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The Seamstress of Auschwitz
Germany. 1932. 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. Her family is separated when the women are sent to Ravensbrück. Ultimately, Sara and her sisters are transferred to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where their survival hinges on their ability to create sought-after fashions for the wives of SS officers and Nazi dignitaries in the tailoring studio of the camp commander’s wife. Amidst the bleakness and horrors of the camp, Sara's determination, her sisters' unyielding defiance, and an unexpected friendship with a member of the Sonderkommando become beacons of hope. From displaced person camps to the distant shores of Palestine, Sara’s journey continues. Her expertise as a seamstress becomes her ticket out of yet another camp, propelling her forward in her relentless pursuit of the man who had once saved her life.
In this gripping tale of survival, sacrifice, sisterhood, and unwavering love, Sara's indomitable spirit shines through the darkness, turning every stitch into a symbol of defiance and every moment into a testament of the human spirit's triumph over unimaginable adversity and unspeakable trauma.
Fans of WWII and Holocaust era fiction similar to the works of Heather Morris (Three Sisters and The Tattooist of Auschwitz), Kristin Harmel (The Book of Lost Names and The Forest of Vanishing Stars), and Roberta Kagan (The Pact) will enjoy this novel inspired by true events.
In this gripping tale of survival, sacrifice, sisterhood, and unwavering love, Sara's indomitable spirit shines through the darkness, turning every stitch into a symbol of defiance and every moment into a testament of the human spirit's triumph over unimaginable adversity and unspeakable trauma.
Fans of WWII and Holocaust era fiction similar to the works of Heather Morris (Three Sisters and The Tattooist of Auschwitz), Kristin Harmel (The Book of Lost Names and The Forest of Vanishing Stars), and Roberta Kagan (The Pact) will enjoy this novel inspired by true events.
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2024
346 people are currently reading
1112 people want to read
About the author
C.K. McAdam
4 books24 followersC. K. McAdam writes historical fiction and women's fiction. She holds a Ph.D. in history and literary studies and teaches college. Together with her family, she resides in Texas but hails originally from Germany where she grew up. In her free time, she loves to travel, hike, read historical fiction, play pickleball, spend time with her family, and go on walks with her Corgi Merlin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
September 2, 2024
The Seamstress of Auschwitz by C. K. McAdam was a powerful, heartbreaking and yet hopeful novel that took place in Salzhausen, Germany, Altstadt, Germany, Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, Auschwitz- Birkenau Concentration Camp, Palestine and America during World War II and the years before and after the war. It was inspired by true events. C. K. McAdam’s research was extensive and impeccable. Her historical fiction novel captured the tensions that were developing in Germany during the early 1930’s in a very authentic and believable way. The female characters that she portrayed in The Seamstress of Auschwitz were strong, brave and courageous. The Seamstress of Auschwitz was well written but hard to read in certain parts. This was the first book that I had the pleasure of reading by C. K. McAdam.
Sara Schonflies grew up in Salzhausen, Germany. Her family was not rich but they were comfortable. Sara’s family were tailors and seamstresses by trade. The Schonflies lived above Sara’s father tailor’s shop. Sara was one of four daughters. She also had a brother, Georg, who had been sent to America to live with one of her father’s cousins. Sara’s father hoped that Georg would eventually open a store there where he would sell the suits that he made. Sara was just turning fourteen years old when her sister Alice was to be married. There was a tradition in Sara’s family when a girl turned fourteen. On her fourteenth birthday the girl received her very own sewing machine. Sara really wanted a Minerva sewing machine. Would her parents surprise her with one? Trouble started for Sara’s family at her sister’s wedding reception and did not relent in any way from that point on.
One night, Sara had been invited to stay overnight at her older sister Alice’s and her husband Hershel’s apartment with their precious little daughter, Ruth, when a loud knock was heard at the door. Sara and Hershel were forcibly removed from the apartment and taken to a prison by the Gestapo. Helene, Sara’s older sister by eighteen months, arrived at the prison sometime during the night. Sara had suspected that Helene and Hershel had been involved with a resistance group. They must have been compromised by someone in their group. From the prison, Sara and Helene were transported to Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. Their sewing skills would come to serve them well. Both Sara and Helene were chosen to work in the textile workshop. The prisoners there were responsible for sewing military uniforms for the members of the Wehrmacht. After Sara and Helene were at Ravensbruck for a little over a month, they were joined by their mother, their aunt and Alice, their older sister and her daughter, Ruth. They all were assigned to the textile workshop where they reluctantly made sure they met their quotas. Hunger was a constant problem as was the presence of all kinds of brutality and rampant disease. Then their worst nightmare occurred. They were all selected for transport to Auschwitz.
Upon their arrival at Auschwitz, Sara and Helene were separated from their mother and aunt. When the guards attempted to separate Ruth from Alice, Alice managed to take Ruth over to her mother and aunt. That was the last time Sara, Helene and Alice ever saw their mother, aunt, and Ruth. After being tattooed, shown their barracks and given a meager amount of watery soup and bread, a guard asked the prisoners to name their skills. Sara, Helene and Alice all responded that they were trained seamstresses and dressmakers. The sisters were brought to the basement of the camp’s headquarters. They had entered the Auschwitz Fashion Salon. The commander’s wife was responsible for the creation of this fashion salon. In the midst of death, starvation, disease and suffering, the commander’s wife expected these women prisoners to sew elegant dresses for herself, her daughters, her friends, other SS wives and wives of the Nazi elite. Their skill as proficient seamstresses and dressmakers might save their lives but what they were doing was in such contrast to everything occurring at Auschwitz . They were expected to work hard for twelve long hours each day. At least they were protected from the elements and hard labor. Would all three sisters survive the atrocities of Auschwitz?
