This is a must read book!
This period of history should never be forgotten and books like this memoir are so important to not only remind us of the horrors of Auschwitz and the perpetrators of those horrors but also of the strength of faith and the resilience of humans.
It is a harrowing story of a young Jewish girl Sara Leibovits and her family but also the impact of being a child of a holocaust survivor.
These stories need to kept alive so we never forget.

A very true picture of what happened In the second world war. It was harrowing but we knew what happened in the war so it was not a shock. I enjoyed reading this book and l am thankful to the author.

The Girl Who Survived Auschwitz is a harrowing story to read. The recount of events is told by Sara a Survivor and her retelling is as raw and harrowing as one could only imagine.
Sara tells of the everlasting effects Auschwitz has caused to not only herself but her children growing up.
This is truly an eye opening account, full of horrors but it also shows the bravery of Sara.

A raw and gripping Holocaust recount. The horror of the authors time spent in Auschwitz and the impact on her children growing up. Must read book.

A memoir; the story of a 15-year-old Jewish girl Sara who found herself on a train to ‘Hell on Earth’ in early 1944 along with the rest of her family. It is well written, with parts described by Sara on her life in Auschwitz and other chapters written by her daughter Eti describing her feelings and emotional response to her mothers story some 70 years later.

Sara tells about the horror of families being split apart on arrival at the Death Camp and then learning their loved ones were sent immediately to their death. Sara’s mother and young brothers were sent straight to the gas chambers. We read about the appalling conditions the prisoners are kept in and the methods they have to use just to stay alive. The description of the liberation had my eyes watering and later happy tears when Sara met and married another camp survivor.

This is a really difficult read but none the less such an important read. An unforgiving book and anyone who reads it will not be left untouched. I cannot begin to explain the emotions this book raised in me, I’ve read books before, I’ve seen films and photographs from the camps, but nothing can prepare you for a first hand account of the horrors and deprivation that the writer lived through. I have never before considered how this also affects the second generation and Eli’s story was truly moving. The Holocaust was a blot on mankind that must never be allowed to be forgotten. Heartbreaking.

Sara Leibovits, a 16-year-old Jewish girl last saw her family at the station at Auschwitz. They were sent in different directions each to their own fate.
This is Sara's harrowing story and ultimately that of her daughter , Eti.

Poland, 1944. The train slowed and halted with a squeal of the brakes. It felt like we waited in the carriage for an eternity, but eventually, the heavy doors opened, directly into the chaos outside. Sara Leibovits, a sixteen-year=old Jewish girl, was a passenger on the train, together with her family. within minutes, their horrific fate was sealed. The little family spent their final minutes together on the platform at Auschwitz before they ordered in all directions and each left to their own fate.

This is the true story of a woman who survived Auschwitz. It's a first-hand account of an unimaginable time. Sara Leibovits is a Jew and from the day she was taken to the camp with her family, she was determined she would survive. She tells us what it was like living under Nazi rules and the Holocaust, which was horrific. The story has a dual timeline - the past, when Sara was sixteen, and the present day tells us about her life now and how this dreadful time in her life turned her into the woman she is today. This is one of those books everyone should read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUk #OneMoreChapter and the authors #SaraLeibovits #EtiElboim for my ARC of #TheGirlWhoSurvivedAuschwitz in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Who Survived Auschwitz is a remarkable memoir written by Eti Elboim and her mother Sara Leibovits. As the title suggests, it is the survival story about the nine brutal months Sara spent at Auschwitz at the age of fifteen. Not only did she and her family get ripped from their Warsaw Ghetto "home" in 1944 but they were forced on a harrowing cattle train car journey to Auschwitz, the final destination for most. Living there was not life; it was barely surviving for the few who did not die from the humiliation, beatings, psychological and physical torture, extreme labour, starvation, losing family in despicable ways and so on.

Though Sara faced death in the face every day, her faith and determination not to give in mercifully helped her. She does not complain and distances herself in ways from atrocities which she witnessed...you'd have to. She describes the liberation and reveals her unbelievable weight at the time. It is all so pitiful and brought tears to my eyes. The horror in the words of Sara and Eti gave me goosebumps.

