Auschwitz – A Mother's Story: How I fought to survive and see my daughter again

by Rosa de Winter-Levy

Suddenly there is a blow to my face, I am hurled to one side. 'My child, I have to go with her!' I scream. But Dr Mengel is standing before me, whip raised. 'Maul halten, shut up!' His eyes gleam. Filled with fear I cower down.In 1943, as the Nazi power swept across central Europe, Rosa, her husband Emanuel and their daughter, Judy, were forced into hiding. But after a year and a half of living a terrifying, day-by-day existence, they were betrayed. As they arrived in Auschwitz, Rosa was torn from her husband and her only daughter. Could she dare to hope she would see either of them again?Somehow, Rosa fought the horror and humiliation of the camp, on occasion coming dangerously close to death. In nursing the people trapped beside her, she helped others survive, but tragically she also watched them die - including a mother she had met before, with a similar story and a daughter the very same age. Her name was Edith Frank.Written immediately in the months after the war, Auschwitz - A Mother's Story tells Rosa de Winter-Levy's unique and heart-breaking personal story - from the atrocities of the camp to her journey out of hell. Powerful and affecting, it is the testimony of a mother, and the pain she will endure for the chance to hold her child again.It's night. The door opens and along with 500 other women I am taken to the so-called Krätzeblock, the scabies block. Mice and rats run over us, the women scream and cry, it's almost unbearable. There's no chance of sleep, we're all consumed by the same tomorrow our final hour will have come.

Genres: Holocaust, Nonfiction, Memoir

144 pages, Paperback

Published October 22, 2024

Reviews

[jadeee · Rating 4 out of 5]

i enjoyed reading rosa’s story, however i think the book would be a lot better if it was just her story and didn’t contain the introduction (not written by rosa) which seemed was only really there to show she knew anne frank and her family.

[Matthew Siscos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have got 4 or 5 stars. The introduction and grandchild’s conclusion was just bizarre. Seems like a bit of filler from the other author cashing in on poor Rosa’s heartbreaking story. I’ll give it a 3 out of respect. 🫡

[Rachelle finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was ok, it didn't need the grandchildren interviews stories at the end. I feel this could have just been a short story in a big book of stories and not a book on its own .
Worth a read but not one of my favourites about the war.

[Luchelle Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a real let down, it was sad at parts but for most of it there were so many different peoples diary entries I had no idea who I was reading about in the end

[Joanne Eglon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

Short, moving and powerful story/memoir of time before, during and after Aushwitz.

Loved the reference to Anne Frank and her family.

Writing style flowed and read in a couple of hours.

Would recommend 💕

[bryan fothergill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and vivid account of Rosa's enduring spirit and struggles through her captivity at Auschwitz.
Not too sure about the inclusion of the introduction. It just seemed so out of place to be there. All it really seems to be there for is to tell us that she knew Anne Frank and her family.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depending on the speed you choose, this is still only a few hours of listening, which makes it appealing to anyone wishing to hear a little of history from people who lived through these times.

Rosa writes that she was living with her husband and daughter during the Second World War in extremely tense, difficult, terrifying times always on edge until one day, the dreaded knock at their home arrived. They are asked to produce papers that are forged and out of date, meaning her family are immediately taken away. She is however greatful in this moment as she recounts how the people sent to the opposite side were immediately sent to gas Chambers whereas she went to the camp. Sadly, her husband was beaten to death, and she was separated from her daughter when they went to Aschwitz to be rekindled again 2 years later when she is moved to Odessa.

From Rosa's account of all she seen, endured, and survived, it gives the reader a grasp of her character, one of true resilience, strength, grit, determination, kindness, compassion, and so much more. She suffered regularly with disintry. Sadlt lost many whom she loved and cared for. However, she continued to keep on keeping on for the sake of her daughter and also the other women she shared camp with.

This was very well narrated, as it was written beautifully flowing and easy to listen to. In the beginning, there are alot.of names places etc shared which felt a little overwhelming. However, after this point, I was fully immersed in this story.

From around chapter 19 the audiobook then gives an account from another who shares his experiences which the narration albeit on its own would have been OK just felt a little out of place for me at that time after listening to the rest of the book.

With thanks to Netgalley & Octopus Audio for this ARC in return for an honest review.

