I absolutely love historical fiction books but unfortunately I really did not enjoy this book. I found the plot weak and couldn’t engage with any of the characters.

Be sure to have a box of tissues when reading this gut wrenching beautiful story! Auschwitz is a place of horror that is unimaginable and yet a place were love can be found and strangers cemented together as family. A place where stories give life for the imagination and hope for the future. And may the memories of loved ones live on in the story!

This is a difficult read.
Anyone ending up a concentration camp during WWII faced death each day.
How does one survive when you are brought down to nothing?
There are only two things…a personal relationship with God, through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, and hope.
Sadly most Jews do not embrace Jesus as Savior.
But the human body and mind can endure far more than what we give it credit for. Speaking from personal experience, lifting my mind above my daily abusive struggles, in hope the future might be better, got me through so much pain.
I agree with the author, we are at risk for making the same mistakes as Germany. Power and control corrupt people’s human rights.

I've read quite a lot of books around the Holocaust over the years, so I was both wary and intrigued to read a fictionalised story. Overall, it was emotional and filled with heartbreaking moments while remaining hopeful regardless.

To be honest, I would prefer to read an autobiography or a true story (although I believe much of the story was taken from various lives and pieced together into one so isn't entirely untrue).

I really liked the concept of a well-known Jewish author (who was dropped by their publisher when new laws forced their hand) using their storytelling skills to encourage their campmates to keep going every day. Personally, I wish less time was spent on bedtime stories and more spent showing us what everyday life was like. But I can see why other people may like this approach.

I also think there could have been more time spent on relationship building. I really liked the young girl who was taken in by the lead character, but I didn't really believe in their bond. The same applied to her love interest; the way they met was interesting, but their meetings were very fleeting. I know in that situation you would hold onto people differently, but I would have loved the writing to bring me along on that emotional myself.

This is probably a 3.5 rating rounded up to 4 stars, as it I can see there being a strong audience for it. I think I have just read more gripping and hard hitting stories about Aushwitz so was hoping for more.

The Storyteller of Auschwitz is a moving beautiful story about a writer named Etty. As a Jewish woman during WWII, she is not allowed to have her stories published anymore. After a chance meeting with Tomasz, she is convinced she must find a way to keep writing and tell the truth about the atrocities being done at the hands of the Germans. Once sent to a concentration camp, Etty must find a way to keep her hope and the hope of her new found friends, such as the young Danielle, so they can survive the horrors at Auschwitz and live to tell their stories.

This was a beautifully written book that brought me to tears. There were times I had to put it down after reading as the imagery was very vivid. The characters were fully fleshed out, and it was easy to fall in love with them and worry about their fates. I would definitely recommend reading Thai story.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

The novel’s protagonist, Etty, is a French novelist of Jewish heritage who is sent to Auschwitz during the war. Through the atrocities of the Holocaust, the stories she makes up for her fellow prisoners become all-important as they deliver messages of hope, tenacity and love.

The characters in this novel are sublimely written, and some of the messages from the stories the protagonist tells, some of which are based on the Torah, will stay with me for a long time. I lost myself in this book for hours and it took me on a rollercoaster of emotions.

The fact that this is a fiction book written as if it’s a non-fiction memoir of such horrendous events did make me feel a bit uncomfortable as I was reading. What right do any of us who didn’t experience it have to describe the atrocities of the Holocaust and sell it as a form of entertainment? However, having read the author’s note at the back about the characters and detailed events being based on true stories, I felt a bit better about it, and it’s clear that the author did a lot of research and genuinely cared about telling these people’s stories. Fiction is not just for entertainment, it also allows us to educate ourselves about events that should never ever be forgotten and that we need to ensure will never happen again, which is precisely what the author’s purpose was.

This is a genre that I have always loved to read. Even knowing I am likely to be a crying mess at some boing in the book I still enjoy them. This book was wonderful. How the MC was able to uplift the women in the camps was incredible. I challenge anyone to read this and not be inspired to become a better person.

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.

A sad read. I don't think this was as compelling a read as some of the other books I've read on this topic though.