The details Sara recalls as vividly as though they happened last week are nauseating, sobering, horrifying and crucial for everyone to know. I am grateful she and her daughter told her story so the vulgarities of the Holocaust never, ever leave us or happen again. Returning to Auschwitz decades later must have been a heart-crushing experience for both of them, though critical for understanding and healing.

Barbarity of humankind never fails to disgust me but the kindnesses are a balm. Tiny kindnesses were very big at killing camps and some risked their lives to help others with a few sips of soup or taking one's place in a specific spot in rollcall queues. What a shame that their only "crime" was who they were.

My sincere thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the privilege of reading a digital copy of this profoundly impactful book, one which should be required reading for everyone. Holocaust survivors such as Sara Leibovits are my definition of true heroines and heroes, overcoming insurmountable anguish under the direst of situations.

Based upon a true story, The Girl Who Survived Auschwitz, tells of what Sara Leibovits experienced in her life leading up to and within the walls of Auschwitz. Co-authored with her daughter, you also get the perspective of the offspring of a Holocaust survivor and what it meant to see the trauma and recovery of your parent as they continue to live life after starting over somewhere new. You get to see the words spell out why so many couldn’t go back to where their “before” life existed because of the souls lost and memories that were made - good and bad. It also brings to light to someone who didn’t realize the importance of landing on the shores of Israel why it was a beacon of light and the goal of so many survivors.

Why should you read this firsthand account? It is our mission to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself. As I was reading this, my mind started to compare how historical fiction softens the truth of the concentration (death) camps. The brutality, the disregard for human life, the evil, the deflection of blame to a people that had/have different religious views than others. The unfortunate thing is that we see elements of each of these today, just not in the same light as the Holocaust. We must educate ourselves on the past and look to what we’ve learned before choosing the beliefs of those in a position of power. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book is set for publication on September 4, 2023.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #thegirlwhosurvivedauschwitz #etielboim #saraleibovits #harpercollinspublishers

This harrowing memoir of true events is related by a fifteen year old victim of the Holocaust and her recollections of the terrifying period before , during and after the horrors of Auschwitz. A second generation daughter documents the impact of family life on the children of survivors. Gradually learning through a drip feed process not only the trauma faced by their parents but the shocking impact of why they have a life without any blood relatives other than parents. It cannot fail to be understated that second generation children of holocaust survivors become a part of the story ; inheriting the welcome burden of remembering and retelling their stories in order that the loss of loved ones, possessions, safety and identity live on for future generations as a collective reminder of the atrocities of the holocaust. No words can express the haunting depths of deprivation, brutality and persecution experienced in these camps. However reading this families memories is a rewarding experience in that it will ensure future generations will remember and learn. Many thanks to author, for what must have been a heart rending but life affirming ordeal, the publisher and Netgalley for the trust in allowing me to review this , for me, life changing memoir.

Everytime time I read auschwitz memoirs it hits to the core. The horrendous things that happened, How humanity can be so cruel!

Reading Sara’s story, what she went through and how she overcome it, really is shocking. A moving memoir of a young girl, becoming the sole survivor or her family after loosing her mother, father and siblings to the horrors of Auschwitz. It tells her story from of her time in Auschwitz, before and after. sharing how she overcome everything thrown at her to become the loving mother her daughter knew her to be. Reading it told first person was so powerful. Her daughter sharing her story now 70 years later adds to that sentiment, how her daughter over time learns the horrors here parents (and their family and friends) endured and tries to come to terms with it. It is a true story of bravery hope and survival. In the words of Eti to her mother Sara as she returned to the now auschwitz museum all these years later “you are no longer a number.. and we, we have returned here with you, are proof of that”.