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Auschwitz will forever remain the black hole of the entire human history. -Isaac Herzog

This book was written during the months following the war by Rosa de Winter-Levy. Rosa shares how she, her husband, Emanuel, and their daughter, Judy were betrayed after being in hiding for a year and a half. The family was separated after they arrived in Auschwitz.

Rosa was a caring person who helped other women survive while watching many perish, including Edith Frank, Anne Frank's mother. She herself, came very close to death, and miraculously survived the selection for the gas chambers on multiple occasions. She spent her entire time at Auschwitz, like so many others, she worried about her loved ones who were also at the camp.

This is Rosa's own written story and shows her unwavering love for her daughter, her compassion for others, her resiliency and her strength. It is a short book/audiobook, but she manages to include so much within the short pages. This book comprises of her journal entries and gives readers a glimpse into a dark time in history.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narration was wonderful. It is a short moving and powerful book and can easily be listened or read in a few hours.

Thank you to Octopus Audio | Monoray and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Auschwitz: A Mother’s Story by Rosa de Winter-Levy is a powerful and heartbreaking account of a mother’s time in Auschwitz, and how she held on to the hope of being re-united with her daughter.
Rosa de Winter-Levy, her husband and daughter (born 1928) were not devout Jews but still had to go into hiding in April 1943 in Gelderland (Holland) where they lived. For 464 days they remained hidden until the 17th August 1944. They were transported, along with Anne Frank’s family to Westerbork, before being transported to Auschwitz.
Rosa de Winter-Levy wrote her account shortly after liberation and also in 1946, meaning that the details were still fresh in her mind.
Auschwitz: A Mother’s Story has harrowing details as the author recalls daily life in Auschwitz. Despite illness and mistreatment Rosa de Winter-Levy is extremely brave. She has the hope of being re-united with her daughter, and that keeps her going.
At the end of the book is an interview with the author’s two grandchildren.
Though Rosa de Winter-Levy left Auschwitz, Auschwitz never left her. It haunted her for the rest of her days.
This is a heartbreaking and harrowing account that needs to be read in memory of the six million innocents who perished and of those who survived.

[Stephers G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read with both trepidation and curiosity as I went from page to page of this book. I was heartbroken over the cruel, sadistic torments that these poor people had to endure during the war, but I was also amazed by the human spirit and the courage of this woman and many others like her, who survived through some of the worst cases of genicide that we have seen in our history. Those who are too young to remember, like myself, can only imagine what the pain and suffering was like for all of these people; and how much they had to endure at the hands of their captors.

This book was a powerful collection of personal words, interviews and research. It spoke of the powerful love of a mother, and the dark days that enveloped those people living during those times.

A heartbreaking but fascinating read.

[Krystina Prince · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to rate a Holocaust story so low as every Holocaust account, memoir, story needs to be told, shared, and heard to help prevent history from repeating itself.

I found the introduction hard to read as it came across as the publisher to be discrediting Rosa's account and experience of the Holocaust. Stating Rosa said our thing in her writing but contradicted that during interviews.

Throughout the book the writing feels detached from Rosa's experience and conveys her account in a very monotone way. There is very little content in this book. I feel this book had so much potential but unfortunately the publisher feel short. The book is also very short. It ends with the accounts of Rosa's grandchildren. Again I feel this portrays Rosa in a negative way. Not something I expected to read in this book.

[Emma Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to write a negative review of a Holocaust account, as it is something that I feel the horrors of need to be known and remembered especially with so few survivors left now but this book was awful, a lot of filler and very poorly written, there was no connection to the story and it feels like it was only written as a money making attempt rather than an attempt at telling Rosas story. within the introduction the Rosas story was discredited and labelled as inaccurate!

The actual story was only about 70 pages long and the rest was a handful of pictures, an introduction that discredits Rosas story and contains a lot of information about various other people that I feel should have been included in the actual story and ruined the outcomes in certain parts of the story and an odd interview with her grandchildren

[Julie Friar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosa and her family were in hiding before they were captured and sent to Auschwitz. This is their story about living through hell. They suffer horror, starvation, humiliation but will they still be a family after the war?

A truly well written book, sharing the life of Rose de Winter-Levy’s personal story which was written only a few months after the war. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration.

Time passes but we must never forget what man can do to man and the struggle to survive.