A truly inspirational book. The hardships, torture, and misery that these people were subjected to is heartbreaking. The story will grab you and keep you reading. How they survived day by day was miraculous. A must-read book in my opinion!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The pace of this book was the focal point on the rating of this book. The story would carry along at a medium pace and then during the storytelling portions reduced to a slower pace. This was a constant pattern throwing off my rhythm with this read.

I very much enjoyed the story and felt connected to the characters. I wish there was further character development with Solly. Maybe an idea for another book? I would have liked to known more of the main characters lives prior to the labor camps. The cast of characters is very diverse and this is a character driven book.

Be prepared for a dark, sad, emotional, tense read based on WWII and the holocaust.

The message of the story is great and continuing on education about this timeframe in history.

TW - genocide, violence (including children), war

This book is very touching but also very triggering. WWII is something I very much love reading about but I can see how difficult reading some of these details could be for people personally impacted.

The main character in this story goes from living her dream life in Paris to Auschwitz concentration camp. She was a thriving author who was about to finish and begin to publish her latest novel. Because of being Jewish it then became illegal. She was able to run for a period of time but was eventually gathered up. Before being captured, Ette forms a bond with a shopkeeper who tells her stories of patience and strength. Ette continues on the tradition of telling stories in times of distress to diffuse the situation.

Like many others, Ette forms a family in the camps. These families gave the characters the strength to get up off the slates each morning and return each night. As their time at the camps drag on, more hear of Ette's stories and come to her for assistance. Ette's stories become a place of solace for everyone. They give everyone in the camp hope to carry on, and also help them remember the lives they once lived.

Ette is fortunate and lives through the treacherous conditions at Auschwitz before being freed. Her life will forever be changed and she will always remember her family through those years. This book was amazing. It reminded me a lot of The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

It very much captured the horrific conditions people faced and the just touches the surface of bravery and strength had they to survive each day. I would recommend this book to any historical fiction lover!

Le sigh.

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.

However the characters stole my heart, and they shine the brightest light over the book. Etty is an author and she uses her imagination and words to inspire hope which helps her friends to endure the darkest days.

I feel like the book is a love song to the power of words and the long lasting appeal of stories to whisk you to new worlds. The plot is interwoven with old legends which I found fascinating. A book I think all book lovers will appreciate. I adored it.

thanks to netgalley and the author/publisher for the digital arc !

this book was not really for me

the story really starts at around 30%.. which is a lot for me
at first it was very interesting to see this young author live during the Occupation and what it meant for her as a jewish woman
but i did not need 30% of that

i was supposed to be very engaged in her 'relationship' with the man but i was not at all
the subtle mystery element that surrounded him did not interest me in the slightest and even annoyed me slightly

the story finally starts when she arrives at Drancy and then Auschwitz

also, as a french person, I appreciated all the effort that went into the craft of this book - there were still some errors, but nothing really alarming

all in all, the story became very very repetitive for me : something bad happens, she tells a story, it gets better
i understand that it is the premise of the book, which is why i also think that this book was not meant for me in particular
but i still expected more from this story than this repetitive pattern that seemed to go on forever

however, i did get very emotional at moments, which is why i still rated it a 3 stars (that and the very interesting jewish culture that was intertwined with the plot)
the writing style was simple but effective - i don't really have anything to say about it

all in all, this book is not my favorite WW2 historical fiction, but i know that other people would very much love it

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a beautiful and unforgettable read. It’s been a while since a book has left such an impact on me. Etty is an author who has stopped being published due to being Jewish. Eventually, she is rounded up and sent to Auschwitz. Throughout everything she continues to tell stories to keep those around her motivated to survive.

Her stories become a hope for everyone. Against everything she faces, Etty stays strong for those she has met and has cared for along the way. It was such a heartbreaking read but the ending was absolutely worth reading the difficult parts for. This is an unforgettable and beautiful book that is perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and other World War Two historical fiction.

Oh my word, I am an emotional wreck after reading this book!

Let's be honest, books about the Holocaust are always difficult to read and although this is a work of fiction, the story is inspired by a mix of real authors from that time and real events that actually happened which are taken from the witness statements from the people who were there and survived that horrendous period. It has been said before many times but we can never let something like this happen again ... we just can't!

