would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this awesome book

oh man where to start with this book......

i could talk about the childhood friendship that lasted through the generations but it goes beyond that
i could say about the family dynamics that occur but they happen everyday....

but what doesnt is war and the behaviours that occur

but first we meet adela and her friend izabel one if jewish and the other is polish, that friendship is tested many times during the nazi regime

when the ghetto goes up izabel is smuggling in food for them and anything else they may need but for me its when Auschwitz appears that this story really hits you hard and what happens there

i admit there is a scene that brought tears to my eyes and as i dont want to spoil the story to much with spoilers here i just recommend that you read it yourself

this book will haunt you but its the friendships that shine in this book for me, such heartbreak in this book... but friends are friends forever

i look forward to reading another book by this author

This heart breaking novel The Stars Are Our Witness by Siobhan Curham left me devastated. I felt so much compassion for the characters. The horrors they went through ripped me to shreds. We all have read how horrible the Jewish people were treated, suffered and died under the hands of the Nazis regime but Siobhan somehow makes it even more real in the way she writes. My heart bled for these people. The innocent children, the everyday person just trying to live their life stopped by the iron fist of prejudice and hatred. I don’t know if there are any words I can say to express the anguish I felt in reading this historical fiction novel, knowing this sort of activity really happened.

The story is told from three perspectives: Jewish Adela and Azriel (sister and brother) and their Polish friend Izabel. Together these three along with others become part of the Resistance.

The setting starts in Warsaw 1940. Adela was midway through her degree in literature at Warsaw University when the Germans took over occupation of Poland. At this point they forbid Jewish people from having an education. But she finds a way to help in teaching children, working with Jaski, a lovely character who inspires her greatly (and whose courage made me cry). He has a saying that becomes her mantra. Words that give her courage about remembering she is made of stardust and that she is proof that magic exists.

Azriel moved away four years earlier to Krakau to study medicine but dropped out part way through. He had a conflict with his father and nobody has seen him since. But one day he returns and reunites with his family and friends. He becomes heavily involved in the Resistance and his courage is tested and demonstrated over and over. I really liked Azriel and his care for his sister, plus his budding romance with Izabel. I could feel the tender love between them carrying them through some rough times.

Izabel is Polish – best friend of Adela. They are in many ways kindred spirits. Izabel will do anything to save her Jewish friends. Her courage and acting skills come into play as she gleans secret information from a Nazis soldier who takes interest in her. This leads her down some dangerous paths—even to Auschwitz where her Jewish friends also end up. She will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves. It will cause division between her and her family.

The descriptions and activities at Auschwitz made me shudder and weep. The scattered clothing, the naked bodies, sent icy chills not only through Azriel but me, too. I was uttering the same thoughts, Please let this horror be over. The tortures these people faced were beyond our worst imaginings. There is an interesting comparison made by Azriel of his trials. He thought what he experienced in the Warsaw Ghetto was awful and that ‘life couldn’t get any worse’ but Auschwitz was ‘without a shadow of doubt, the worst place on earth.’ The words: Welcome to hell, as one woman said, were so true.

There are so many touching scenes in this novel and one between Azriel and his father Leopold at Auschwitz, I don’t think I will ever forget. As they made peace with each other, the demonstration and brilliance of love, forgiveness and sacrifice made me weep.

Over and over Siobhan shows us through her beloved characters, the courage with which many of these women and men fought back. It gave them hope, strength and purpose being part of something organised to battle against the Germans. There were also physical reminders like Izabel’s pendant of Saint Bridget that kept her believing she could survive and reunite with her friends.

There were those who were forced to fight against the Jews who did not want to. One soldier in the story was quite horrified by all that was happening. This helps us remember there were people caught in the middle between duty and conscience and the desire to flee and not get blood on their hands. Some of these people tried to make amends and sought forgiveness by helping those who were persecuted.

Adela keeps the words “Be strong and have courage’ foremost in her heart when faced with some awful scenes. ‘There, glimmering in the dark, was the most incredible array of stars, also bearing witness to the breathtaking resilience of the human spirit.’ This is the theme of the novel and obviously the inspiration for the book’s title. A message that sings of the determination for human survival. And that love is greater than hate. Although the Nazis tried to destroy the Jews, their actions actually ‘intensified’ the Jewish people’s love for family and friends.

Although this is historical fiction, it is an incredible tribute to the lives of those who endured and those who perished. One of the beautiful aspects of this story is how it shines with the resilience and power of the human spirit. But the main reason this story exists is to remind us of the past horrors so as not to repeat such history. The author has successfully done this and her powerful delivery has changed my heart forever. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my review copy.

Incredible! This will certainly be a top book for 2024. This is the first book by Siobhan Curham that I've read, and I can't wait to read the rest of her books.
The story is incredibly heartbreaking - love, loss, the strong bonds of family and friends, and fighting for what is right. The story is told with incredible detail that really makes you feel what the main characters are living through and trying to survive through.
I can't recommend this book enough and is one of the best WWII historical fiction books I've read (and I read a lot of them!).

A tough read in spots but it's excellent historical fiction, Adela, her brother Azriel and their friend, Izabel are caught in WWII Warsaw, Izabel, a Catholic, will do her best to support Adela and Azriel but the Nazis were bigger than all of them. Who will survive? No spoilers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The Stars Are Our Witness is a heartbreaking and harrowing story of the human spirit. Before the Nazi invasion of Poland, Adela dreamed of becoming a teacher - a path no longer available to her due to the imposition of strict anti-Jewish laws. As the situation around her worsens in Warsaw, she is forced to find new ways to survive. The book covers a lot of time from quite shortly after the first anti-Jewish laws are introduced in Warsaw to the creation of the Warsaw Ghetto to the Warsaw uprising and its eventual destruction. The story then continues with Adela in Auschwitz.

