The Child Who Lived

by Ellie Midwood

Austria, 1942: In Mauthausen concentration camp, two prisoners dare to fall in love. When a baby is born – a miracle baby born behind the gates of hell – they vow to escape. Inspired by true events, this powerful World War Two novel tells the incredible and inspirational tale of two ordinary people who risk everything to achieve the impossible.

As Lore is pushed through the towering gates of Mauthausen concentration camp, she holds little hope of ever leaving, knowing that usually death is the only way out.

But soon, when Lore meets fellow prisoner Wolf , she commits the ultimate act of resistance against the brutal SS by falling desperately in love, finding solace and hope in this hell on earth. And when Lore falls pregnant, they know they have to fight to not only survive, but escape.

Together they must achieve the bringing new life into a death camp, and risking their own to ensure their child who wasn’t meant to survive, will become the child who lived…

Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Choice will be incredibly gripped by this tearjerking page-turner. Based on true events, this unforgettable World War Two novel shows that even in darkness, love can sometimes find a way.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Fiction, Historical, World War II, Audiobook

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 15, 2023

About the author

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author, whose works have been translated into 20 languages. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, "The Girl from Berlin." Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.

In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her husband and their three dogs.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Austria in 1942, Hannelore Stroman was working for good, trying to counteract the bad that was surrounding them. But when she was arrested, jailed then sent on to Ravensbrück, the German concentration camp for women only, Lore knew her life was changing. She also knew she was happy to be away from her overbearing, arrogant but cowardly husband. Eventually sent to Mauthausen concentration camp with a few other women - all clean - they were the only women in a men's camp, there to service the needs of the men...

Mauthausen was brutal for the inmates. The cruelty of the SS in the death camp, a camp designed to have the inmates leave one way only, saw Lore and her friends working within the system, doing their best to keep on the right side, but objecting behind the scenes. And then Lore met Wolf - a kindhearted journalist who was determined to escape the tyranny. When the two fell in love, that determination rose one hundredfold. Pregnancy and birth was something not allowed in Mauthausen. Could they hide it from the oppressors?

The Child Who Lived is based on true events, and brought to life by Ellie Midwood in a most poignant and heartbreaking way. But there was hope, there was laughter, and there was love. The women surrounding Lore were all like sisters, determined to have each other's backs. And Wolf was an exceptional character. I've really enjoyed previous books by this author, and this one didn't disappoint either. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley and Bookoutune and the fantastic author Ellie Midwood for an early copy of her book.


This is my first read from this author, and it wont be my last.This book starts with Lore in a divorce court,her husband calls her a dirty Whore.she tells her side to the judge.Lore becomes a prisoner in ww2 in death camps where she sees death,torture.she has to survive she ends up in a brothel the only way to survive she becomes friends with the girls.and meets wolf a gentle guy and ends up pregnant how can she hide her bump and will the child survive in a camp...an emotional story a great read.Highly recommend....

[Ildiko Szendrei · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐ - pentru stilul de scriere. Subiectul putea fi lejer de 5⭐. Dar durează aproape jumătate de carte ca cele două personaje principale să se cunoască. În prima jumătate, personajul masculin nici nu există. Iar mai apoi, după ce apare povestea de dragoste și copilul, totul se derulează cu o viteză fulminantă. Din păcate, subiectul cărții a fost tratat superficial.

[Loredana Mariana Bublitchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Când Lore ajunge în lagărul de concentrare de la Mauthausen, nu-și face speranțe că va mai scăpa de aici cu viață, dar întâlnirea lui Wolf, un deținut politic, îi trezește speranța, alături de alte sentimente pe care le uitase cum se simt și trăiesc…

O poveste de la care mi-aș fi dorit mult mai mult, potențial a fost din plin și se putea cu totul altfel dezvolta acțiunea, să-mi trezească la viață emoțiile pe care mi le-a ațâțat de-a lungul paginilor. Nu contest, m-a durut sufletul pentru cele petrecute în lagăr, nu cunoșteam că la Mauthausen fusese un bordel, știam doar că este un lagăr de bărbați și femeile nu-și aveau locul acolo, dar se pare că ceea ce știam eu a fost puțin comparativ cu ce mi-a mai dezvăluit “Copilul care a supraviețuit”. Ăsta cred că-mi este semnul să mă apuc de “Fotograful de la Mauthausen”…

