holocaustfiction #thegirlinthestripeddress #girlinthestripeddress #elliemidwood #bookouture

WW11, Auschwitz

This fictional story recreates the true story of an SS guard and a Jewish inmate. This powerful tale of forbidden love is brought to life in a heartbreaking and gripping WW11 page-turner.

1947, the trial and 1942, behind the barbed wires

It opens at the denazification hearing of Frank Dahler the SS guard in charge of the Kanada warehouses in Auschwitz concentration camp. He is facing charges of crimes against humanity. Novak, a former inmate, is one of the plaintiffs accusing him of being evil, cruel and very abusive. By his side during the proceeding is, Helena, his wife also a former inmate who worked under his commands.

In alternate chapters and in alternate times, the voice of Helena is heard recounting her experiences during her days in Auschwitz while Frank tells his version of events in turn. Novak adds his say, recounting what he saw insisting that Helena was forced by Dahler, who beat her into submission to completely have her under his control. What he failed to see was the strong attachment the two had for each other. Helena, Frank and Novak stories are completely different. To the observers Helena is not afraid of her husband and both seemed to be truly in love.

This story is wonderfully said. We can visualize every aspect described: bodies burning, human skeletons, the cold the starvation, the terror and the strong attachment between Helena and Frank. Ms. Midwood does a phenomenal job in capturing the time and events in words that brings to life this unusual love story. Undeniably, much effort, thoughts and research went into this book to ensure her story is close to reality as much as possible.

What a story

A well-written, well-researched novel about an unlikely couple in the aftermath of the destruction of World War 11 and a story that has to be shared for everyone to read, especially in the present time.
Franz, a young SS guard saves Helena and her sister from the gas chamber and even in the face of hate he has been taught, he falls in love with her.
The narrative expresses a reality to their situation and puts the reader in the moment and setting of this story.
This was an amazing read for me and one that a highly recommend.

I have never read a story like this before. Even though I knew from the beginning that the novel was based on a true story, I had a hard time grasping how a Jewish woman could potentially fall in love with an SS officer. Throughout the book, I kept guessing if Helena was really in love with Franz or if she was just traumatized. However, since the plot and characters were well written and researched, I got my answer by its end.

I would recommend this book with the warning that some of its scenes are pretty graphic and hard to read since they are based on real testimonies of survivors.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture, I had the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Writing historical romance about the Holocaust is a juggling act - one must tell a love story while simultaneously illustrating the true extent of the horror and destruction that occurred under Hitler’s rule. This book does exactly that, and I could NOT put it down once I started reading.

Author Ellie Midwood tells the unbelievable true story of a love that blossomed in Auschwitz/Birkenau between Helena, a Slovak Jew, and Franz, an Austrian SS member and camp guard. In her book, Ellie does a phenomenal job of telling their love story in a way that has readers on the edge of their seats. She alternates between past and present (post-war time), and between camp life and the court hearing designed to prove whether or not Franz is sufficiently “denazified”. The court room scenes were filled with fabulous tension and tongue-in-cheek commentary about not-yet-named Stockholm Syndrome, and it kept me enthralled the entire time as I waited to find out if Helena and Franz’s relationship was real, or if she only loved him for the small kindnesses he provided while she was in the camps.

Most of my negative comments stem from my background as a person holding a degree in Slavic Studies - several times Midwood refers to the Slovak language as “Slovakian”, which is simply not what it’s called.

I felt that I wish I knew more about Helena’s background, since her sister was in the camp and we could’ve gotten more background info, but otherwise the characters were well developed and I felt attached to them while reading.

Overall a wonderful historical romance that I will be recommending to all.

I love the fact that Ellie Midwood puts so much effort, thought and research into her books. This ensures they are steeped in realism which makes some of the descriptions and events even more horrifying and unsettling than you might expect.

She starts the book by describing some of the trials that happened after the war was over, in an attempt to bring some of the leaders and workers at the concentration camp to justice. This definitely makes for a dramatic and original opening.

“What does one do when they are told that they only have only twenty-four hours to live?”

She then cleverly goes back so that we can follow Helena’s story from the beginning, where we begin to understand the huge range of emotions experienced in such an intense and uncontrolled environment. These emotions range from hope, joy in simple pleasures, and love of human connection, to blatant and inescapable fear for your life.

In preparation for writing this book, Ellie researched in great detail the Kanada work detail, a section of Auschwitz-Birkenhau where selected prisoners were involved in sorting and disinfecting valuable and useful items. Basing so much of the story here allows a fresh perspective on Auschwitz-Birkenhau, and we are told that:

“Apart from freedom, they have everything a girl can dream of.”

Of course, this is quite a vital missing piece of the puzzle. The story line is structured around the court case, which brings to life Helena’s journey and the sacrifices she made with that aim in mind.

Overall, this is an incredible book which brings to life an important real story from a time which, harrowing at is, should never be forgotten. If you haven’t read one of Ellie’s books and you enjoy historical, emotional and/or dramatic fiction, I’d highly recommend doing so.