The Seamstress of Auschwitz by C. K. McAdam detailed life in both Ravensbruck and Auschwitz concentration camps. It portrayed liberation, displaced persons camps and the impossible decision of where to relocate. The anguish parents felt when they chose to separate their children from their families in order to protect them from the Nazis was also evident in this book. Sara’s youngest sister, Clara, was able to escape from Germany and find refuge in England. Survivors guilt, fears and loss of loved ones was not forgotten. The Seamstress of Auschwitz was about survival, hope, loss, friendship, sisterly love, taking chances and how to go on living after surviving the worst nightmare of all. This was a time in our history where humanity was tested and evil prevailed. It was a time that must be remembered by survivors telling their stories so that the Holocaust can never be repeated. The Seamstress of Auschwitz was hard to read at times but Sara’s story is an important one. I highly recommend reading The Seamstress of Auschwitz to learn Sara’s story.
Thank you to Book Whisperer for allowing me to read The Seamstress of Auschwitz by C. K. McAdam through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Sara Schonflies grew up in Salzhausen, Germany. Her family was not rich but they were comfortable. Sara’s family were tailors and seamstresses by trade. The Schonflies lived above Sara’s father tailor’s shop. Sara was one of four daughters. She also had a brother, Georg, who had been sent to America to live with one of her father’s cousins. Sara’s father hoped that Georg would eventually open a store there where he would sell the suits that he made. Sara was just turning fourteen years old when her sister Alice was to be married. There was a tradition in Sara’s family when a girl turned fourteen. On her fourteenth birthday the girl received her very own sewing machine. Sara really wanted a Minerva sewing machine. Would her parents surprise her with one? Trouble started for Sara’s family at her sister’s wedding reception and did not relent in any way from that point on.
One night, Sara had been invited to stay overnight at her older sister Alice’s and her husband Hershel’s apartment with their precious little daughter, Ruth, when a loud knock was heard at the door. Sara and Hershel were forcibly removed from the apartment and taken to a prison by the Gestapo. Helene, Sara’s older sister by eighteen months, arrived at the prison sometime during the night. Sara had suspected that Helene and Hershel had been involved with a resistance group. They must have been compromised by someone in their group. From the prison, Sara and Helene were transported to Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. Their sewing skills would come to serve them well. Both Sara and Helene were chosen to work in the textile workshop. The prisoners there were responsible for sewing military uniforms for the members of the Wehrmacht. After Sara and Helene were at Ravensbruck for a little over a month, they were joined by their mother, their aunt and Alice, their older sister and her daughter, Ruth. They all were assigned to the textile workshop where they reluctantly made sure they met their quotas. Hunger was a constant problem as was the presence of all kinds of brutality and rampant disease. Then their worst nightmare occurred. They were all selected for transport to Auschwitz.
Upon their arrival at Auschwitz, Sara and Helene were separated from their mother and aunt. When the guards attempted to separate Ruth from Alice, Alice managed to take Ruth over to her mother and aunt. That was the last time Sara, Helene and Alice ever saw their mother, aunt, and Ruth. After being tattooed, shown their barracks and given a meager amount of watery soup and bread, a guard asked the prisoners to name their skills. Sara, Helene and Alice all responded that they were trained seamstresses and dressmakers. The sisters were brought to the basement of the camp’s headquarters. They had entered the Auschwitz Fashion Salon. The commander’s wife was responsible for the creation of this fashion salon. In the midst of death, starvation, disease and suffering, the commander’s wife expected these women prisoners to sew elegant dresses for herself, her daughters, her friends, other SS wives and wives of the Nazi elite. Their skill as proficient seamstresses and dressmakers might save their lives but what they were doing was in such contrast to everything occurring at Auschwitz . They were expected to work hard for twelve long hours each day. At least they were protected from the elements and hard labor. Would all three sisters survive the atrocities of Auschwitz?
The Seamstress of Auschwitz by C. K. McAdam detailed life in both Ravensbruck and Auschwitz concentration camps. It portrayed liberation, displaced persons camps and the impossible decision of where to relocate. The anguish parents felt when they chose to separate their children from their families in order to protect them from the Nazis was also evident in this book. Sara’s youngest sister, Clara, was able to escape from Germany and find refuge in England. Survivors guilt, fears and loss of loved ones was not forgotten. The Seamstress of Auschwitz was about survival, hope, loss, friendship, sisterly love, taking chances and how to go on living after surviving the worst nightmare of all. This was a time in our history where humanity was tested and evil prevailed. It was a time that must be remembered by survivors telling their stories so that the Holocaust can never be repeated. The Seamstress of Auschwitz was hard to read at times but Sara’s story is an important one. I highly recommend reading The Seamstress of Auschwitz to learn Sara’s story.
Thank you to Book Whisperer for allowing me to read The Seamstress of Auschwitz by C. K. McAdam through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
May 10, 2024
lately I’ve been falling back into reading more historical fictions, especially surrounding the holocaust and World War II. it’s a time period in history that’s always been very interesting and devastating to me, to witness the amount of loss and destruction brought on by people. reading through sara’s story was so saddening yet full of hope.
the seamstress of auschwitz was a shorter book on Sara, following her and her family as they were brought to concentration camps. they depended heavily on their skills as seamstresses to survive their time at auschwitz, creating fashionable outfits for the wives of officers. sara finds love amidst the destruction, and when the war is over, she embarks on a journey of not only finding herself again, but finding her love in palestine. eventually, sara learns he didn’t make it to their meeting point, but his friend does who retells their journey. sara ultimately is able to get to america, where she has family awaiting her arrival and can provide safety and a new life for her.
the seamstress of auschwitz was a shorter book on Sara, following her and her family as they were brought to concentration camps. they depended heavily on their skills as seamstresses to survive their time at auschwitz, creating fashionable outfits for the wives of officers. sara finds love amidst the destruction, and when the war is over, she embarks on a journey of not only finding herself again, but finding her love in palestine. eventually, sara learns he didn’t make it to their meeting point, but his friend does who retells their journey. sara ultimately is able to get to america, where she has family awaiting her arrival and can provide safety and a new life for her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2025
I have no words to express how much I love this deep story! It is all in my heart now.
