Five Start Amazon Reviews
The Last Secret of The Soul: One boy. One Holocaust. One Survivor.
To date, The Last Secret of The Soul has received nothing but 5-star Amazon reviews. Here are the very kind reviews:
22/01/2025 Sam
Wow- just wow ! what a superb read, extremely well written and could just imagine myself actually being there in the characters view point. I read it in two sittings and could easily have carried on and done it in only one, if it hadn't been midnight at the half way point, will definitely be ordering more books form this author.
20/01/2025 Clare
The Second World War is soon to come to an end but for Feitel it is just starting as his father is hauled away from his home in Berlin and Feitel and his mother are forced on the long train journey to the concentration camps. His mother is pushed into a different queue to her young boy. ‘Find somebody to look after you’, she cries. Herded into the dormitory with the other arrivals his new life, alone, is just beginning.
The story centres round Feitel’s journey, from daily life in the concentration camps to their destruction and his opportunity to escape. If he can make it home to Berlin will there be anyone there for him. If not where next?
The story flows along well, the descriptions and events give a vivid picture to the reader. This world is from the viewpoint of a 10 year old boy just starting his other personal journey to adolescence.
He is old enough to see what is happening around him but confused by his changing feelings and sensations. This is what makes the book so special - it is a very sensitive portrait of a very brave child who finds himself surrounded by the very worst of humanity. But the candle of hope burns bright for Feitel, to light his way and guide him to those who are the very best of humanity.
A moving and humbling story.
20/01/2025 Pamela
This is an amazing story of a boy's survival against the odds, beautifully and sensitively told. It is a very moving story and feels true.
20/01/2025 Peter
A Jewish boy aged ten struggles against almost impossible odds to survive the horrors of the Holocaust and find his way to safety. The reader travels with the main character through the story. I could not read the epilogue without feeling a surge of emotion.
17/01/2025 Liane and Bruce
This book is a well written graphic description of a small boy's survival of the holocaust. The author describes the horror of Feitel's imprisonment in a death camp, the loss of his family, and his subsequent journey out of this horror. I found it both moving and disturbing; it was difficult to put down as I was so involved in his story.
15/01/2025 Ellian
A darkly compelling read, the strength of the novel comes from not just the horrors of the Holocaust, but the horrors of industrialised war. The book does not shy away from the horrors of this backdrop but at the same time, a sense of hope and resilience pervades. With echoes of Boyne’s The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, Hillers A Woman In Berlin and even Frankl’s Man’s Search For Meaning this is a compelling read worthy of your time and attention.
12/01/2025 Pinkpachderm
This book is really well written and thoroughly believable. Suitable for teenagers and adults m.
The main character is well drawn and provokes the reader’s sympathy.
It describes a very dark time of our recent history which we must not forget.
11/01/2025 Ellen
This is a brilliantly written tale of one boy's escape from the holocaust as he holds on to the memories of his mother. It's about the enduring bonds between family both old and new. Feitel is driven by his mothers final piece of advice to find someone to look after him. Poignant advice that both haunts and offers hope in equal measure, although not everyone Feitel meets is as welcoming as he might hope. Tension is everpresant as the characters struggle to survive starvation, murder, and worse. It's an arresting read that doesn't pull its punches.
The characters are really well drawn. In the final act there's a solid cast that help widen the readers focus. I was really invested in everyone's fates and kept wondering about them even when I was at work. There were multiple times where I felt my stomach drop as I knew someone wasn't going get out unscathed.
Smith is a brilliant storyteller - he knows when to let events speak for themselves and approaches the many horrors of the second world war with refreshingly simple descriptions that cut to your core without needing to revel in voyeuristic description. As a reader, the mingling of trauma and quiet hope is really moving and keeps you reading even at the darkest points.
I was absolutely hooked from the beginning. If you have an interest in historical fiction, this is a must-read.
To date, The Last Secret of The Soul has received nothing but 5-star Amazon reviews. Here are the very kind reviews:
22/01/2025 Sam
Wow- just wow ! what a superb read, extremely well written and could just imagine myself actually being there in the characters view point. I read it in two sittings and could easily have carried on and done it in only one, if it hadn't been midnight at the half way point, will definitely be ordering more books form this author.
20/01/2025 Clare
The Second World War is soon to come to an end but for Feitel it is just starting as his father is hauled away from his home in Berlin and Feitel and his mother are forced on the long train journey to the concentration camps. His mother is pushed into a different queue to her young boy. ‘Find somebody to look after you’, she cries. Herded into the dormitory with the other arrivals his new life, alone, is just beginning.
The story centres round Feitel’s journey, from daily life in the concentration camps to their destruction and his opportunity to escape. If he can make it home to Berlin will there be anyone there for him. If not where next?
The story flows along well, the descriptions and events give a vivid picture to the reader. This world is from the viewpoint of a 10 year old boy just starting his other personal journey to adolescence.
He is old enough to see what is happening around him but confused by his changing feelings and sensations. This is what makes the book so special - it is a very sensitive portrait of a very brave child who finds himself surrounded by the very worst of humanity. But the candle of hope burns bright for Feitel, to light his way and guide him to those who are the very best of humanity.
A moving and humbling story.
20/01/2025 Pamela
This is an amazing story of a boy's survival against the odds, beautifully and sensitively told. It is a very moving story and feels true.
20/01/2025 Peter
A Jewish boy aged ten struggles against almost impossible odds to survive the horrors of the Holocaust and find his way to safety. The reader travels with the main character through the story. I could not read the epilogue without feeling a surge of emotion.
17/01/2025 Liane and Bruce
This book is a well written graphic description of a small boy's survival of the holocaust. The author describes the horror of Feitel's imprisonment in a death camp, the loss of his family, and his subsequent journey out of this horror. I found it both moving and disturbing; it was difficult to put down as I was so involved in his story.
15/01/2025 Ellian
A darkly compelling read, the strength of the novel comes from not just the horrors of the Holocaust, but the horrors of industrialised war. The book does not shy away from the horrors of this backdrop but at the same time, a sense of hope and resilience pervades. With echoes of Boyne’s The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, Hillers A Woman In Berlin and even Frankl’s Man’s Search For Meaning this is a compelling read worthy of your time and attention.
12/01/2025 Pinkpachderm
This book is really well written and thoroughly believable. Suitable for teenagers and adults m.
The main character is well drawn and provokes the reader’s sympathy.
It describes a very dark time of our recent history which we must not forget.
11/01/2025 Ellen
This is a brilliantly written tale of one boy's escape from the holocaust as he holds on to the memories of his mother. It's about the enduring bonds between family both old and new. Feitel is driven by his mothers final piece of advice to find someone to look after him. Poignant advice that both haunts and offers hope in equal measure, although not everyone Feitel meets is as welcoming as he might hope. Tension is everpresant as the characters struggle to survive starvation, murder, and worse. It's an arresting read that doesn't pull its punches.
The characters are really well drawn. In the final act there's a solid cast that help widen the readers focus. I was really invested in everyone's fates and kept wondering about them even when I was at work. There were multiple times where I felt my stomach drop as I knew someone wasn't going get out unscathed.
Smith is a brilliant storyteller - he knows when to let events speak for themselves and approaches the many horrors of the second world war with refreshingly simple descriptions that cut to your core without needing to revel in voyeuristic description. As a reader, the mingling of trauma and quiet hope is really moving and keeps you reading even at the darkest points.
I was absolutely hooked from the beginning. If you have an interest in historical fiction, this is a must-read.
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