Revenind la titlu, mă asteptam să fie mai dezvoltată povestea despre copil, să fie mai prezent, nu doar în ultimele pagini ale cărții, Lore fiind personajul în jurul căreia se învârte acțiunea, dar și cum a fost viața sa înainte și după eliberarea din lagăr. Chiar și așa, mă bucur că am mai aflat ceva nou din perioada celui de-Al Doilea Război Mondial și cu siguranță voi căuta mai multe info despre lagărul de concentrare de la Mauthausen.

[PETRONELA ATOMEI · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dupa ce este data afara din postul de dactilografa de la banca, pentru ca sotul ei nu vroia ca ea sa lucreze ci sa se ocupe mai mult de casa si de el ( ete fleosc, sa stea la curu lui si sa.i faca mofturile de baiat razgaiat), Lore ajunge sa lucreze ca dactilografa pentru SS. Aici insa se foloseste de pozitia ei pentru a.si ajuta prietenii evrei.
Ajunge sa fie prinsa ca.i ajuta pe evrei, astfel este considerata dusman si ajunge sa fie trimisa in lagar.
Acolo trece prin chinuri de nedescris, face foame, este batuta pana aproape sa.si dea ultima suflare. Intr.o zi insa ajunge sa fie mutata la un bordel, lucrand ca prostituata.
Desi viata devine si mai grea decat inainte, incepe sa iasa soarele pe strada ei cand il intalneste pe detinutul politic Wolf.
Impreuna isi doresc sa faca dreptate si ajung sa spere ca intr.o zi vor scapa din lagarul Mauthausen.
Cei doi se indragostesc, iar Lore ramane insarcinata. Stia foarte bine ca un copil ii va pune viata si planurile in pericol, dar oare ce alege Lore sa faca?
Copilul care a supravietuit este o carte dura, o carte despre iubire si despre miracolul de a fi mama, despre puterea de a supravietui unor atrocitati de neimaginat. Finalul mi.a smuls cateva lacrimi.
Mi.a placut enorm desi la inceput am fost oarecum reticienta. V.o recomand spre lectura!!!

5⭐️

[citesc_cu_sufletul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lore lucrează ca dactilografă în slujba SS-ului, profitând de poziția pe care o deține pentru a își ajuta prietenii evrei să plece din țară, dar acest lucru o costă scump: libertatea și poate chiar viața. Aceasta ajunge în lagărul pentru femei Ravensbruck, apoi este transferată la Mauthausen, lagărul celor 186 de scări ale morții sau "tocătorul de oase", pentru a lucra alături de alte femei în bordelul deschis la ordinele lui Himmler pentru a satiface nevoile deținuților și a îi motiva să muncească.

Dar Lore se îndrăgostește de un deținut politic pe nume Wolf, sfidând astfel regimul. Când află că a rămas însărcinată, aceștia pun la cale un plan de evadare, pentru că altfel șansele de supraviețuire ale bebelușului sunt nule.

Bazat pe evenimente reale din timpul celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial, "Copilul care a supravieţuit" ne prezintă o poveste incredibilă a doi oameni care reușesc să aducă pe lume o nouă viață, în mijlocul unui lagăr al morții.

Deși am citit o multitudine de cărți care au ca subiect ororile comise de naziști și credeam că nu mă mai poate surprinde nimic, m-am înșelat amarnic. Am rămas plăcut surprinsă de "Copilul care a supravieţuit", m-a revoltat și emoționat, deopotrivă.

Recunosc, în schimb, că mi-aș fi dorit ca subiectul să fie aprofundat mai mult, pentru că avea un potențial imens. Pe alocuri am simțit că acțiunea merge pe repede-înainte, iar despre copilul care a supraviețuit aflăm prea puține detalii.