I cried all my tears on the pages of the book. I love and don't forget it, never!
I cried all my tears on the pages of the book. I love and don't forget it, never!
July 19, 2024
I have to be honest and tell you i almost dnfed it at 20 % ,it. Started out so slow. But I continued on, and the book started to touch my heart. I starten to love the Main characters, i cried and laughed with them. So i highly recommend this book.
Thank you netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion
Thank you netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion
May 3, 2024
I love reading historical fiction and many times while reading I feel so many emotions, this book was no different. This read pulled on my heartstrings, couldn't help but feel for the characters and all of the horrific things they had to endure. Was well written and a bit different from other similar reads.
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this story.
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this story.
July 25, 2024
I absolutely loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz and this book is just as good as that book
C.K. McAdam has crafted a powerful and unforgettable novel that pays tribute to the resilience and strength of the human spirit.
Though difficult to read, this book is powerful and I felt all the emotions including their anguish and hopelessness.
This is an incredible story and one I won't forget soon. It is a definite recommend
C.K. McAdam has crafted a powerful and unforgettable novel that pays tribute to the resilience and strength of the human spirit.
Though difficult to read, this book is powerful and I felt all the emotions including their anguish and hopelessness.
This is an incredible story and one I won't forget soon. It is a definite recommend
December 28, 2024
As a huge fan of historical fiction, I was really looking forward to "The Seamstress of Auschwitz". While the first few pages were a little slow, the story picked up and I couldn't put the book down. I cried, I grieved, I gasped and I found myself full of hope and love for Sara and her sisters. While fiction, stories like this one are important to make sure the atrocities of the Holocaust are never forgotten. If you're a fan of "The Tattooist of Auschwitz", I highly recommend "The Seamstress of Auschwitz".
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. #NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. #NetGalley
August 27, 2024
Such a quick read. I always enjoy these stories and admire those who went through these horrific events in their lives and came out on the other side. They are so inspiring. This was another example of their resilience, courage and strength
May 12, 2024
The Seamstress of Auschwitz tells the story of Sara and her Jewish family during the second world war. We follow them as their community turns against them, the family tailoring business is destroyed and Sara and her sisters end up in a Nazi concentration camp.
A well-written, historical novel showing the bravery and determination of the victims of the second world war and the horrors that they encountered.
A well-written, historical novel showing the bravery and determination of the victims of the second world war and the horrors that they encountered.
July 26, 2024
Living in the growing extreme unrest of Nazi Germany, Sara and her family are perpetrated due to their religion. Her father, described as a kind and gentle man, is murdered, their shop and home burnt down, and the discrimination against Jews in Germany only heightens from that point onwards.
Sara and her sister are taken to Ravensbrück, before shortly being joined by the rest of the females in their family, where they are forced to sew uniforms for the Wehrmacht. Later, they are deported to Auschwitz, where the older and younger members of her family are murdered, leaving Sara and her two sisters, Alice and Helene, as the sole surviving members of the family. They work as seamstresses for the commandant’s wife, designing and creating stylish dresses to suit her fashionable tastes.
Soon, Alice gives birth to a baby girl, conceived with her husband before their deportations. The pregnancy and birth is hidden from the SS by the Jewish doctors’ in the infirmary, but Alice makes the difficult decision to smother her baby - to stop her from being experimented on. Later, Alice develops an infection, coupled with her depression and grief, she passes herself.
The “fashion salon” is shut down when the commandant is caught fraternising with the prisoners, and the sisters are re-assigned to “Kanada” - a sorting area for the belongings of incoming prisoners. Soon after, the commandant is back and the salon reopened, they are requisitioned to better accommodation (single straw mattresses) and allowed to wear civilian clothes - albeit stolen from other prisoners on their arrival.
We meet Paul, a male prisoner also based in “Kanada”, who also acts as a courier around the camp. Paul, Sara’s beau, helps sneak medicine to Sara when she is taken to the infirmary and suffering from typhus.
Helene is discovered conspiring with the underground network, attempting to come up with plans to escape, she is executed in front of the camp, Sara is also in the audience.
Sara survives the evacuation of the camp by remaining in the infirmary, where she is sick with pneumonia, her fellow prisoners play dead when the SS enter to destroy documents. Afterwards, the camp is deserted and it is only a matter of time before the camp is liberated, it is just a matter of survival.
Sara eventually makes her way to Palestine, to the address Paul gave her. Whilst she doesn’t reunite with Paul (who unfortunately was shot on a death march), she does meet the man he saved in the process, Claude. Together, they make their way to her remaining family in America.
Whilst I enjoyed that this book was short in nature, I felt disheartened by the lack of detail and how hard I found the passage of time in the book. Things seemed to happen one after another with no space in between, and whilst it may have been months or years in the book, it felt significantly shorter. I enjoy historical fiction because it brings to life the stories of those that came before us, but in this case, I feel other authors have achieved this in a better way.
Sara and her sister are taken to Ravensbrück, before shortly being joined by the rest of the females in their family, where they are forced to sew uniforms for the Wehrmacht. Later, they are deported to Auschwitz, where the older and younger members of her family are murdered, leaving Sara and her two sisters, Alice and Helene, as the sole surviving members of the family. They work as seamstresses for the commandant’s wife, designing and creating stylish dresses to suit her fashionable tastes.
Soon, Alice gives birth to a baby girl, conceived with her husband before their deportations. The pregnancy and birth is hidden from the SS by the Jewish doctors’ in the infirmary, but Alice makes the difficult decision to smother her baby - to stop her from being experimented on. Later, Alice develops an infection, coupled with her depression and grief, she passes herself.
The “fashion salon” is shut down when the commandant is caught fraternising with the prisoners, and the sisters are re-assigned to “Kanada” - a sorting area for the belongings of incoming prisoners. Soon after, the commandant is back and the salon reopened, they are requisitioned to better accommodation (single straw mattresses) and allowed to wear civilian clothes - albeit stolen from other prisoners on their arrival.