I fell in love with all the main characters in this book but admit to Solly and Danielle being my favourites apart from Etty of course and became totally immersed in their stories and I am not ashamed to say that I cried on more than one occasion and had to actually put the book down and stop reading as I couldn't read the words for the tears in my eyes but there were also parts that made me smile.

The Storyteller of Auschwitz is a powerful story of hope and friendship, bravery and survival and how powerful stories can be.

Many, many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this fantastic book that is a must-read.

I've read a few by this author by now, and they are truly wonderful.
Let's face it, stories about Auschwitz and the Holocaust are brutal and unflinching. They pull on the heart strings.
This book ticked all of those boxes for me. I love books about books and this was fantastic, really showing the power of books to help through turbulent times. Books have been a huge solace for me in recent years, so I could really see this.
This author really writes excellent stories, and this one is my favourite so far.

The Storyteller of Auschwitz is easily the best historical fiction book that I have read so far this year. Nothing else has come close to it and I have a feeling no other book will in the latter half of this year. It is a stunning piece of work that to find the correct words to express how brilliant and what an emotional read this was will be very difficult. Siobhan Curham has outdone herself and written a story that is so powerful and highlights the importance of words, imagery and storytelling. That these traits can sustain you through the darkest of times including oppression, hunger and hard labour. There was the perfect flow to the story with no sections where I felt things were dragged out or paragraphs/chapters that were included just for the sake of it. Every character, every word they speak and every action they take were all essential in having the plot move forward and as you journey with the characters you can’t help but forming a relationship of sorts with them. I know this is only fiction but that’s how the incredible writing from the author made me feel. Etty is a character that you laugh and cry with through the good times and bad and she lives long in your mind once you have reached the final page.

October 1940 and Paris has been under German occupation since June and the effects of their rule are being felt far and wide but little do the residents of the city of Light in particular the Jews know what is around the corner. Etty (Claudette) is a French Jew and has had enormous success writing a series of books centred around a character called Aureile. She is meeting her publisher Anton to tell him about her latest book but she receives the devastating news that he can no longer publish her because she is Jewish. Etty’s world is torn apart and believes that she will lose her career and identity. Writing is all that she knows. It has given her a good life after escaping from a traumatic childhood and it saved her from the darkest of times. Who is she without her writing? She does not observe Jewish traditions and has done her best to forget her roots so why is she being penalised for a religion she does not participate in? But now that her religion is the target of inhumane and unjust laws she feels a sense of loyalty rising up within her. After all, they do say when testing times befall us we do turn back to what we know. ’Perhaps, it was time to reclaim my faith and wear it as a badge of honour’.

How can she no longer write about Aurelie who has been like a loyal imaginary friend, living inside her head for so long? The pit of loneliness at her core grows ever stronger as the days pass and she reaches a point. One which she will not be able to come back from but just at that pinnacle she encounters Tomasz, a Polish Jew, who has been living in Paris for the last seven years to escape the growing anti semitism in Poland. He performs an incredible act for Etty and pulls this passionate woman back from the brink. A connection is formed, a spark tentatively ignited. He tells her ’Our faith is more important now than ever before. It’s not just a source of strength, it’s another way we don’t let the Germans win. We don’t let them erase our identity’.

The pair spend an evening at Etty’s apartment where they talk and advice and words of wisdom are shared and Tomasz makes a very strong impact on her life despite only a few hours in his company. But the wheels of change are constantly turning and after this night there is an awful lot in store for Etty and Tomasz as they are separated and her opinion of him changes. Tomasz was utilised to perfection throughout the book, there when he needed to be but also never forgotten when he wasn’t. He didn’t dominate Etty’s story and she could shine and show her vivid characteristics and qualities at all opportunities and my admiration and affection for her just grew and grew the further I delved into the book.