[Petruta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lore, o tânără ariană, este trimisă în lagărul de concentrare Mauthausen și acuzată de trădare pentru că a ajutat un medic evreu cu bani și cu acte false. Medicul îi pusese diagnosticul soțului de infertilitate, diagnostic refuzat de acesta. Lore nu are speranțe că va scăpa cu viață din lagăr. 

Curând, Lore, îl întâlnește pe deținutul politic Wolf, iar dorința lui arzătoare de libertate și încrederea de a se face dreptate i se aprind și ei în suflet. Cei doi se îndrăgostesc cu disperare unul de celălalt, Lore rămâne însărcinată și hotărăsc să evadeze pentru a salva bebelușul născut din rodul iubirii lor.

După ce naște, este prea slăbită să evadeze și decid cu inima grea ca Wolf să plece, împreună cu cel mic, în speranța revederii cândva, în cazul în care vor supraviețui toți trei.

Copilul care a supraviețuit este inspirată după evenimentele reale și spune povestea a doi oameni care își riscă viața pentru a reuși imposibilul.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie Midwood writes with such clarity in describing human emotions that the reader slides effortlessly into the story. You easily identify with the characters from different times and places, making reading this book a visceral experience. The graphic brutality and atrocities endured by female prisoners in Ravensbruck and Mauthausen were at times overwhelming and difficult to read. However, if they had to experience it, we can certainly bear witness to it.

The story is told with a dual timeline, beginning in an Austrian divorce court in 1946. We learn of Lore's story as she tells it to the judge. The writing is so smooth that I barely noticed as the story switched between past and present. The unconditional support and love that these women had for each other soothed my soul. Even in the darkest of nightmares, their compassion and humanity never faltered.

As Judge Brodbeck said about Lore, "a rebel with a moral compass always pointing in the right direction in spite of the circumstances." High praise indeed. This was an excellent book, dealing with a stark reality for women often overlooked in WW II historical fiction. It will be released on August 15, 2023.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read the ARC. The review and opinions are my own.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just reviewed The Child Who Lived by Ellie Midwood. #TheChildWhoLived #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of Ellie Midwood's book entitled The Child Who Lived. It was a great book. It is about a prisoner in a concentration camp during WWII. It is a different take of the historical fictions that I have previously read. The characters come to life with the reader experiencing all of the emotions of the characters. I rated this a five star book and would highly recommend it to those who enjoy reading historical fiction.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 5 out of 5]

World War II novels are hard to get through, and this was no exception. Yet the writing of fictional characters and reimagined circumstances built upon the stones of the true happenings in Mauthausen - as far as they are known - kept me coming back to find out where it all led.

Hannelore Falk's story, and those whose stories I'm not often brave enough to approach, these as told by Ellie Midwood reminded me: those victims had lives to live (and unnaturally leave). I at the very least must by reading acknowledge and try to grasp the weight of that terror. While the book is a very good one, with noble purpose at its core, all the stars in this venue are for the purpose of wholeheartedly recommending the reading of it, to consider as the narrative unfolds the survival, sacrifice, and imposition of horrific wrongs at the hands of unthinkable evils which need to be remembered, and from which we must ever be on guard.

She's written more, such as The Violinist of Auschwitz.

*A sincere thank you to Ellie Midwood, Bookouture, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.*

[petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But, in the end, determination won over fear. As heroic men were dying in hundreds, Lore swore to herself that her child would live—as the only act of resistance to the Nazis available to her, as a tiny drop in the ocean of lives in desperate need to be replaced, as a member of a new generation that would never repeat the mistakes of its fathers—she swore that she would protect this child with her life.
So the child who wasn’t meant to survive would become a child who lived."

One of my favorite quotes that gave me goosebumps.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC read.

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it! There were descriptions that gave me visions of nightmares, and also passages that provided hopeful and wholesome short glimpses. I got mad, I laughed even, and the only reason why I give it four stars (4 and a half really) is because I was close to, but in the end didn't cry.