We meet Paul, a male prisoner also based in “Kanada”, who also acts as a courier around the camp. Paul, Sara’s beau, helps sneak medicine to Sara when she is taken to the infirmary and suffering from typhus.
Helene is discovered conspiring with the underground network, attempting to come up with plans to escape, she is executed in front of the camp, Sara is also in the audience.
Sara survives the evacuation of the camp by remaining in the infirmary, where she is sick with pneumonia, her fellow prisoners play dead when the SS enter to destroy documents. Afterwards, the camp is deserted and it is only a matter of time before the camp is liberated, it is just a matter of survival.
Sara eventually makes her way to Palestine, to the address Paul gave her. Whilst she doesn’t reunite with Paul (who unfortunately was shot on a death march), she does meet the man he saved in the process, Claude. Together, they make their way to her remaining family in America.
Whilst I enjoyed that this book was short in nature, I felt disheartened by the lack of detail and how hard I found the passage of time in the book. Things seemed to happen one after another with no space in between, and whilst it may have been months or years in the book, it felt significantly shorter. I enjoy historical fiction because it brings to life the stories of those that came before us, but in this case, I feel other authors have achieved this in a better way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2024
: || I gave her a nod of gratitude and took up the needle and beautiful stitch pattern. The fabric was Dupion silk and very thin for which I wouldn't need much strength to push the needle through, but my hands were shaking, and my fingertips were numb. The needlework swam in front of my eyes. It wouldn't be easy. I searched for Helene and found her looking at me from across the room. I attempted a smile. She nodded encouragingly and turned her attention back to the laid-out patterns on the table in front of her. She then blew into her frozen fingers and picked up a pair of scissors. || :
This story is about Sara and her family who were ostracised, terrorised and subjected to the awful Nazi campaign during world war two. We were with her right at the start before things started to happen and then right at the end as she took her last breath. We watch her fight with hardly anything and come out on top, and although this was a story with fictional characters it really did have the emphasis and feelings of stories from different survivors. It was so hard to read.
I have to admit. This story made me cry and I have read quite a few stories from Auschwitz now. It doesn't get any easier. How could a human do that to another human? So much loss for what? One man's disgusting vendetta and mammy issues? My heart goes out to anyone affected by world war two. It was beyond evil.
Thank you so much to C.K. McAdam, Arc publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to read this in return for honest voluntary feedback x
This story is about Sara and her family who were ostracised, terrorised and subjected to the awful Nazi campaign during world war two. We were with her right at the start before things started to happen and then right at the end as she took her last breath. We watch her fight with hardly anything and come out on top, and although this was a story with fictional characters it really did have the emphasis and feelings of stories from different survivors. It was so hard to read.
I have to admit. This story made me cry and I have read quite a few stories from Auschwitz now. It doesn't get any easier. How could a human do that to another human? So much loss for what? One man's disgusting vendetta and mammy issues? My heart goes out to anyone affected by world war two. It was beyond evil.
Thank you so much to C.K. McAdam, Arc publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to read this in return for honest voluntary feedback x
September 1, 2024
Set in Germany during the beginning of WWII, this story follows a young Jewish girl, Sara Schonflies, and her family of artfully trained tailors/seamstresses. As the Nazi regime gains power, Sara’s world begins to crumble and her family is separated. Sara and her sisters ultimately find themselves in Auschwitz, where their survival is dependent on their gifted seamstress skills while making dresses for the wives of the SS officers in command. As Sara’s life continues to fill with loss and trauma, her ties to sewing, and therefore to her family, keep her moving forward in a world she no longer recognizes.
This was a well-paced read and, with under 300 pages, a quick one too! I was drawn into the story right from the start and felt that the author did a great job balancing the heavy grief and darkness of the setting with moments of hope and the portrayal of the strength of the human spirit amidst great adversity. I did feel that it lacked depth in certain areas, such as the deaths, and perhaps it’s because I’ve read a ton much WWII fiction, but there were moments while I was reading where it felt like something I’d read before vs. something entirely new.
If you enjoy WWII fiction and liked The Tattooist of Auschwitz, this one is for you!
A special thank you to Net Galley, Paper Forest Press, and especially to C. K. McAdam for the honor of reading this copy in exchange for an honest, thoughtful review 🤍
This was a well-paced read and, with under 300 pages, a quick one too! I was drawn into the story right from the start and felt that the author did a great job balancing the heavy grief and darkness of the setting with moments of hope and the portrayal of the strength of the human spirit amidst great adversity. I did feel that it lacked depth in certain areas, such as the deaths, and perhaps it’s because I’ve read a ton much WWII fiction, but there were moments while I was reading where it felt like something I’d read before vs. something entirely new.
If you enjoy WWII fiction and liked The Tattooist of Auschwitz, this one is for you!
A special thank you to Net Galley, Paper Forest Press, and especially to C. K. McAdam for the honor of reading this copy in exchange for an honest, thoughtful review 🤍
August 2, 2024
This story spans from 1932 and continues through the British pulling out of Palestine. Sara’s journey immerses us into the horrors of Auschwitz and gives us a glimpse what life was for the displaced persons in camps around Europe. Through the eyes of Sara a lot is said including the obstacles Jews faced in trying to enter Palestine.
All stories during this time are heart-wrenching and compelling this one is no exception. Apart from giving us a large timeline, this version of events recounts and rehashes the same experiences endured by the prisoners. We can find numerous books recounting these events. Nothing new here for those who are a fan and have read books of this era before.
Having said this “The Seamstress of Auschwitz “is nevertheless a very well- written and well-paced story and reading it you won’t get bogged down with unnecessary details. Even if I read many stories covering the camps in the past, I still had a hard time leaving my emotions in check flipping through the pages.
Ms. McAdam’s version is well crafted and powerful but to my eyes did not bring anything new.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalleys
All stories during this time are heart-wrenching and compelling this one is no exception. Apart from giving us a large timeline, this version of events recounts and rehashes the same experiences endured by the prisoners. We can find numerous books recounting these events. Nothing new here for those who are a fan and have read books of this era before.
