I am a great believer in learning from history, which was why I requested to read “The Storyteller of Auschwitz.” We need to understand the horrors of the Holocaust to make sure something this heinous does not happen again. Because most readers are familiar with the events, the writer must make the characters count and here, Siobhan Curham does so in a compelling way.

French writer, Etty, has a gift of telling stories, but does not realize how important such a skill is when her stories help keep hope alive while she and other prisoners endure the horrors of Auschwitz. While there are moments of perseverance, be prepared to stomach the atrocities. But the reader needs to experience these moments to understand why something like this cannot happen again. It is difficult to give this novel anything less than five stars.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. My thanks also to the publisher and the author, Siobhan Curham.

What an utterly fantastic book. It was captivating and enthralling, heartbreaking and courageous. I raced through it, it was so easy to read and Ettes story just gripped me. All the people she met and their journey through the camps. These people may be fictitious but we all know it happened and these things did happen and so there were many Ettes and Danielle’s and Macaroons.
I was deeply moved and how could anyone not be. I so wanted them all to survive and get the lives they had wished for and dreamed about. But sadly that didn’t come true for all of them.
I highly recommend this amazing read and thank you so much NetGalley, Bookouture and Siobhan Curham for the ARC in return for an honest review.

The horrors of Auschwitz are always a tough read, but with this book I absolutely fell in love with Etty. I loved hearing about her story, the people that she met and helped through the ordeal and seeing her get her own form of happy ending at the end.

Really touched me did this title. Great work by the author.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Storyteller of Auschwitz by Siobhan Curham. Having read other books by this author I knew that the storyline would be good so I was really looking forward to it and she did not disappoint. The story begins at the beginning of the Second World War when Germany conquered France. Colette, a well known author, suffers multiple setbacks in her life due to her being jewish. She ultimately is sent to a concentration camp and uses her writing and storytelling abilities to help the others living in her hut. She gives them the ultimate gift of their imagination which transports them on a nightly bases out of the hell they are living. Colette, throughout the novel, struggles with her choices and, at times, finds it difficult to choose to act out of kindness towards others when faced with all the death and inhumanity around her. In the end, her optimism carries her through and helps her to overcome things she otherwise would never have to even contemplate. A definite must read for anyone who is a fan of historical fiction!

The Storyteller of Auschwitz by Siobhan Curham is a book that still hasn't left me - weeks after I finished reading it.

The main character, Etty, is a writer and after being sent to Auschwitz begins collecting the stories of other prisoners and what keeps her going is that she has promised to keep these stories alive for these women and their families. We fall in love with the women, their stories and their desire to just survive and be with their families and are heartbroken along with Etty as she loses her friends.

Today's world is so hard, and this story is just one more example of why we must not let people forget how easy it is to let one person change the course of history and destroy everything.

The Storyteller of Auschwitz is beautiful and haunting.

I was given this book by NetGalley and the publisher, Bookouture, for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Everything I have ever read by Siobhan Curham is always a treat and of the highest quality, and this book was no different. What sets her apart is her breathtaking prose, her excellent characterization, and the quality of her historical accuracy. Combine that with the wonderful stories Etty Well tells amid the horrors of Auschwitz during WWII and you are swept away yet glued to your seat! Absolutely wonderful! I recommend all her books, but I believe this one is my favorite and her best yet!

A moving tale of the perseverance and hope of a Jewish woman, in the haunting setting of World War II. The Storyteller of Auschwitz follows the life of a young French novelist who, upon Nazi occupation, is forced out of her career, beginning the story of her journey throughout the war.

If I’m being completely honest, I struggled with the first part of this book quite a bit. While the pacing was good, I found myself quite thrown by the main characters' perspective in the initial stages of the book. The character seemed rather oblivious to the severity of the state of the war, and seemed to act rather petulantly and recklessly at times, which I found irksome. Yes, I have read other works of Holocaust fiction where the main character is depicted as naive to the events occurring around them, but all of those cases were intentional narrative choices to accentuate the novel's themes, however in this case it seemed to be a simple means of depicting the characters bravery. This bravery however, was presented as the absence of fear, which seemed to undercut the very notion of bravery itself being perseverance in spite of fear.

Despite my initial difficulties with the lack of encroaching sense of darkness and doom that other eerie holocaust reads had invoked in me before, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the later two thirds of the story, as the main character went from naive, to an incredibly strong character. The book details the spiritual journey, and the strength and hope of the main character in a poignant way, that moved me multiple times. The importance of stories was a key theme of the novel, which was beautifully explored as the main character used her stories to inspire hope in others. One of the highlights of the novel was definitely the strength and solace amongst the brutal conditions that the characters found in one another, with the relationship between Danielle and Etty being the most moving and authentic of them all.

However, I did still have some qualms throughout, especially towards the ending, as I felt the novel often rushed on from events or thoughts without lingering for the appropriate amount of time. The conclusion of the war was rushed into a few pages, leaving me disappointed that after all the character had been through, we weren’t given that proper moment of clarity and reckoning with the events of the war that the character deserved.