[Sheila's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story opens in 1946 during a divorce proceeding. The husband spewing derogatory terms about his "whore" wife ,
It's here Lore opens up about the horrors of the Mauthausen concentration camp, or THE BONE GRINDER as it was called by It's prisoners.

The story very seamlessly goes back and forth between the courtroom and the the years at the camp (1942-1945).
She tells of the atrocities the soldier's put them through, the sexual slavery when a brothel was
constructed, the food rations and beatings. Throughout all that, Lore inexplicably finds love and unknowingly conceives a child ....in the darkest of times.
All the women know that if found out , this is an instant execution for her and the unborn child.

This is a story of strength, bravery and the bonds of sisterhood during the worst times in history.


𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱

I highly recommend you read this wonderful albeit heartbreaking novel, in the hopes that the victims never be forgotten

Thank you to netgally and bookstore for the arc. All reviews and opinions are my own.
Publication date - 15 August 2023

[Elza Ilina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un roman cu un potențial enorm, o poveste bună însă pe alocuri am avut impresia că totul a mers atât de repede, încât s-a pierdut esența.

[Cristina Danila · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! This historical fiction novel is about a woman who found love while going through the worst of humankind. The story starts with the main character getting a divorce in the present. Through her divorce testimony we hear about her past: the torture she went through, the sisterhood that saved each other, her finding of true love and her journey to motherhood. Many times jumping into the past can be confusing but the author makes the story easy to follow.

This is the first book I have read by Ellie Midwood but it definitely will not be my last. I finished this book in 2 days because I just kept telling myself “one more chapter and then I will go to sleep”. A lot of WWII stories tend to tell a similar story but this was a story I had not heard before. The author focused on the characters and their stories instead of bogging the storyline down with day to day activities of the concentration camp. I fell in love with all of the characters (minus the bad guys) and felt invested in what was coming next. If you love Historical Fiction then you will not want to miss this one.

[KayG · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an oh, so lovely story of the worst savagery of mankind. Told with realistic detail of the horrors of the Nazi monsters of WWII, the cruelty was unbelievable and personal.

But out of this inhumanity and viciousness there were strong people, who managed to live and love and survive. This book is about those people, and I’m grateful to have read it.

NetGalley.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fabulous but heartbreaking story. I rarely cry when reading a book, but I did for this one. What an awful war was WWII. The author brings to life all the injustices, in a way that kept me reading late into the night.

[Trina Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wonderful Ellie Midwood has done it again, she's written yet another heartbreaking yet inspirational novel set during WW2.
This novel however is slightly different as it begins at the end of the war with Lore having to explain herself in a divorce court. Her husband tries hard to discredit her but luckily the judge wants to hear her side of the story, and what a story it is.
Working for the SS in a Jewish immigration office, Lore is accused of treason when she helps a Jewish Doctor, but instead of death she's sent to a concentration camp, and then moved again to Mauthausen where she falls in love, fights for her life and those around her and finds the strength to survive.
Ellie Midwood bases her novels on real people and this shows with the insight she gives us to her characters, there are those you love and those you detest and this is purely down to the strength of her writing.

Merged review:

The wonderful Ellie Midwood has done it again, she's written yet another heartbreaking yet inspirational novel set during WW2.
This novel however is slightly different as it begins at the end of the war with Lore having to explain herself in a divorce court. Her husband tries hard to discredit her but luckily the judge wants to hear her side of the story, and what a story it is.
Working for the SS in a Jewish immigration office, Lore is accused of treason when she helps a Jewish Doctor, but instead of death she's sent to a concentration camp, and then moved again to Mauthausen where she falls in love, fights for her life and those around her and finds the strength to survive.
Ellie Midwood bases her novels on real people and this shows with the insight she gives us to her characters, there are those you love and those you detest and this is purely down to the strength of her writing.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this advanced copy, I'm under no obligation to leave my review

[Melissa B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an amazing book. I heartedly recommend this book.