Having said this “The Seamstress of Auschwitz “is nevertheless a very well- written and well-paced story and reading it you won’t get bogged down with unnecessary details. Even if I read many stories covering the camps in the past, I still had a hard time leaving my emotions in check flipping through the pages.
Ms. McAdam’s version is well crafted and powerful but to my eyes did not bring anything new.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalleys
August 3, 2024
To say that you enjoy a book about the holocaust seems a bit macabre. To say that you enjoyed a book about hope, faith, and resilience or the human spirit feels far more fitting.
I've read a lot of real accounts of auschwitz aswell as some of the bigger known fictional retellings and have even visited the camp with my mother (who I can honestly say sobbed the entire time and didn't even want to visit Birkenau)
But this book captured the heart and spirit of those who endured what no one should ever have to endure under the most dire of circumstances.
I truly felt for Sara and her family in this novel, and at points almost felt as if this was a real account.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book
I've read a lot of real accounts of auschwitz aswell as some of the bigger known fictional retellings and have even visited the camp with my mother (who I can honestly say sobbed the entire time and didn't even want to visit Birkenau)
But this book captured the heart and spirit of those who endured what no one should ever have to endure under the most dire of circumstances.
I truly felt for Sara and her family in this novel, and at points almost felt as if this was a real account.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book
May 12, 2024
"Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings." Heinrich Heine, German-Jewish Poet (1823)
Sara's story is bookended by events in 2019, but it's the story of her life from 1932-1948 that is given as fiction. Beginning with her home life with family and all contributing to he father's tailor shop, moving on through the book burnings, beatings, moving about, transportation to the camp, working at the camp, and all that life entailed in those year. A short but effective read.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Paper Forest Press via NetGalley. Thank you
Sara's story is bookended by events in 2019, but it's the story of her life from 1932-1948 that is given as fiction. Beginning with her home life with family and all contributing to he father's tailor shop, moving on through the book burnings, beatings, moving about, transportation to the camp, working at the camp, and all that life entailed in those year. A short but effective read.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Paper Forest Press via NetGalley. Thank you
May 28, 2024
WW2/the holocaust is a time in our history that is so interesting to me but also devastating.
Sara and her Jewish family of seamstresses are living in Germany during Hitler's rise to power. This story covers pre-war through her struggle to find a life after life in Auschwitz. It's a fictional story but based on events that could have actually happened. I don't cry often when reading, but this one got me all sorts of emotional.
While reading this book, I kept finding myself asking my husband, "Could you imagine if you had to do this?" "Could you imagine ______?!" "Could you imagine living after this _____?!" I can't imagine that time in our history.
If you like Kelly Rimmer's, 'The Warsaw Orphan' or 'The Things We Cannot Say,' give this one a go!
Sara and her Jewish family of seamstresses are living in Germany during Hitler's rise to power. This story covers pre-war through her struggle to find a life after life in Auschwitz. It's a fictional story but based on events that could have actually happened. I don't cry often when reading, but this one got me all sorts of emotional.
While reading this book, I kept finding myself asking my husband, "Could you imagine if you had to do this?" "Could you imagine ______?!" "Could you imagine living after this _____?!" I can't imagine that time in our history.
If you like Kelly Rimmer's, 'The Warsaw Orphan' or 'The Things We Cannot Say,' give this one a go!
May 1, 2024
There is a lot packed into this fast-paced book that actively begins in 1932 and continues through the British pulling out of Palestine. This one offers a different glimpse, even if you've read other books about Ravensbruk and Auschwitz. And yes, you will be horrified & heartbroken as this family is shattered. The author continues the story after WW II ends, into the displaced persons camps of Europe, including the obstacles Jews faced in trying to enter Palestine. I highly recommend this well-written, powerful novel detailing the plight of a German-Jewish family of seamstresses. If you love historical fiction, you won't want to miss this one. It's going to stay with me for a long time.
August 10, 2024
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...
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...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2024
The Seamstress of Auschwitz
By: CK McAdam
Publish Date: April 21, 2024
ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖:
Thank you to NetGalley, Book Whisperer, and the author CK McAdam, for the advanced copy of The Seamstress of Auschwitz.
Any time I read a book about WWII period, and the Holocaust, I feel every emotion. Even in those unimaginable dark times, goodness, love and hope can shine through. I greatly enjoyed this book, being able to read from a different viewpoint, as a seamstress who received what could be considered better or privileged treatment in the worst of conditions but wasn't spared the losses.
#TheSeamstressofAuschwitz #CKMcAdam
#𝕃𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕
#𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕋𝕠ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝟘𝟜ℝ𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤
By: CK McAdam
Publish Date: April 21, 2024
ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖:
Thank you to NetGalley, Book Whisperer, and the author CK McAdam, for the advanced copy of The Seamstress of Auschwitz.
Any time I read a book about WWII period, and the Holocaust, I feel every emotion. Even in those unimaginable dark times, goodness, love and hope can shine through. I greatly enjoyed this book, being able to read from a different viewpoint, as a seamstress who received what could be considered better or privileged treatment in the worst of conditions but wasn't spared the losses.
#TheSeamstressofAuschwitz #CKMcAdam
#𝕃𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕
#𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕋𝕠ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝟘𝟜ℝ𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤
May 31, 2024
*****I received this ARC ebook free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This was an excellent historical fiction story! If you are a fan of The Tattooist of Auschwitz you will not be disappointed with this! So intense and heartbreaking. A must read!!!
This was an excellent historical fiction story! If you are a fan of The Tattooist of Auschwitz you will not be disappointed with this! So intense and heartbreaking. A must read!!!
April 23, 2024
Received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this novel- the story moved at a good pace, encompassing various timelines, yet never losing sight of the storyarc.
I cared about the characters and found myself willing the main character, Sara, to survive and possibly find some sort of happiness or consolation in the midst of the atrocity that was Auschwitz.