All in all The Storyteller of Auschwitz is a well researched Holocaust novel, with a shaky beginning, that eventually unfolds into a poignant tale of the importance of hope and community. While it fails to distinguish itself above the large tide of other Holocaust fiction entries I have read in the past, it is still a worthwhile read for any historical fiction fan!

This is my first ARC of a book and honestly - What. A. Book.

From the very first page of this book I was hooked. Etty had my heart from the very beginning and all the characters we meet along the way (Solly is an absolute favourite of mine!). I felt like I knew these characters and it is a fantastic reflection of Curham’s beautiful writing. Etty’s life goal is to share her stories showing the unbreakable bonds of resilience of the people captured and sent to Auschwitz.

This story had me laughing and crying (ugly crying as well). This story really takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. This book is tender, thought provoking and a real page turner. I read this book cover to cover in under 24 hours. This is simply a beautiful and heart wrenching story. You will be left on the edge of your seat as you travel back to the horrors of the concentration camps but simultaneously met with the unconditional love Etty has towards those that have perished.

This book is a very easy 5 ⭐️ for me (I would honestly give it more if I could!). I will be recommending this book to everyone. This is an utterly gripping and simply unforgettable historical story set in World War Two.

The Storyteller of Auschwitz by Siobhan Curham is out the 13th July. This is one of the most powerful books I have read.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Gosh this book. I dont know what to say as it was both beautiful and heart wrenching. It left me with tears in my eyes. One of the most powerful books I have ever read. I would give it more stars if I could because somehow five doesn't seem like enough.

Another FIVE STAR book! Set during WWII, The Storyteller of Auschwitz is a tantalizing tale of suspense, mystery, heartbreak, and perseverance. Etty is an author living in France, when suddenly her life is flipped upside down due to her Jewish heritage. Always a storyteller, Etty's life-goal is to be able to share the stories of the unbreakable bonds of resilience of the many people captured and sent to Auschwitz. You will be left sitting on the edge of your seat, as you travel back in time to the horrors of the concentration camps but are then met with the unconditional love and commitment of Etty towards those loved ones who perished. Encouraged by Tomasz's words "You have to write about this, about what they're doing to us", Etty shares how the strength of love can carry you through the greatest atrocities in life. I highly recommend this book! Thank you to Bookouture, Siobhan Curham, and Net Galley for the complimentary copy of this book that I received. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Such a raw, tragic, inspiring and empowering book all rolled into one. This pulled at my heart strings at the injustices and cruelty that they experienced. Absolutely shocking. So glad to read a book that sheds light on Auschwitz.

5 stars for all the feels! This was such a beautifully written story about how to remain positive in the midst of evil. This story allows us to experience Eddy’s spiritual journey and those that influenced her along the way. We can’t help but fall in love with the characters and of course have our hearts broken too. “I still believed that [storytelling] was our only possible source of strength and hope.” Highly recommend this book! Thank you NetGalley!

The storyteller of Auschwitz it a beautiful yet heartbreaking story. The storytelling while beautiful to read also highlights how having something positive to distract one with during awful times can help keep one’s spirit from breaking. I could not put this novel down. It was descriptive in a way I could imagine everything like it was happening right in front of me without overdoing it. The author took a dark time and added realist light to it.

Can a person truly die if their story lives on?

Books about the Holocaust remain some of my most powerful reads because they contain the power to educate me about the horrors and at the same time bring to life for me the inspirational stories of the victims' survival and/or the war crimes.

Curham crafts Etty Weil (Jewish author), Danielle (a young girl in the camp), Solly (Jewish bookshop owner) and Tomasz Zolanvari (obliging doll rescuer) to highlight how some survived the torture and horrifying conditions of Auschwitz, to reveal the power of a book/story, and to show that friendship and love blossomed in the most unlikeliest of places.

“I never want to be guilty of turning a blind eye to cruelty.”

Writing about the Holocaust must be as difficult as reading about it, yet illuminating the dark shadows of this horrible time in history is so important. Curham manages to deepen readers’ awareness of the suffering incurred and the resilience and courage the victims developed in order to live another day. Her ability to write five-star historical fiction is one reason why Curham’s book is among my top three Holocaust fiction books.

The cover is powerful and I love the butterfly….

I was gifted this book by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I could not stop reading this book. It’s the fictional story of Jewish born Claudette Weil beginning at the onset of the German occupation of France. Without ceremony, the Jewish people become invisible to the Parisians as their identities are slowly stripped from them by the Nazis. This invisibility is the catalyst for the book. Claudette, or Etty for short, is an author, and as the horrors of the war unfold, she makes a promise to tell the world what happened to her people when the rest of the world couldn’t stomach it to look at them in their sufferings. As the book progresses, Etty is transported to Auschwitz where she lives for the majority of the story.

