I read a ton of WW2 historical fiction, and this was one of the most heartbreaking and vivid of all the novels set in this sphere that I have read. Hamand digs deep to create characters that the reader connects with deeply. This novel will stick with me. I'd recommend it to any historical fiction fan.

Meg Hamand’s “Diamonds in Auschwitz” is a heart-wrenching WWII novel that intertwines the stories of a diamond engagement ring’s journey from Prague to Auschwitz and its impact on people. The book vividly portrays life in Auschwitz and its aftermath, highlighting the resilience of its survivors. A must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Greenleaf Book Group and Meg Hamand for this ARC.

Diamonds in Auschwitz is a poignant story about love and hope, shining through even in the darkest of times.

We follow Rachel and Chaya, Samual and Hanna and their tales of friendship and love, powering through in the face of adversity and trying to find hope even when it feels like all is lost.

I enjoyed that the story is told from different points of view, all weaving together to create the wider story. There were little snippets dotted throughout and call backs at various points showing how each characters lives were so interwoven.

Whilst no story about Auschwitz will ever be a pleasant read, based on true events or not, reading about the love, happiness and joy each woman felt at different points in their lives shows how important it is to celebrate the little things in life as you don’t know if or when that could be ripped away.

This is such a sad and horrifying story based on true events.
Some of it was very difficult to read, but the truth about the brutality of the Nazis must be told again and again.
The world looked on while 6 million Jews were murdered.
Read this book so you can say NEVER AGAIN.

A WWII story that is easy to follow and get drawn deep into the story. The characters are well written. Heartbreaking!

(posted on Goodreads with additional information)

Diamonds of Auschwitz: A Novel by Meg Hamand
3.75/5 Stars
Read March 2025 - ARC

Diamonds of Auschwitz is a beautiful novel about the power of hope…and how grief can destroy you.

Positive messages: 3/5
Characters risk everything for those they love. They understand that people die, but some live. They have to overcome the overwhelming sense of grief and learn how to hope. Courage is the most evident trait present, although many others can be seen as well.

Positive role models: 3.5/5
Rachael has lost everything she loves and still perseveres and tries to find hope in even the most despair of times. Readers will connect with her brokenness and longing for something—anything to cling to.
Catarina, Rachael’s first-born child, is a support system for her before the war and thoughts of her take up most of her mind’s capacity. Readers will see that their bond is strong and be inspired by this.
Chaya, a young girl in Auschwitz, looks up to Rachael for support and comfort and Rachael gives it. She is strong, brave and kind and doesn’t hate even the ones who persecute her. She looks through a glass-half-full perspective, and readers will admire her for that.
Irine, Rachael’s friend and support in Auschwitz, is wise and honest. She takes care of Chaya some later in the novel.
Frau Friedl cares deeply about the children he teaches (he is an art teacher with Hanna) but respects authority and keeps his mouth shut when he needs to.
Samual, one of the main characters, is not afraid of the future and what it holds. He is passionate about his work. He won’t wait for the approval of others when he knows an action is right. His love for his girlfriend (soon to be fiance!), Hanna, is inspiring. Hanna isn’t afraid to be herself and to speak her mind. She isn’t ashamed of her religion, either. She hates to sit and do nothing—she wants to make a difference and help others! However, it seems impossible and much too risky.
Quote from Hanna—to show readers how she looks at life:
“‘You never walked the Charles Bridge?’ she teased. ‘You really need me in your life, don’t you?’
He laughed. ‘Very true. I walked the bridge, I just never looked up to see where I was going.’
‘Many people live their entire lives that way,’ Hanna mused. ‘But you miss so much. Look at this.’ She threw her arms wide and gestured to the city. ‘It’s a sea of stone. Every rooftop is a unique seashell with all of its different shapes and colors.’”

Greta is a side character but risks her well-being and reputation for a man she has known only for a few years.
David, a friend of Samual’s, rebels against the Nazis and their tyranny no matter the cost.
(Negative) Most soldiers are insensitive and completely dehumanize those they guard, especially Jews. However some guards, like Elke (gave Chaya a piece of chocolate/spoke to her kindly), have a kind side to them.

Drinking, Drugs, and Smoking: 0/5
None present.