The pacing in this book is good and the chapters relatively short making it a read that immediately draws you in and makes it easy to continue. It wasn’t clear to me from the description but this book is a multi POV. Adela is the focus, but we also experience the POV of Azriel (her brother and a former medical student) and Izabel (her best friend and a Catholic). Through the three of them we also meet a wide representation of people from fervent resistant fighters to reluctant heroes to collaborators.

This book is fiction but it is inspired by the true actions of thousands of people who were forced to endure the unimaginable. There are no winners in war, only survivors and this book does a beautiful job of telling the story of those survivors and the people who lost their lives in order for others to survive.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Siobhan Curham for a digital ARC of this book!

Loved the stars are our witness….Incredible. One of those rare books that should be dispensed on prescription to every household.

This is an amazing book! It has heartbreaking moments and moments of joy! The absolute heroism displayed by many of the characters completely astounded me! There are a few love stories too that balance out the heaviness of the issues that took place in the book.

The characters' personalities and lives are written brilliantly! So many of them touched my heart. I mourned with them and celebrated their victories! I love that the author portrayed real people and events.

This is a must-read! This book and the characters will stay with me for a while. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

I was provided a copy of the book from Bookouture via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a heartbreaking WWII book about a family that looses it all just to find everything.

Isabella and Adela has been friends since childhood and not the Germans nor religion will stand in the way of that.

I enjoyed how we saw the war through Isabella’s eyes as she was a Catholic living in a time period where that gave her privilege. Then we also saw it through the eyes of Adella and her brother Azriel who were Jewish. Both come together to get each other through unimaginable heartbreak.


A beautiful story of friendship and family and the strength of the human spirit.

The Stars Are Our Witness by Siobhan Curham is an inspiring, heartbreaking historical read that consumed me for a few hours.
The novel opens in Warsaw in 1940. It is an occupied city where the Nazis are gradually exterminating the Jewish population. Those who were previously counted as friends are shunning their Jewish neighbours – except for one brave sibling pairing. Kindred spirits cannot be torn apart.
We witness the bravery and daring of even the very young in the fight back against the Nazi occupation. As the grip tightens and the violence escalates, so does the bravery.
The fight back and the resistance looks very different for different characters. They all have very different skill sets – some are called to fight, some to smuggle, and yet some use their feminine wiles to extract information and weapons. Codes of morality blur in times of war.
In contrast, we see the greed and the selfishness of those who collude with the Nazis. Even within families, there are those who are on the side of ‘right’ and those who are out for themselves.
It is heartbreaking to witness a character who thought he was helping as part of the juden rat, but finally realizes he is, in fact, powerless.
We see the Warsaw uprising and witness the aftermath.
As we travel to Auschwitz, we see hell on earth. Characters refuse to roll over and submit, fighting back where they can, in ways that they can. We see sacrifices being made as mouths are kept shut and bodies endure the unthinkable.
There are those who hold on to hope. The stars are the witness to their lives. The stars will forever remain.
Not all Germans are Nazis. Wearing the uniform has broken a soul who does what he can to atone.
All the characters were well drawn and realistic. I was totally engrossed in the book. This is a book that must be read in memory of the six million innocents who perished, and of those who survived.
I received a free copy from the publishers for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Heartbreaking, pulse pounding, inspiring and sobering! Siobhan Curham has done a remarkable job of painting a vivid portrait of the events inside the Warsaw ghetto and then again inside Auschwitz. This is the story about one Jewish family, Adela, her brother Azriel and their dear friend, Izabel who was more of a sister than a friend. Izabel is from a affluent catholic family. She is strong and courageous and there is no limit to what she will do to help and protect her Jewish friends. This story is heartbreaking, thrilling and an absolute page turner. I could not put this book down. While much of the story is about the brutality and cruelty the Jews had to endure, there is so much beauty also told that makes your heart soar and gives you hope that even in the darkest hour, there is goodness to be found. I loved the main characters of this book but I also loved the a part that Jaski played in this story. Such beauty and inspiration in stark contrast to the dark depravity that they endured.

I loved this book, I could not put it down! Thrilling to read from page one until the final page. I can't wait to read more books by Siobhan Curham who is truly a gifted author and story teller! I would give this book 6 stars if I could!

Thank you NetGalley, Siobhan Curham, and Bookouture for the opportunity to review this ARC of The Stars Are Our Witness. All opinions are my own.

What an excellent read! Fans of The Nightingale will love this tale of love, hope, and the indomitable human spirit. The three main characters are impossible to not love and root for. The heaviness of the subject is well balanced with the hope needed to survive such atrocities. There’s a little romance in here too. Beautifully written! I will definitely be recommending this to anyone who loves historical fictions and I will be reading more of Siobhan Curham’s work!

Couldn’t put this book down. Fell in love with all the characters in this book. The heartbreak and devastation that the Jews had to endure was horrific! So many tears were shed but what a powerful book! Highly recommend

I just finished this book in one sitting! Yes it was that good! I loved every word of this book! It was heart wrenching at times, ok, lots of times. But the writing and characters are phenomenal. Pick this book up, grab some tissues, and settle in when this book is released. You don’t want to miss out on this one!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.