It was apparent that the author had done their research on the concentration camp and made no attempts to glamorise or gloss over the reality and horrors that occurred at the hands of the Nazis.
I don't want to give anything away but this is a harrowing, heart-rending, lump-in-your-throat tale.
I really liked this novel- the story moved at a good pace, encompassing various timelines, yet never losing sight of the storyarc.
I cared about the characters and found myself willing the main character, Sara, to survive and possibly find some sort of happiness or consolation in the midst of the atrocity that was Auschwitz.
It was apparent that the author had done their research on the concentration camp and made no attempts to glamorise or gloss over the reality and horrors that occurred at the hands of the Nazis.
I don't want to give anything away but this is a harrowing, heart-rending, lump-in-your-throat tale.
August 26, 2024
What a great book! I love historical books! Fictional or not they are interesting to read and this one was no exception! Pick it up and give it a read and you’ll enjoy it too. Thank you for writing this book for us!,
July 17, 2024
This story is about Sara, a seamstress from Germany, of Jewish decent. It follows her shocking journey from Germany to Auschwitz. It wrote about love, loss, grief, unlikely friendships and the dark past of ww2.
I really enjoyed this book, reading about the atrocities of the holocaust served as a stark reminder of the past and the holocaust while reading about Sara’s will to survive.
I really enjoyed this book, reading about the atrocities of the holocaust served as a stark reminder of the past and the holocaust while reading about Sara’s will to survive.
June 1, 2024
C.D. McAdam is a great writer. Besides delivering a marvelous story, she captures the essential feelings that enable her characters to survive the worst experiences and come out whole.
I can't wait to read her next novel: The Poet's Daughter
I can't wait to read her next novel: The Poet's Daughter
August 27, 2024
I have never read a book by C. K. McAdams before the Seamstress of Auschwitz. I was reluctant at first to read another story of the horrors humanity heaped on one another during WWII. Often, these books read more like memoirs, diaries, or journals to me, and I wasn’t sure I could get through another accounting of life in one of these camps. When I first began reading this book, the writer’s choice to write in first-person almost had me putting the book back on my ‘maybe later pile.’
But I am so glad I did not neglect to continue reading this poignant portrayal of one young woman’s life surviving the loss of her father during the Night of Broken Glass and losing other loved ones as the war dragged on and on. I took a deep breath, got into my comfy recliner, put the kettle on, and read, often with tears streaming down my face, until it was done. Despite the tale being filled with unimaginable horrors and devastating losses, the author's honest and caring approach towards the victims who survived this ordeal had me reaching for the tissues frequently but unable to put the book down.
I have studied WWII and read many a book about the concentration camps in Germany and the conquered German countries, but this one stood out because it was an easy read. I know that sounds impossible and inaccurate based on the story. Still, the author wrote with such simplicity that I felt as if I was there, suspended in animation, watching this horror movie from above. Interspersed with moments of love, sacrifice, and impossible decisions, some side characters revealed pieces of humanity that made them dance off the pages and into my heart. The author’s ability to develop accurate, three-dimensional characters is incredible.
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but this is not a typical story about Auschwitz and other camps; it is a story that C. K. McAdams had to tell. The realism of her settings, the words and thoughts of her main characters, and the hopes and dreams lost by millions in WWII make it obvious that the author put a great deal of herself into this novel.
I am glad I buckled down and stayed with the story, pulling an all-nighter. The character portrayals are so real, and the book so well-researched that I felt like I was reading a memoir. However, the occasional dash of humor and humanity that seeped through in some scenes, like the one in the infirmary, showed a story the author poured her soul into writing.
This is a five-star book all around. Put the kettle on, make sure you have a good snack or two on hand, and get into your favorite reading spot, keeping the tissues handy. This is one of the better books I have read on a subject that is not only educational and enlightening but also difficult for those who lived through it to remember, let alone share with the world. Please give it a whirl; you will not be disappointed.
I want to thank the author, C.K. McAdams, the publisher, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this free, advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
But I am so glad I did not neglect to continue reading this poignant portrayal of one young woman’s life surviving the loss of her father during the Night of Broken Glass and losing other loved ones as the war dragged on and on. I took a deep breath, got into my comfy recliner, put the kettle on, and read, often with tears streaming down my face, until it was done. Despite the tale being filled with unimaginable horrors and devastating losses, the author's honest and caring approach towards the victims who survived this ordeal had me reaching for the tissues frequently but unable to put the book down.
I have studied WWII and read many a book about the concentration camps in Germany and the conquered German countries, but this one stood out because it was an easy read. I know that sounds impossible and inaccurate based on the story. Still, the author wrote with such simplicity that I felt as if I was there, suspended in animation, watching this horror movie from above. Interspersed with moments of love, sacrifice, and impossible decisions, some side characters revealed pieces of humanity that made them dance off the pages and into my heart. The author’s ability to develop accurate, three-dimensional characters is incredible.
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but this is not a typical story about Auschwitz and other camps; it is a story that C. K. McAdams had to tell. The realism of her settings, the words and thoughts of her main characters, and the hopes and dreams lost by millions in WWII make it obvious that the author put a great deal of herself into this novel.
I am glad I buckled down and stayed with the story, pulling an all-nighter. The character portrayals are so real, and the book so well-researched that I felt like I was reading a memoir. However, the occasional dash of humor and humanity that seeped through in some scenes, like the one in the infirmary, showed a story the author poured her soul into writing.
This is a five-star book all around. Put the kettle on, make sure you have a good snack or two on hand, and get into your favorite reading spot, keeping the tissues handy. This is one of the better books I have read on a subject that is not only educational and enlightening but also difficult for those who lived through it to remember, let alone share with the world. Please give it a whirl; you will not be disappointed.
