ARC review

A beautiful and harrowing story which broke my heart.

The author treated the awful events with such respect. The character building was done really well, causing strong and painful connections.

Very hard to read, but so, so worth it.
Have tissues to hand.

The Seamstress of Auschwitz narrates the expirience of Sara and her Jewish family amidst the turmoil of World War II. As their once-thriving community turns against them, their cherished family tailoring business is shattered. Sara and her sisters are ultimately thrust into the harrowing reality of a Nazi concentration camp, navigating the harshest of things.

I’m passionate about historical fiction, especially World War II novels, as I’m fascinated by that period of history. This book was a captivating read; its simplicity made it accessible, while its depth allowed readers to deeply empathize with the characters.

This was a heartbreakingly beautiful story of love and loss in the concentration camps it is a beautiful story of survival when political ideology and religion causes man to be inhumane to others .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me

Thank you NetGalley and Book Whisperer for this eCopy to review

The Seamstress of Auschwitz is a poignant and gripping historical fiction novel set during one of the darkest periods in human history, WWII. This novel, inspired by true events, offers a harrowing yet hopeful tale of survival, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit.

The story follows Sara, a young Jewish woman from a family of talented tailors and seamstresses in Germany. As the Nazi regime rises to power, Sara’s life is turned upside down. She and her sisters are sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp and later transferred to Auschwitz. Their survival hinges on their ability to sew exquisite garments for the wives of SS officers and Nazi dignitaries

Amidst the horrors of the camp, Sara’s determination and skill as a seamstress become her lifeline. The novel also explores her journey from the displaced persons camps to the shores of Palestine, driven by her relentless pursuit of the man who once saved her life

Sara nearly dies from a number of illnesses, and nearly gives up, but her spirit is strong and her family and friends make sure she survives. Sara has a great deal of hope and always believes that there is a better life if she can survive, she never gives up hope of meeting Paul again and waits everyday at his Uncle's café

I was caught up in Sara's story and praying for her to survive, McAdam really brought home the horrors of the concentration camps and how families were destroyed. A very powerful and moving story, that will stay with me for a long time.

I enjoyed this book. It isn’t so different than other historical fiction books about young girls sent to concentration camps, but each one strikes at one’s heart. And every person who lost their lives in those deserves to be remembered by the living. So I will happily read any historical fiction or non fiction from this time.
Sara wasn’t a flawless character but she was a real character. She did what she could to keep her and her sisters alive until she couldn’t. With a little help from some along the way.

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

The Seamstress Of Auschwitz is a new and incredibly powerful Second World War historical fiction novel from author C. K. McAdam. This was my first time reading anything from the author and I believe hers is a newer voice in the genre but she has a compelling writing style which has crafted an unforgettable story.

Told through a first-person narrative, we follow Sara and her family through their time in Ravensbrück and then Auschwitz as they depend heavily on their skills as seamstresses to survive. It’s an incredibly emotional and harrowing story which had me sobbing at times and is a brilliant tribute to the bravery, determination and resilience of those in the concentration camps.

The chapters prior to the family being arrested were also very good and they touched on subjects such as the Kindertransport. We often see historical fiction novels covering what was happening in the larger cities in Germany so it was interesting to have the story initially set in a smaller town, just south of Hamburg.

This is a very fast-paced story which is on the shorter side. This did mean that at times it lacked the depth I wanted certain chapters to have, particularly those exploring the deaths of Sara’s different family members. It felt at times like those deaths happened, many of them very traumatically, but the plot just moved on regardless. I can understand to a degree that that was ultimately life in the concentration camps; people died and everyone else just had to carry on and try and stay alive themselves, but ultimately I do think that we did need greater depth in these scenes to do them justice.

Overall, The Seamstress Of Auschwitz is a powerful and compelling story which is a strong addition to the Second World War historical fiction genre. I’m excited to see what comes next from C. K. McAdam.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I have posted my review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk

*Thank you to NetGalley, C. K. McAdam and Book Whisperer.

This book was a unique perspective dealing with WWII and the concentration camps. It was also written with an entirely different feel than any other book approaching the same topics....I waited to write a review hoping that I could adequately put into words how this book moved and effected me, but I simply can't. Highly recommend-five stars from me!!!

This was my first book by C.K. McAdam and I absolutely loved it.
Whilst it's a harrowing read at times, it shows the resilience of the human spirit, how we can overcome even the most horrifying of ordeals and rise again, like a phoenix from the ashes, and rebuild our lives.
I came to care for Sara and her family as if they were my own, so I felt their pain and confusion as well as the love they shared for each other.
We must never forget the atrocities of WWII.
Thank you to NetGalley and Paper Forest Press for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Seamstress of Auschwitz by C.K. McAdam is a heartbreaking story. The story begins with Sara celebrating her 100th birthday surrounded by her family. She is in a full time nursing facility. While Sarah’s memories are painful she know she must past the stories on the next generation so that no one will forget.

When Sara was 14 she was given a used sewing machine. Her father was a master tailor. He wanted to pass this trade down to his daughter’s so they can take over the shop. Unfortunately Sara’s father’s dream will never be realized. It was shattered by the rise of the Nazi party in Poland. Being a seamstress literally saved her and her sisters lives.

The sisters are transferred to Auschwitz. The Commandant's wife was a bit of a fashionista. She made a deal with the sisters that if they sewed her clothing they would be protected. It starts out with this Commandant’s wife and quickly spread to her wealthy friends. By the time the camp gets liberated it is just Sara left.

Her journey continues to Displaced Persons Camps. She finds herself going to Palestine in search of the man who saved her life in Auschwitz. She waits daily at his Uncles Restaurant praying for his return. The rest of the story would be a spoiler so you just have to read it.