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many takes when it comes to reading historical fiction. In this WWII story, a group of women prisoners in Mauthausen concentration camp had very specific duties. One of the prisoners, Lore, falls in love with another prisoner named Wolf and she becomes pregnant. Having a child in these conditions would be rather tragic indeed.

Lore’s fellow women prisoners help her while she is carrying the baby, all while Wolf strives to find escape for them in order to give them all a fighting chance. Considering that the camp they are in is clearly a death camp, time is truly of the essence if any of them are going to survive.

What an amazing story of survival. I could’t imagine having a baby under those circumstances, especially when food was hard to come by, as well as the brutally harsh treatment they all had to endure. But this latest book by Ellie Midwood was a powerful story of survival, hope and love. It was also a story of friendship when considering the other prisoners alongside Lore. Notably, this story was inspired from true events, and that made it all that more impactful.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

[DianeLikesToRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “The Child Who Lived”. Ellie Midwood wrote a gut wrenching novel that had me turning the pages so fast to see what would happen
The story starts with Lore telling about her time during the war. The author did not hold back describing the brutalities of war. But it also had resilience and hope. This is another excellent book with twists and turns that you don't expect.
I won't give away the ending but it is everything I had hoped for. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[ᛚᚨᚱᚲᚨ × ᚠᛖᚾᚱᛁᚱ (Semi hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

So the child who wasn't supposed to survive would become a child who lived.

I read as much as I can about WWII, and pretty much everything I could find about the Holocaust.

When I saw this author and all the books on the topic she wrote, it was like Christmas. But then...

"Welcome to our fine German resort, sister."

Austria, 1942. Lore is a strong willing woman that will not sit in silence while Nazi laws are implemented. Working at the Agency for Jewish Immigration, she has a privileged position helping to issue false documents. When she gets discovered and sentenced for betrayal, she will be sent to Ravensbrück, starting her fight for survival... and soon not just her own. Can a child born in a concentration camp ever know freedom?

"Your husband will be so happy to see you again."

I was initially in love with The Child Who Lived.

The prose is fresh, and the character of Lore promises to be a strong and resourceful one. Not to mention the story of survival, who wouldn't rally behind her in her fight for freedom and justice?

Well... me, after trying to ignore some of her shortcomings, and not being able to stand her anymore from 70% of the story on. I pushed through, because I felt I wouldn't have picked it up again if I had indeed put it down. It wasn't mere curiosity that made me finish it, but I felt I owed that much to Ellie Midwood, and I secretly hoped that it would get better again.

But let's go in order.

The book opens with Lore and her husband in court, the latter asking for divorce. She's strong and she doesn't take nonsense from anybody. But...

There is a difference between being a strong character and a subversive one, and another not to give a sh*t about anything. Lore's scale tipped dangerously towards the second case, the worse case scenario.

From the first few chapters, we can understand why Lore acts like this. Apart from being imprisoned in a concentration camp, from which we'll learn the full extent of the horror only later, her life wasn't easy before either.

Her husband was a selfish man, with outdated ideas (common back then), and that blamed her on his inability to procreate. You know, the base "meany" package that makes for a stark contrast when you compare him to the angelic Wolfgang she will fall in love with later.

And how will she repay this man who can do no wrong? Imposing a choice on him, well aware that he will go to any length and risk his life, to defend Lore's and his child's.

The lawyer was just singing praises of Lore, of how loyal she was, of how devoted if not to her husband, to the sanctity of marriage: she was in the perfect position of being with Wolf, and all they did was talk. I don't know how to break this to him, but... err... two chapters after that, she becomes pregnant by Wolf. Whoopsie-daisy!

And here my favourite part of The Child Who Lived comes into play.

Minor spoiler: she will end up in a brothel, and will find herself in the position of leader. The rules were very strict, and besides the inmates receiving two shots for their visit, just in case, they were required to wear prophylactics. The author describes crates of them. Keep it in mind.