I want to thank the author, C.K. McAdams, the publisher, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this free, advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2025
📚🧵✡NOVEL THOUGHTS✡🧵📚
2.5 ⭐⭐ rounded up
Sara and her family live a quiet, happy life in Germany. Her family runs a tailoring shop and all the family have been trained to sew. On the Sabbath, they gather to celebrate their Jewish traditions. Hitler has just been elected chancellor and things begin to change for the Jewish population in Berlin as anti-Jewish sentiment becomes a way of life. Sara's father's shop begins to lose Christian customers and people once their friends, turn on them. The rumblings that it isn't safe for the family to stay there occupies their thoughts and one of Sara's sisters is sent away on the Kindertransport to England where it would be safer. Another sister becomes involved with the resistance after their father is brutally murdered in the street by his shop by the SS. The rest of the family considers their options to get away but it is too late when they are rounded up and taken to Ravensbrück. The only thing that saves Sara and her family is their sewing talents which will be put to use sewing uniforms for the soldiers. As the war begins and more and more transports are sent to the camps, Sara and her family are taken next to Auschwitz, tattooed with the infamous prisoner numbers while her mother and aunt are taken away, never to be seen again. It is devastating living in the miserable conditions they are put in but with one saving grace.... their talents with a needle and thread and they will now be a part of the fashion salon where these Jewish prisoners will sew couture for the wives of the SS and Nazi commanders of the camp. This is what saves them for a long time, until it doesn't. To get through some of the darkest parts of Sara's daily existence is a prisoner named Paul who will find ways to keep Sara from becoming a Muselman (referring to those suffering from a combination of starvation, "hunger disease" and exhaustion, as well as those who were resigned to their impending death.) Later, when the camp is liberated, he leaves Sara an address in Palestine where they will meet after the war is over. Even that trip is a grueling and the Jews trying to escape from imprisonment, aren't welcome there. Sara once again is fortunate to find work as a seamstress which allows her some money and lodging while she waits for Paul.
The story of a fashion salon in the midst of all the death and horrendous conditions in Auschwitz was mind boggling. It seemed like such a juxtaposition to be having parties and celebrations and needing fancy clothing when all around them, the morbid prison, gas chambers and walking dead were just nearby.
The story was interesting but simple in the way it was written and was underwhelming. Though it is hard to write about the horrors in the prison camps any differently from other WWII books with a similar message, I would have liked more depth. There is one scene that was as tragic as can be when Sara's sister Alice delivers a baby in the camp and what happens afterwards.
2.5 ⭐⭐ rounded up
Sara and her family live a quiet, happy life in Germany. Her family runs a tailoring shop and all the family have been trained to sew. On the Sabbath, they gather to celebrate their Jewish traditions. Hitler has just been elected chancellor and things begin to change for the Jewish population in Berlin as anti-Jewish sentiment becomes a way of life. Sara's father's shop begins to lose Christian customers and people once their friends, turn on them. The rumblings that it isn't safe for the family to stay there occupies their thoughts and one of Sara's sisters is sent away on the Kindertransport to England where it would be safer. Another sister becomes involved with the resistance after their father is brutally murdered in the street by his shop by the SS. The rest of the family considers their options to get away but it is too late when they are rounded up and taken to Ravensbrück. The only thing that saves Sara and her family is their sewing talents which will be put to use sewing uniforms for the soldiers. As the war begins and more and more transports are sent to the camps, Sara and her family are taken next to Auschwitz, tattooed with the infamous prisoner numbers while her mother and aunt are taken away, never to be seen again. It is devastating living in the miserable conditions they are put in but with one saving grace.... their talents with a needle and thread and they will now be a part of the fashion salon where these Jewish prisoners will sew couture for the wives of the SS and Nazi commanders of the camp. This is what saves them for a long time, until it doesn't. To get through some of the darkest parts of Sara's daily existence is a prisoner named Paul who will find ways to keep Sara from becoming a Muselman (referring to those suffering from a combination of starvation, "hunger disease" and exhaustion, as well as those who were resigned to their impending death.) Later, when the camp is liberated, he leaves Sara an address in Palestine where they will meet after the war is over. Even that trip is a grueling and the Jews trying to escape from imprisonment, aren't welcome there. Sara once again is fortunate to find work as a seamstress which allows her some money and lodging while she waits for Paul.
The story of a fashion salon in the midst of all the death and horrendous conditions in Auschwitz was mind boggling. It seemed like such a juxtaposition to be having parties and celebrations and needing fancy clothing when all around them, the morbid prison, gas chambers and walking dead were just nearby.
The story was interesting but simple in the way it was written and was underwhelming. Though it is hard to write about the horrors in the prison camps any differently from other WWII books with a similar message, I would have liked more depth. There is one scene that was as tragic as can be when Sara's sister Alice delivers a baby in the camp and what happens afterwards.
August 24, 2024
The Seamstress of Auschwitz is the story of the Schönflies family, Jewish tailors and seamstresses in a small town in Germany located south of Hamburg.
As dates are not given, I’m guessing that it is approximately 1940 and the narrator, Sara Schönflies, is shortly to have her 14th birthday. The family tradition is that she will receive her own sewing machine as her birthday present, leave school and be apprenticed to her father.
The initial quarter of the book is typical of this genre with the family adjusting to suppression of normality by the Nazis with events like creating a disturbance at her older sister’s wedding, the decline of the family business culminating in the destruction of their shop, and the killing of Sara’s father. All of this is dealt with with minimal detail.
Things become more intense when Sara, her mother and sisters are rounded up and sent to Ravensbrück. There she survives by making soldiers’ uniforms. Her and remaining sister Helene are then transferred to Auschwitz because of their dressmaking skills, where they remain until close to the end of the war.
The author, C.K. McAdam is a Ph.D history professor. Her strengths seem to be writing facts, description and action. Although the book has some interesting elements, it falls short of expectations within this genre.
Given the massive number of historical fiction entries in the WWII/Holocaust space, I felt the author failed to recognize how exceptionally experienced her reader pool would be.
Leaving out dates, until the very end when she identified it as 1945, was her first mistake.