Language: 1/5
‘B—h,’ ‘hell,’ and few others are used very infrequently.

Violence, Gore, and Scariness: 2.5/5
A Nazi throws a woman’s baby onto the tracks of a train and he dies (not graphically described but a heavy thought). Soldiers kick a street dog and it’s in pain. Soldiers punch, grab, slap, and shoot innocent people. Jews are constantly in fear and reprimanded/hated for no reason.

Sex, Romance, and Nudity: 1/5
Characters share innocent kisses.

What You Should Know:
I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The cover is…okay. Not my favorite. But I enjoyed the book! The writing is beautiful and poetic and the characters, especially Chaya, are very relatable. Their grief and hope feels so real while reading.
I completely 100% recommend this one to you. It’s completely clean, which is hard to find in novels that take place at such an intense time. However, be warned that it doesn’t sugar coat anything. Death is ever present and characters’ perspectives on it can be heartbreaking and heavy for younger readers. I would say 13-14+ if the reader is mature and has read other books like this one.
Happy reading!

Age Range Recommendation: 13+ A Historical Fiction
TRIGGER WARNINGS/ADULT CONTENT: WAR, DEATH OF LOVED ONES, TRAUMA/PTSD, VIOLENCE

This was such a heart wrenching story. I loved the two stories that ended up entwined together. This book shows life in Auschwitz and life before and in a Auschwitz for a couple. I loved hearing both stories and hearing how they found joy even with everything they were going through. If you enjoy reading stories about World War 2 prison camps and the survivors of those camps this is a good book to read.

4.5⭐️

[a copy of this book was provided to me by the published from netgalley. thank you!]

a deeply personal and touching story about survival in auschwitz. i enjoyed the writing style and character development, and the historical worldbuilding seemed quite accurate.

Books about Auschwitz will never be easy to read, and this book is no exception. Diamonds in Auschwitz was a heartbreaking story about love, the desire for hope and connection, and what it took to survive the Holocaust.

The story followed a Jewish woman, Rachael, and a young Jewish child that she befriended, Chaya, who were imprisoned together in Auschwitz. Rachael and Chaya's factual experiences in the brutal concentration camp gave me so many emotions - anger, bitterness, and disbelief, as well as love and hope. Interwoven is also the story of Hanna and Samual, a young Jewish couple living in Prague and planning for a future together during the time of the German occupation. Samual gave Hanna a gorgeous engagement ring that became a symbol of hope and resistance throughout the entire book. The book alternated between these stories and their timelines, and the ending finally made the beautiful yet heartbreaking connection between all of the characters.

When Rachael found a gorgeous diamond engagement ring in the mud outside of Auschwitz, I think it gave her a reason to hope and a small way to stand up to the Nazis. The ring allowed her to form a connection with Chaya, who had no one. The relationship between Rachael and Chaya was so sweet, and I cannot imagine the sacrificial love that Rachael, who had lost her entire family, was able to have again in Chaya.

Meg Hammond did a brilliant job of creating a fictional story based on factual events that she researched. If you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend this book!

Some book will leave an everlasting impression: Diamonds in Auschwitz is one of those.
Brilliantly written by Meg Hamand with a story that breaks your heart and sadly enough really happened, even though the character were mostly fictional.
So many lines in this book that hit me hard: ‘they can’t kill us all’ or ‘the frog that remains in water that is slowly heated to boiling’ comparing the complacency of the Jews who didn’t react to a worsening situation until it was too late.
So many emotions in this book: hate, love, selfishness and most of all..the acceptance of their fate.
Meg Hamand, you are truly a brilliant author and I can’t wait to see your next work!
Side note: my father was in a camp for 2 years, these kind of books make me understand his strange behavior when I grew up!

This was such a story of hope and survival. I enjoyed reading about Rachael and her friendship with the young girl Chaya and how she found the diamond ring. I also loved reading about the love story between Samuel and Hanna. The author did a great job of intervening their stories through the book. The writing of the story is very emotional and quite detailed. I would recommend this book to anyone who like historical fiction, friendship, love and good books.

The sad story of a diamond ring - and the human diamonds that survived the horrors of the Holocaust. Normally I don’t like time switches, but the switches between the man who bought the ring for his beloved and the woman who found it in Auschwitz worked.