*I was given an advance readers copy (ARC) from NetGalley for my honest opinion of this book*

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

Reading memoirs from survivors of the Holocaust are often difficult and this is no exception. The story is told mainly through Sara, the only surviving member from her family, and her daughter. It gives details of Sara's time at Auschwitz and is a very poignant, haunting yet compelling read. I think the writing style is very good, it is easy to follow and this book certainly pulled at my emotions at times and I felt such sorrow for Sara and what she went through at such a young age. I really liked the parts that were told by Sara's daughter when she wanted to know more about her mother's time at Auschwitz and the telling of Sara returning there many years later with her family bought tears to my eyes. They are the victors, and I think this thought provoking read based on real events and life experiences will stay with me for a good while.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The stories have been told many times but are none the less incredibly harrowing. Not an easy read and one can only imagine the horror. This must be kept in the public's mind as it is a story that should never, ever be forgotten. I hope the author gained some peace from putting pen to paper.
This must never , ever be allowed to happen again

I received a free copy of, The Girl Who Survived Auschwitz, by Eti Elboim, Sara Leibovits, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Its Poland 1944, Sixteen year old Sara Leibovitz was on a train with her family to Auschwitz, only Sara survived. This story is about her time in Auschwitz, and after such a haunting tale, on a horrible period of time, that should never of been allowed to happen.

The Girl Who Survived Auschwitz
by Eti Elboim; Sara Leibovitz
Pub Date 05 Sep 2023
HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter,One More Chapter
Biographies & Memoirs


Through HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Netgalley, I am reviewing The Girl Who Survived Auschwitz:


Poland, 1944 The brakes squealed as the train slowed and stopped. Our wait in the carriage seemed endless, but eventually, the heavy doors opened, letting us see the chaos outside.


The train was carrying Sara Leibovits, a 16-year-old Jewish girl, as well as her family. Their horrific fate was sealed within minutes.


As the little family spent their final minutes together on the platform at Auschwitz, they were ordered in all directions and left to their own fates. Sara's mother and baby brothers were killed. As a Sonderkommando, her father was forced to remove the bodies from the gas chambers and later executed.


I give The Girl Who Killed Auschwitz five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

A haunting, beautifully told story about the bravery, sacrifice and survival of a Jewish girl going through a terrible time in our world's history. I always get sucked in to a story when it's written in a way where I feel like I'm the main character or walking along beside them. My heart was racing, I shed many tears and audibly gasped or held my breath as the story goes on. It seems impossible that anyone could've survived such horrors and it makes me really proud of my Jewish heritage and this story of perseverance.

I highly recommend this book for any and all to read so we can keep survivor's stories alive and never let this type of tragedy happen again.

Of course this book is absolutely heartbreaking, I think it’s clear from the topic that you go into it expecting that much but I think so many of the small details captured in this book just added to the gut wrenching emotion that I felt throughout some scenes. I found it really interesting how this book followed on from the experience during the awful Holocaust to the lasting impact on the survivors, their family’s and future generations too. I thought the contrasting chapters were so powerful and it brought home just how harrowing the experience of all those affected were. Truly heartbreaking.

Thank you Harper Collins, the authors, and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

"This book is a story of rescue, of survival, of faith in the Creator of the world and in miracles, of man's faith in himself, of courage, of heroism, of ingenuity, of strength, of friendship, of caring, of seeking humanity even in the most difficult moments, of seeking the light in the dark depths of suffering and humiliation, of seeking the good in the world within a Hell of evil
This is a story of the triumph of good over evil."

...so begins this amazing true story of survival in the face of unspeakable horrors and tragedy. The Holocaust is a topic of history that was both horrified and fascinated me for years. I have read many books on the subject. They are not easy reads, mind you, but invaluable none the less. We must never forget. And never allow anything like it to happen again.

Sara was a 15.5 yr old Jewish girl, the oldest of 6 children. Her story and that of her family flows first through their hometown, to a Jewish ghetto, and then tragically into Auschwitz - where Sara is chosen to work, her father chosen for the Sonderkommando, and her mother and siblings exterminated immediately in the gas chambers. This book details Sara's incredible story of survival in the Nazi death camp, and her life afterward.

This was a haunting and beautiful read.
I give it a resounding 5 stars.

The Girl who survived Auschwitz is a wonderful story of a lone survivor of a Jewish Family in Auschwitz,a story of loss but also of hope for the future .Sara was so brave at only 15 years old taken to the camp with her Family she was determined to survive and tell her story .A thought provoking read .Thankyou to NetGalley for my ARC

A touching memoir of a lone survivor of her family from auschwitz. The story tells of a young girls harrowing life before during and after surviving a death camp. The story also tells of her daughter, who tries to come to terms with what her parents survived. This is a story of loss and death but also of hope. A great read for anyone interested in World War 2 and specifically the holocaust.