Sarah is rich, deep character who the reader continues to cheer for throughout the story. Obviously this is a tale of survival, sisterhood, sacrifice, and love.

I would like to thank the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Review ✨️

☆Amazing historical fiction♡

This story follows Sara and her family, who are Jewish and dealing with the horrid Nazi campaign during World War Two. The author wrote a beautiful, heartbreaking novel. It was definitely difficult to read at some points, but I truly enjoyed it. It sheds a light on what it was like living back then. I don't think I'll ever forget this story!

Thanks so much to Book Whisperer and Netgalley for the ARC!

The Seamstress of Auschwitz follows Sara and her family, and how their lives changed living in pre-war Germany, war-torn Germany, concentration camps and after liberation. Elements of truth were taken to create this novel but, for me, I would have preferred it if more stories had been taken from survivors. There are far too many people who survived the concentration camps and they are important stories to tell. The book did well to show the drastic changes the family went through, but I felt as though parts of the Ravensbrück and Auschwitz were watered down and almost romanticised. Perhaps this was because the book was short and so the author couldn’t write in as much detail, but this felt like a costly sacrifice.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful and tragic historical fiction tale. Such a sad story that is hard to hear. World War Two stories especially with Auschwitz’ are so sad but important.

Sara and her sisters are German Jews who are seamstresses. As war breaks out, the family is separated. Sara and her sister Helene are in Auschwitz. When the commandants wife needs seamstresses to sew her clothes and those of her wealthy friends, she enlists the best seamstresses in Auschwitz. After the camp is liberated, Sara is finding her purpose in life again.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book.

Heart rending story of the Nazi atrocities and total disregard for life.
Sara Schonflies and her sisters are spared when they are sent to Auschwitz because of their
sewing abilities.. Their father, a respected and well known tailor taught them the trade and they excelled .When they were captured, along with their mother and young niece, the three sisters were sent to be seamtresses for the Nazi's commander's wife while their mother and niece were murdered by the Nazis. Their father had been killed in his shop.
The story is one of survival against all odds, and never giving in or giving up.
As Sara speaks of the horrors and total depravity of the Nazi regime, it is easy to think that this has to be a total fiction tale because your mind can simply not accept that any human being, anywhere, could ever treat another human being in such a way.
In the worst moments of her struggles to stay alive, amidst the ravages of starvation and disease, you find yourself encouraging her, right out loud, to hang on and hang in.
Great writing but totally heartbreaking.
Here's to all the grandchildren and great grandchildren who are keeping the family stories alive.
Write them down and never stop sharing them.

I love historical fiction- especially if it takes place around WWII. Something about the era really speaks to me. This book pulled no punches with the raw reality that was the horror of these concentration camps. The evil set upon these groups of people were immeasurable. As a mother my heart broke with Alice- having to endure what no mother should ever go through. My heart further broke for Helene who just wanted to change the world. For Sara, who just wanted her family. For Clara who had to endure it all alone in a foreign country. For Georg who felt helpless. For the mothers and fathers and grandparents that just wants their kids safe. And for Paul, who risked it all only to never reach his future.

Sara Schönflies, a young Jewish woman from a line of gifted tailors and seamstresses, finds her world shattered by the rise of the Nazi regime in 1932. When Sara and her sisters are transferred to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, their talent becomes a lifeline. Their survival hinges on sewing beautiful dresses for the wives of SS officers and Nazi dignitaries. Amidst the horrors and suffering, Sara's determination, her sisters' unwavering courage, and defiance, and the unexpected friendship with a member of the Sonderkommando become beacons of hope. Once released from the concentration camp, Sara's journey continues as she searches for the man who had once saved her life. From displaced persons camps to the distant shores of Palestine, Sara's heartrending journey continues as she searches relentlessly for the man who had once saved her life.

This is a gripping tale of survival, sacrifice, sisterhood, and unbreakable love inspired by actual events. The author is an amazing writer and her descriptions of the events and the camps are very vivid. I have read many historical fiction books about Auschwitz, but this one ranks with the best. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for introducing me to this author. I will be looking for other books that she has written. I highly recommend this to anyone who reads about WWII.

A thoroughly engrossing book..wan’t to read it quickly but controlled myself. Well written. The horrendous accounts of what people went through was unbelievable. Thought I would have already read most of them but found out not. This is a must read for those who like to read historical fiction. I am anticipating her next book.

Not what I expected. Did not like it as much as I wanted to. Some camp scenes unbelievable for the situation. Little character errors (character name changes in text) It was just okay. I expected better. However, this may be because most homicides books I read are non fiction true accounts.

I finished it but there were a few times I wasn't sure if I really wanted to push through... I found the style very similar to 'the tattooist of Aushwitz', which I thought was hot garbage and DNF but if you liked it then you'll probably like this. There really was a fashion salon in Auschwitz so it's unfortunate that this book missed the mark in telling that story.

It reads like a watered down romanticized version of what the camps were actually like.

Sara was really hard to relate to and feel empathy for. She vehemently objects to sending her younger family members (one only a niece meanwhile the child's father is part of the resistance and would have taken any opportunity to save the kid) on the kinder transports but doesn't grasp the ramifications of her opinion until years later.

She somehow has all this freedom to run around the camp at all hours and has wild ambitions to sneak out her sister in a pile of corpses(?!) like WTF.

She declines a sure trip out of the country because she wants to try and meet up with a guy she only met a few times...

I have read several books with this genre and all of them have touched me in some way, this was no different, the story of Sara and her family, her loves and her losses and the cruelty endured daily. As a read it was quite a short book and I think it became obvious what was going to happen but that did not distract from the story. The subject matter is awful as we all know what happened in these camps and it’s by storytelling that we continue to remember those that didn’t return.