Now, when she met Wolf, he was an inmate that just wanted to talk. Only after knowing the main character better, will he come visit her at night, and... you know. Oh, by the way: chit-chat was forbidden in those 20 minutes in heaven for the inmates, and hell for the brothel girls. There is even a scene in which a pink triangle, a denomination for homosexuals, is forced to fake coitus with Lore: the SS is constantly watching (yes, there is no end to the horror). How did Wolf avoid that inconvenience with the guards? By corruption? We'll never know.

Anyway, he doesn't need to pay just to meet with her now. And here, at the famous 70% of the story, the magic happens.

"It was meant to be."

Do you remember the details of the crates of prophylactics? Good. Add to this fact the knowledge that an eventual pregnancy will end with the child's death, and the mater sent back to her concentration camp.

...they don't use them. For the sake of the plot, they don't even use prophylactics.

When Wolf discovers that Lore is pregnant, he's desperate and wishes he would have been more careful. Duh.

Her reaction?

We never used them, because those are for brothel visitors and brothel girls and we are neither. Not your fault. Not mine either. It was meant to be.

Yes, yes it was indeed meant to be. By the author of the book!! It's such an easy plot device, and one that makes you roll your eyes for minutes. Why. Whywhywhy.

I'm also not that surprised that there is an easy way for the advancement of the plot: we're almost at the end of a story in which we're supposed to see how a child survives in the concentration camp, but it was not even introduced yet. Not that this makes much of a difference, as you'll see by reading.

Now the savvy Wolf has another thought: what will happen to her? The child is condemned, but he doesn't want to lose Lore, at least. He'll do anything for her, the pure good man she falls for. He suggests abortion, but Lore is adamant. And what is his reaction? Flip the switch, and her wish is her command. It all happened so unnaturally quickly.

Even as bitter as I am writing this (can you imagine while I was reading?), I can understand the change of mind of Wolf. It's their child, and it's an act of rebellion too. But... could Lore have just thought one second of what she was forcing on him? Because she was well aware that Wolf would have stepped up for both of them.

And from now on, Lore will also flip the switch, and become selfish and risk other's life for her decisions, something the author will pass as "girls' love" between her and her friends. Sisters for life, huh?

So yes, if before you could say that she was tough, here she is just madness-driven. Sorry, "motherly-love" driven. If before you can say that she had outbursts towards guards out of frustration or defiance (and a really stupid way of resisting her oppressors), here you can see that it was just her being her all along. You just can't pretend any longer.

Final Thoughts

I praise Ellie Midwood for wanting to talk about such a difficult topic, made even more so by the less-known prostitution women had to endure in Mauthausen.

She clearly knows what she's writing about, and with delightful prose. It's just that... she bends reason to the limit, for the higher purpose of the plot. She also fails to represent how prisoners could have felt in those conditions: we will never know, such horrors are impossible to imagine. That being said... I've read many authors that did a better job at that. Same goes for their actions. Some were even first-hand retellings of the horror, so I'm going to trust their judgement.

I also didn't like how she imbued the book with the toxic feminism the protagonist was the embodiment of. And I specifically specified toxic feminism: Lore gets away with too much, with the simple excuse that "she's a strong woman".

It was not a bad book per se, it's just that I can't let those things, that most people would consider "minor", slip. If you enjoy historical fiction mixed with romance, and you don't care for the fact that what you actually came here for ("if" and "how" the child survives) will come at the very end, and... well, just because she has to mention it, then The Child Who Lived is the book for you. I didn't feel like this was a story about a child at all, but rather about a problematic character.

In the postface A Letter From Ellie, Midwood explains how she wanted to talk about three specific topics: prostitution some women were forced into, children born in the camp, and the escape of Soviet inmates from Mauthausen. Again, kudos to her, but I think she got her hands too full: she got so lost talking about the first topic, she needed some easy explanation for the pregnancy, which didn't come until so late in the book. If you want a proper text on the subject, she recommends Born Survivors by Wendy Holden.

Even the third topic is not talked about properly, but kinda skimmed. Adding some "girl power" for good measure would have been perfect for the main topics, but not in that way. The "brothel girls" had it as well, and far better represented than the protagonist's.