[geekoutonreading : Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

The bulk of the story deserved to be told. Every Holocaust story needs to be told. Unfortunately, the story was vague and not a lot of content. The author seemed a bit detached from the whole thing. (Of course, who could blame her? She wrote it right after the war!) The intro was long winded and the end with the grandchildren writing about their grandmother just seemed like filler. While the story is important to know, it would be better off as a short story/newspaper article.

*Thank you to Negalley and the publisher for an early review copy*

[Lisa Butler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been reading holocaust stories recently because of my recent trip to Auschwitz.

All of these histories should never be forgotten.

However, unfortunately, this story didn't move move me like other stories have. This book felt disjointed and poorly written. It was supposed to be about a mothers fight to survive in order to see her daughter again. The story just felt very vague and not much content.

For me, the author didn't write this story well, and the book was too short to give the story the justice it deserves. This was written more like a newspaper, magazine article than a book.

[Bookwormbadger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many books about people who survived Auschwitz and they are all without exception, moving and disturbing in their different ways. This is Rosa's account of her time in the concentration camp and afterwards in Odessa, wondering what had become of her husband and daughter.
After this book was an excerpt from another story about a gypsy and his family who were also sent to Auschwitz, and was equally compelling and sad.

[louiseslittlebookhaven · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book took me a long time to read even though it was such a short book! The introduction was so long and could have been shorter and the grandchildren’s bit at the end was odd. I liked Rosa’s story and it is such a sad account of what she went through which we should never forget what happened all those years ago but I’m not sure it was the right story to publish as a book! Maybe a short story in a book of lots of short stories would have been better

[Amanda Dickerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosas story is a 5 star read. In that it is history we must remember and teach to make sure it does not happen ever again. The intro and closing are a little filler that felt odd at times, but do help flesh the story out more. The trauma and abuse suffered is unimaginable but must be told and pondered and shared. Burdens are easier to carry when acknowledged and shared. This history must never be repeated.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I shall start off by saying that all holocaust books are important and help to keep that awful period of time preserved. We should never forget.

This book felt very short. It was a long, windy introduction and then another long conclusion, but with (what felt like) a very short biography of Rosa’s life. Rosa’s part was interesting to read, but the rest felt (at times) unnecessary.

[Carol Salter · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH, MY GOODNESS, this book is worth reading, what these poor people went through is absolutely horrendous. when I was reading this book, it made me so angry, how could one group of people be so cruel. the survivor's courage, strength and will to live is amazing. To think that thousands of others didn't survive. Let's just hope and pray that this never happens again.

[Malinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir of the Holocaust had very little detail or description of Rosa's feelings or experiences. It seemed very generalized. I found the interview with Rosa's grandchildren at the end to contain more information about Rosa's feelings and trauma than Rosa's accounts did. Therefore, it is reluctance that I give this book a rating of only three stars.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐️
Pretty sure I cried for 90% of this book

“The three of us are still in our own home. For how much longer? The laws and regulations decreed by the Germans follow each other in quick succession. Every day brings new worries; we live under great stress. The ring around the little freedom left to us grows tighter and tighter. This is the final phase; we can feel it coming”

[Christine South · Rating 1 out of 5]

For the first time ever I have given a book a 1 star rating. This was badly written & extremely vague & it was a case of this happened then that happened end of. It must have taken me just under an hour to read it & I only stuck with it because I was hoping it would get better but unfortunately it didn’t. There was no detail no feeling no nothing.

[Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is absolutely heartbreaking but such an important read! It’s so matter of fact which I found to be my favourite thing about it. Although the history behind these stories is horrendous, I’m so grateful to the survivors for being brave in sharing their accounts.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learnt a lot about the war and the concentration camps that I didn't know previously. Highly recommend if you want a true and heart felt book about a mothers fight through the concentration camp in Auschwitz and how it later effected them in the long run mentally. Highly recommend.

[Roxanne Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

All stories from the Holocaust are incredibly important and we must never forget the human suffering. Objectively though this book was just missing the mark for me and was too short to do true justice to an important story.

[Caralyn Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

No depth and seemed to be all over the place, lacking detail. Moved to fast, one minute this was happening next it was something different. Didn’t like the introduction, or the interview bit at the end with her grandchildren as it felt like they were talking about her in a disrespectful manner.

[Nikki Halliwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself was good but the introduction was bizarre and gave away the story. The interview with the grandchildren was strange too and ended unusually.
To be honest I was quite disappointed in the whole story.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just couldn’t imagine going through what they endured.

[Emma White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a short book , with a long introduction and another person story at the end.