Books about this time period are a must for me. These souls, warriors, people need their stories told whether the story is fiction and nonfiction. They need to live on forever in these stories! They need to be heard and seen. This book was another amazing book! I recommend it to everyone!!

**Thank you so much to Netgalley for allowing me access to read this book and give an honest review**

"Stumbling through the terrifying wrought iron gates of Auschwitz, Jewish author Etty Weil longs for her apartment overlooking the Seine, where she used to laugh with friends, her shelves full of records and her beloved typewriter by the wide window. Now she looks on in horror as a young girl, Danielle , is ruthlessly torn apart from her sobbing mother. Etty has always longed for the warm embrace of and trapped inside the maze of barbed wire, she takes fourteen-year-old Danielle under her wing and soon comes to cherish her like a sister.

Every evening, Etty tells Danielle stories, building a beautiful world of imagination and hope for Danielle to escape into. Soon, Etty realises that the other women in their cramped hut are listening too. She encourages them to share their lives, to talk about their darling children running around clutching their favourite toys, the love affairs they once had and the beloved family they’ve already lost. Etty must survive this terrible if only to keep her promise to these brave women that their stories will not be forgotten."

I requested this book in the hopes it would be similar to the chapters laced into Jodi Piccoult's The Storyteller. I was pleasantly surprised, I must admit. It has become overwhelming when you want to read historical fiction novels featuring Auschwitz, the sheer number that has been published recently is quite astonishing. I was scared initially to pick up The Storyteller of Auschwitz but I feel it good me when I needed it.

I loved the writing style and the story was unique. I loved the detail that Curham put into the book: we often forget the conditions that people had to endure and I'm glad that Curham didn't shy away.

She made Etty with love and she provided a light in the darkness of the story she endured.

I loved this book and the story that it told. Definitely one I would reread.

The Storyteller of Auschwitz
By: Siobhan Curham
Publish Date: July 13, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author Siobhan Curham for the advanced copy of The Storyteller of Auschwitz.

This book is such an incredible story. Etty Weil is an author of popular books during world war II in France. After her devastation of being told she can no longer be published because she is Jewish, Etty gets shuttled to a camp- one of the worst, Auschwitz. Then the terrible, neglectful and horrifying behavior begins. But through Ettys incredible attitude and imagination, life becomes barely livable for herself, her friends and everyone around.

For a story about words and their power, I am left with such a loss for them. It is truly humbling to consider how these incredible men and women endured such unspeakable treatment. You can witness the strength, love, and hope throughout this story. If you are looking for an excellent, historic read, this is the one. I am so grateful and I feel privileged that I was granted the opportunity to read this treasure.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Siobhan Curham has produced a piece of art with a poignant tale that embodies the best aspects of mankind in a period when humanity was in short supply. Since factual history is being disregarded or altered, I wish our schools could mandate this book. This is a book that you will always hold dear. The values and teachings of forgiveness, compassion, and optimism are applicable to all ages.

This book repeatedly broke me and healed me over and over again as I walked in Etty’s ill fitting shoes at Auschwitz. You know from the title that it deals with a heavy topic, and the author doesn’t shy from depicting the grim times with heartbreaking detail.

Synopsis: In 1940s Paris, Etty, renowned author of the fictional female-driven Aurelie series is living through hell. On the day her publisher and friend dropped her as an author because she is Jewish, she meets Tomasz and their encounter was so impactful, it takes up a big space in her mind as she endures horror after horror over the next few years. Etty then regales the women around her with loads of different tales that sustains and uplifts them in the darkness.

Review: As a Jewish bibliophile, I always consume Holocaust fiction and I’ve been looking for a good one for a long time and this one about a powerful female author finally fit the bill. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC read (I’m delayed in my review as we’re past pub day!)! Definitely gets heavy, but there are also moments of light as Etty tries to uplift those around her. I also love the seemingly realistic elements as she moves through the events of the War and how she fights for optimism amidst the terrible things happening to her and her loved ones. My only criticism is that the end is tied up a little too easily.

Any historical fiction books I read about this time period are typically engaging for me and this book did not disappoint. I really liked the author's writing style and creating strong characters to follow and root for in a time of unimaginable difficulties. I really liked this book and highly recommend it to others.

This book was so captivating and devastating at the same time. I loved 'The tattooist of Aushwitz' and enjoyed this book just as much.

This was an incredible story and I enjoyed it! Very sad but captivating and kept my attention the whole time.

If you are looking for a different type of WWII novel, this is for you. The author did not hold back describing the brutalities of war. This is another excellent book with twists and turns that you don't expect. I was waiting the entire time to find out what happened.
I won't give away the ending but it tied up the story nicely. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Claudette “Etty” Weil is an author of strong women’s fiction and a natural storyteller. No longer able to publish due to restrictions on Jews during WWII, she begins to despair. Then she meets Tomasz, who intrigues her and tells her she must keep writing to share with the world what is happening to the Jews. She also meets Solly, a wise bookshop owner who shares his wisdom with her. Eventually Etty is arrested and sent to Auschwitz where she uses her storytelling gift to bring hope to the women around her and especially to Danielle, a girl whom she protects and grows to love as family. Will Etty survive the gruesome camp to tell her story to the world or will she fall to despair and death?