**Thanks to NetGalley, Ellie Midwood, and Bookouture for an ARC of this book.**


More reviews at Inky Lighthouse .

[Jasminegalsreadinglog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on true historical events, The Child Who Lived by Ellie Midwood is a very visceral story. Set in Ravensbruck and Mauthausen concentration camps, this book tells a story that will tug your heart and leave you pondering at the depths of atrocities that were committed during World War Two.

Lore, an Austrian, does not intentionally join any anti-Nazi movement. She gets involved anyhow because she works at the SS. She gets caught and is sent to Ravensbruck as a political prisoner. From there, she is sent to Mauthausen, where she is in a brothel house run by the Nazis. Rest is what the story is about, and I do not reveal more.

This book is a very hard one to read, and I could not put it down. I just had to read and finish it. I have read Ellie Midwood's books before, and she is an exceptional author. Her books make you feel, think, and have these myriad emotions that take time to settle down. How many Lore's, Tillie's, and Anika's paid the price in these concentration camps? We probably will never know, and stories like these need to be in the open. I have read so many books of this time period, but the pandora's box still keeps throwing surprises.

Thank you, Bookouture, for this book.

CW: Sexual slavery, Nazi atrocities, concentration camps.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a market saturated with World War Two novels set in the camps, this author typically uses real life stories to influence her writing, bringing with it a hefty dose of realism. I found her books purely by accident and I think this is the third of hers I’ve now read. What I love about this book, and her others, is that she doesn’t fall into the trap of romanticism and instead creates truly heartbreaking yet very real stories and characters. Her books are difficult, but necessary, to read.

This one focused primary on the story of a woman charged with treason against her home country of Germany who was later sentenced to a notorious camp for punishment. There, she is confined to the camps brothel where she meets a host of women under similar circumstances.
My only real critique of this story was that some parts felt rushed and I felt the ending could have used more clarity. However, I did enjoy the story and will be reading more from this author.

[Kayla Pratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me forever to get through. It was slow in the beginning but began to keep my interest more the further I went. Once again it was one of those books that as you read you would keep wondering if this could really have happened or not. At the end of the book the author does tell us it is a fictional story but based so much on historical facts. With that knowledge I continue to find it unfathomable what men and women went through during the holocaust. How they survived the torture, the abuse, the frigid temps and how they sacrificed one for another. Their ability to survive is nothing short of a miracle. This book is a story of the bravery of women who were sexually abused as part of their “job”. Great storyline. Just took awhile to get to it.
Closer to 4 starts versus 3 stars.

[Monica (Recenzii carti bune) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pentru ca a vrut sa isi ajute prietenii evrei, Lore a fost considerata tradatoare si a fost trimisa in lagar. Ororile la care este supusa si viata de lagar ii sfarsesc dorinta de a mai trai. Wolf, un detinut politic, si el in lagar, intra in viata ei ca o raza de soare, ca o speranta demult uitata. Iubirea dintre cei doi si minunea petrecuta chiar sub nasul nazistilor le da puterea necesara sa lupte, sa supravietuiasca, sa invinga!
O poveste sfasietoare, ca toate cele despre lagare si exterminarea evreilor, o poveste despre puterea de supravietuire
De la mine 4❄️

[Leila Kern · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent read! I felt placed in the middle of a concentration camp! I felt the cold and it seemed like I experienced the horrible conditions under which people were forced to live! Very frightening to be forced to leave one’s home and all that was familiar. And, to go where? To experience inhumane treatment? I pray this time in history does not repeat.

[Sue Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

this is the story of survival, this is lores story and what she had to go through to survive.....

dont want to give to much away as this is a book that needs to be read, for yourselves to experience every shocking event that lore is about to go through

ellie midwood the author certainly knows how to write some gut punching books and this one is no exception

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

M-a lăsat efectiv fără cuvinte. O carte atât de puternică și emoționantă, feroce, complexă, ce merită citită.

Merită mai mult de 5⭐️

[Bernadette Chappell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a book selection for my book group. I love historical fiction this book did not disappoint but, some of the scenes were two graphic.