Life becomes increasingly difficult for Jews living in Paris with more and more laws and restrictions being introduced. The number of people removed from the streets and taken away grows by the day and as Etty visits the Jewish quarter she forms a friendship with Solly who runs a bookshop. Solly is full of knowledge and wisdom and the story he told and the Hasidic tales he shared were just mind blowing, inspirational and on another level to anything I have read before. Etty shares these tales and creates her own at a time when she needs the most strength, courage, grit and determination to survive. I had to stop several times and reread them because I couldn’t absorb everything in one go. Not in a bad way but just that there was so much to take in, analyse and understand from just a few words that they needed the time and respect due to them. I would have loved if the stories could have been written out again in the end notes so I could have referred back to them instead of trying to find them throughout the book when wanted to study them. ‘With every act of kindness the light in the world is increased’. ‘I had learned the vital lesson that whenever you release light, you can’t fail to benefit from the glow’. Oh how these sentiments brought a smile to my face and deeply affected me and Etty remembers these words of wisdom from Solly when she reaches her lowest point.

Through one thing and another Etty ends up being arrested and is transported to Auschwitz. The chapters set here were raw, convincing, forceful and impactful. Etty vows not to let hate get the better of her but when suffering, brutality, fear, humiliation and degradation are all around you how can you stand by this? I won’t detail what she endures there alongside Danielle, a young girl whom she meets on the truck when she is arrested and who in turn goes on to be like a sister to her, for everyone knows what occurred at Auschwitz. Siobhan Curham doesn’t spare any details but what she does is through Etty’s actions provides hope, friendship and guidance to those she is imprisoned with.

Etty creates and tells stories thanks to all she learned from Solly. She shares these with the women of the camp and this is just so heart-breaking and inspirational. ’Sometimes, when we aren’t able to control the events in our lifestory, it can be helpful to rewrite them in our imagination’. Etty and the women retell and share their stories and in doing so turn regret into love and atonement. The women learn to lean on Etty and I don’t know how she retained the strength that she did given all that befalls her. There are no words to accurately describe what a remarkable and exceptional young woman she was.

The Storyteller of Auschwitz is a work of fiction rooted in fact and Siobhan Curham in the end notes details as to how she was inspired by three authors and she also provides the reader with information as to how she went about writing and researching the book which I found fascinating. The power of storytelling as an act of resistance, inspiration and remembrance can’t be underestimated. The subject matter is difficult and emotional to write about and I hate saying this but at times given I read so much historical fiction, I can become immune to the horrors I am writing about and the books don’t hit me the way they are meant to. But here that wasn’t the case at all, my interest and passion for historical fiction was reawakened and it feels like I was taken on an imaginative and sensory journey alongside Etty. That she granted me a window into her soul and to everything she did and it was an utter privilege to be allowed that opportunity. The Storyteller of Auschwitz is a highly impressive read and I hope it finds it’s way to lots of readers as it deserves so much acclaim. I could easily see it being turned into a film for the big screen. Let’s hope that happens in the future. But in the meantime, don’t hesitate at all to pick up this amazing, important and incredible book.

I received this ARC thanks to Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I quickly come to enjoy this story. The stories within the stories are thanks to the Jewish tales read or told throughout the book. I also enjoyed how much the book educated me on Judaism, it's always nice to come away from a book with new knowledge.

Wonderful story with many undertones, such as a young girl finding herself and her ancestry at a time when many were terrified of dying due to that ancestry.

WWII novels are among my favorites so I've read plenty. What stood out to me with this one vs others was the deep relationships Etty found among people she met amid horrible situations. Danielle and Etty's relationship, specifically, was moving. I loved how Solly's teachings were continued throughout the book as well. As cliche as this may sound for a book about a storyteller is that the story in this book is what kept me enthralled. I'm well versed in WWII Europe, and the happenings at Auschwitz, and have read other WWII books where the drama and suspense is higher, but the story in this book is what kept me captivated. I was rooting for Etty and all her friends and shed a fair amount of tears at the losses incurred, and bravery witnessed. My only criticism of this book is that is started out a bit slow for me, but well worth the effort in the end. For someone less versed in WWII I suspect this would garner 5 stars, but most of the info about the war and camps was not new to me, which is the main reason for a 4.