This is an amazing book. It is so well written and drew me in from the very first pages. The author put me into Etty’s soul, making me feel her despair, desperation, confusion and hope. The secondary characters in the book played such pivotal roles in her life and their journeys were also so important. I have read many books about Jewish experiences in the concentration camps, but never one with a character that inspired so much hope in the midst of such despair. Both Etty’s and Solly’s stories provide life lessons for us all. I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this exceptional ARC.

I was hooked on page one. This was an amazing read! Very well written. A WWII story you will never forget.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read this book.

Any story based on the unforgettable horrors of the Holocaust is guaranteed to make me feel a wide range of emotions. This story is no different - it is a deeply emotional, confronting, and inspiring book.

Siobhan Curham's story is about a Jewish author living in Paris who is sent to Auschwitz. Her gift with words becomes an inspiration to herself and those around her and brings small sparks of light to their darkest days. With each new and depraved method of control exerted upon them by their captors, Etty must work harder to survive and keep her mind alive.

This story is very well written and had me reaching for tissues. It's not an easy read because of the knowledge that although this story is fictional the horrors of the Holocaust were true and were dark days in humanity. But the thought of releasing a spark of good into the world whenever possible is a positive message to take from the book.

If you loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz, you’ll love this one. Historical fiction, World War 2, and love at its finest. Such a magical, captivating story. Someone had to make it out alive and tell the world what happened.

Trapped behind fences at Auschwitz, forced to watch families torn apart and many be murdered by the Nazis, Etty, a popular novelist tells stories to fuel the imagination and give hope to as many as she can.

This book will have you smiling and crying at every page turned. Such a story. Horrifying and uplifting at the same time. I wish I could give more than 5 stars!

𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗨𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗭
by Siobhan Curham
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Today I'm sharing my thoughts on The Storyteller Of Auschwitz as part of the Books On Tour hosted by @bookouture.

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪

This book is simply amazing. I knew this would be one of those books that affects you emotionally and I was right. Etty is told she can't publish her book because she is Jewish, and as the Nazis’ plans progress she finds herself being transported to the death camps at Auschwitz. There she begins to tell stories to the other women while she is determined to survive the camps and tell the truth of what really happened there.

I have honestly found similarly themed books difficult to read, especially when the surrounding circumstances are true. The plot is set at one of the darkest times in human history and the horrors were inescapable while reading. I’m not ashamed to say Etty’s story made me emotional more than once. She is such an inspirational person who used her skills to survive in the face of such adversity.

Overall, I think this is one of those books that everybody should read, such is the skill of the author to grab your attention so completely. Several days after completing this book I’m still thinking about Etty and the horrors inflicted by the Nazis. I gave The Storyteller Of Auschwitz, by Siobhan Curham, five stars.

#thestorytellerofauschwitz #siobhancurham #bookouture #booksontour #bookreader #bookpost #bookblogger #bookishcommunity #booksofinstagram #booklover #bookreaders #bookgasm #booknerd #bookreviews #booksarelife #bookstagramcommunity #bookish #books #bookstagramming #bookreaderscommunity #bookstagrammers #bookreviewersofinstagram #readingislife #readingaddict #readingisessential #readersofinstagram #readerstagram #goodreadschallenge2021 #honestreviewsonly #johnsbookshelf

Thank you for the copy of this book. History has taught us of the horror of Auschwitz and how people suffered. I read this book quickly and was unable to put it down.

Ohh this book. I felt everything while reading this. I felt like I truly knew Etty. Something about books about the Holocaust does something to me and this book did not disappoint.

WOW! Powerful and heartbreaking. This is my first book by this author and won't be my last. An unforgettable Holocaust story that I won't soon forget. Thank you Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was one of the most dark, yet beautiful stories I have read in a long time.

The author really captioned the darkness around the holocaust and just some of the awful things that the people endured in the camps particularly Austwitz.

Macaroon, Danielle, Tomsek and Sulley. These are just a few of the characters who made me want to weep.

From the humour of Tomsek diving into the river to save a cherished doll, right through to the very ending of the book and the past pages.

Thank you for a wonderful read and I wish this story so much success.

TRIGGER WARNING: Nazi brutality and Holocaust detail
Author Etty Weil is prevented from publishing any more books after the anti Jewish laws in France are revealed. She is determined that her voice won't be silenced but a stay in Drancy leads to deportation to Auschwitz...
The Storyteller of Auschwitz is an historical novel which begins in France in the early 1940s and then follows Etty's journey as the Nazi ideology is enforced.
Etty is a brave young woman who has abandoned her Jewish faith due to her unhappy childhood. But now she finds herself ostracised for being Jewish and meets others of her faith who restore her belief in the good in the world despite the evil of the Nazi doctrine. Her safety is endangered at every turn and she is eventually captured and sent via Drancy to Auschwitz.
The book is written in the first peron from Etty's perspective. It is hugely emotive and deeply personal. Etty's life almost leaps from the page, vividly described and graphically detailed about her experiences and feelings. Amongst the horror of her experience, Etty learns about the strength of human spirit. This book is incredibly powerful and I was swept up in her life. She maintains her hope and therefore so did I, despite the awful things she witnesses and endures.
The strength of friendship, community and faith are important themes in the book. I liked the inclusion of traditional stories to inspire and console. Forgiveness is also crucial to the plot as Etty and Tomasz meet sporadically throughout the book, misunderstanding each other.
The Storyteller of Auschwitz is both beautiful and terrible, full of the brilliant light of spirit whilst not shying away from the hideous depravity of the Holocaust.