Truly, it is very graphic in places and difficult to stomach, but the story was so deeply moving too. The friendships she made along the way. The losses she suffered were felt by me too. The author does a fantastic job of transporting the reader into another world. And as the protagonist is also a writer, Etty uses stories to help make her life and the lives of her fellow hut mates more bearable.

I don’t know how to do justice to this book with words, so I will just say that it was very powerful and moving and worth a read.

A special thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have read many books – fiction and nonfiction – about the atrocities perpetrated by Nazi Germany under Hitler’s reign. The Storyteller of Auschwitz is a profoundly moving description of one woman’s triumph over evil. It honors the strength and courage of the human spirit under the most extreme forms of adversity – affirming light and love amid darkness.

Etty Weil escaped a childhood characterized by terror and abuse at the hands of her father and established herself as a successful novelist in Paris. With the German occupation of France, she, like other Jews, watched as her life was irrevocably changed until the unthinkable nightmare came to pass. Etty was arrested and sent to a “work camp,” enduring the most severe conditions. Here she learned to cope by creating highly imaginative stories to keep up her morale and the morale of her fellow prisoners. Her gift as a writer was transformed into the oral tradition of storytelling and she vowed to survive to tell the world what she experienced and witnessed at the hands of German soldiers and the collaborating French police.

The descriptions of the abuse/torture in the camps were both heart-wrenching and enraging. In the face of the most inhumane treatment, Etty and a small cadre of women developed deep bonds of friendship, fulfilling her lifelong desire for family. The characters are so well drawn that it was easy to identify with them and to be drawn deeply into the emotional overtones of their plight. I loved the simple wisdom of Solly, the Jewish bookseller, who became a father figure for Etty. Woven into fabric of the story is also a bit of romance, which was a positive counterpoint to the horrific details of the camp.

By virtue of the subject matter, this was not an easy read, but it was soul-satisfying with a solid ending.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

The Storyteller of Auschwitz by Siobhan Curham

Heartwarming takes courage and strength. An absolute delight and a great book!

I just reviewed The Storyteller of Auschwitz by Siobhan Curham. #TheStorytellerofAuschwitz #NetGalley
[https://www.netgalley.com/member/book/292730/review]

THE STORYTELLER OF AUSCHWITZ by SIOBHAN CURHAM is a sensitively and beautifully written account of a young French author’s courage in the face of the horrors of Auschwitz and the rabid hatred shown towards the prisoners.
Etty Weil is told by her publisher, Anton Janvier, that he can no longer publish her Adventures of Aurelie novels because she is Jewish. She feels angry and throws her Aurelie doll into the river. This is how she meets Tomasz Zolanvari, who dives in to save Aurelie, thinking a child must be drowning! Her meeting with him, and the time they spend celebrating Yom Kippur, encourage her to not let the hatred of the Nazis erase her Jewish identity, and also brings her back to her faith in God.
Another person who has a huge influence in her life is Solly, the elderly Jewish bookshop owner, who, together with Marguerite and Danielle, makes up part of the four musketeers who travel together in a cattle car to Auschwitz. Solly has taught her to shine light into a situation by releasing love instead of hatred. The stories he has told her inspire her to tell stories to Danielle and Maccaroon in their bunk at night, to encourage one another to dream and hope again. This brings light into the lives of the other women as well.
Her stories and her love for Danielle and Maccaroon, who have become the family she never had, together with her determination to tell the world the truth of what they are going through, seem to keep her alive…….
There is a lot more to this story, which I found really inspirational, but I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
This is one of the best WW11 novels I have read and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I was given this ARC by netgalley and am so glad! I loved this book - it was well written and evoked so many emotions. Parts of it broke my heart, and yet the strength and courage of the women shone through. I have read a number of fictional accounts of Auschwitz and this one is up there with the best. Highly recommended.

I fear that I'm incapable of doing justice to the newest book by Siobhan Curham. It is one of the most powerful books on the Holocaust that I've ever read. If you think you don't need to read another book set in Auschwitz, you're wrong because this one covered events & atrocities that I'd never read before. The characters were simply extraordinary, mainly because they were completely ordinary people. That made their experiences feel so personal to me.

Beyond the horrific treatment in Auschwitz was the incredible inner strength of the women living in the barrack with Etty. All strangers of different nationalities, who cared for one another, determined not to let the brutalities of the Nazis take away the one thing that was their very own, their humanity. Women were particular targets for degradation by the male Nazi guards yet they stood strong for each other. They remained exquisitely human.

My heart was repeatedly broken while reading this, so much so my granddaughter suggested I stop reading it. But, it's more important than ever that we read books like this with the rise in anti-semitism and book banning happening once again. We are seeing specific groups of people being dehumanized. We've seen this before and we know what the outcome could be. To quote Etty, "I never want to be guilty of turning a blind eye to cruelty."
(I know I'll never look at a butterfly again without thinking of this book.)

I am so grateful to NetGalley & Bookouture for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. The review is my own.