Secondly, readers know most of the history because we’ve read it many times. What is necessary to stand out is at least parts of the story to provide new information or new perspective. She attempted to do that by focusing on Sara’s seamstress duties, but detail was too limited when it came to the fashion salon in Auschwitz. For me it was a missed opportunity to not delve into greater detail in what is surely a lesser known aspect of this concentration camp’s existence. Especially since this was a work assignment with perks that made survival significantly greater.
Lastly and most importantly, the minimal emotion on the part of the characters was an issue and somewhat blocked my ability to relate to them. What was written about was highly emotional for me as a reader, but I was more invested in the events than the people.
Thank you to the author, the publisher Paper Forest Press and the Book Whisperer for the opportunity to read and review a published copy.
As dates are not given, I’m guessing that it is approximately 1940 and the narrator, Sara Schönflies, is shortly to have her 14th birthday. The family tradition is that she will receive her own sewing machine as her birthday present, leave school and be apprenticed to her father.
The initial quarter of the book is typical of this genre with the family adjusting to suppression of normality by the Nazis with events like creating a disturbance at her older sister’s wedding, the decline of the family business culminating in the destruction of their shop, and the killing of Sara’s father. All of this is dealt with with minimal detail.
Things become more intense when Sara, her mother and sisters are rounded up and sent to Ravensbrück. There she survives by making soldiers’ uniforms. Her and remaining sister Helene are then transferred to Auschwitz because of their dressmaking skills, where they remain until close to the end of the war.
The author, C.K. McAdam is a Ph.D history professor. Her strengths seem to be writing facts, description and action. Although the book has some interesting elements, it falls short of expectations within this genre.
Given the massive number of historical fiction entries in the WWII/Holocaust space, I felt the author failed to recognize how exceptionally experienced her reader pool would be.
Leaving out dates, until the very end when she identified it as 1945, was her first mistake.
Secondly, readers know most of the history because we’ve read it many times. What is necessary to stand out is at least parts of the story to provide new information or new perspective. She attempted to do that by focusing on Sara’s seamstress duties, but detail was too limited when it came to the fashion salon in Auschwitz. For me it was a missed opportunity to not delve into greater detail in what is surely a lesser known aspect of this concentration camp’s existence. Especially since this was a work assignment with perks that made survival significantly greater.
Lastly and most importantly, the minimal emotion on the part of the characters was an issue and somewhat blocked my ability to relate to them. What was written about was highly emotional for me as a reader, but I was more invested in the events than the people.
Thank you to the author, the publisher Paper Forest Press and the Book Whisperer for the opportunity to read and review a published copy.
July 13, 2024
A gripping tale of survival, sacrifice, sisterhood, and unbreakable love.
For a group of seamstresses imprisoned at Auschwitz, the ability to create high-end fashion meant the difference between life and death.
Amid the horror of the Holocaust, starting in 1943, a select group of hand-picked women were segregated from their peers and set up in a workshop to create haute couture for the wives of Nazi camp officers. Their fame spread and wives from as far away as Berlin soon found themselves on a six-month waiting list for the Auschwitz seamstresses’ garments.Some of the women did not come with the requisite skills, but the collective accepted them as a form of solidarity and resistance.The “dressmakers” were treated relatively well, in part so they could perform efficiently and cleanly. The women had weekly showers, and their food was placed on their beds, so they did not have to fight for their meagre daily rations. Most important of all, they no longer had to endure “selections” for the gas chambers.
The Kanada warehouses, also known as Effektenlager or simply Kanada, were storage facilities in the Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland during the Holocaust. The buildings were used to store the stolen belongings of prisoners, mostly Jews who had been murdered in the gas chambers on arrival.The property of prisoners registered in the camp and used as slave labour was kept on deposit.The warehouses became known as "Kanada" (or "Canada") because the prisoners saw them as the land of plenty. Although the name began as prisoner slang, it was apparently adopted by some of the camp administration. Prisoners who worked there were known as the Aufräumungskommando ("clearing-up commando") or Kanada Kommando.It was viewed as one of the best jobs in Auschwitz, because prisoners could "organize", in camp slang, and procure goods for themselves and other inmates.
Sonderkommandos were work units made up of German Nazi death camp prisoners,usually Jews,who were forced, on threat of their own deaths, to aid with the disposal of gas chamber victims during the Holocaust.
For a group of seamstresses imprisoned at Auschwitz, the ability to create high-end fashion meant the difference between life and death.
Amid the horror of the Holocaust, starting in 1943, a select group of hand-picked women were segregated from their peers and set up in a workshop to create haute couture for the wives of Nazi camp officers. Their fame spread and wives from as far away as Berlin soon found themselves on a six-month waiting list for the Auschwitz seamstresses’ garments.Some of the women did not come with the requisite skills, but the collective accepted them as a form of solidarity and resistance.The “dressmakers” were treated relatively well, in part so they could perform efficiently and cleanly. The women had weekly showers, and their food was placed on their beds, so they did not have to fight for their meagre daily rations. Most important of all, they no longer had to endure “selections” for the gas chambers.
The Kanada warehouses, also known as Effektenlager or simply Kanada, were storage facilities in the Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland during the Holocaust. The buildings were used to store the stolen belongings of prisoners, mostly Jews who had been murdered in the gas chambers on arrival.The property of prisoners registered in the camp and used as slave labour was kept on deposit.The warehouses became known as "Kanada" (or "Canada") because the prisoners saw them as the land of plenty. Although the name began as prisoner slang, it was apparently adopted by some of the camp administration. Prisoners who worked there were known as the Aufräumungskommando ("clearing-up commando") or Kanada Kommando.It was viewed as one of the best jobs in Auschwitz, because prisoners could "organize", in camp slang, and procure goods for themselves and other inmates.
Sonderkommandos were work units made up of German Nazi death camp prisoners,usually Jews,who were forced, on threat of their own deaths, to aid with the disposal of gas chamber victims during the Holocaust.
July 18, 2024
The Seamstress of Auschwitz by C. K. McAdam is a poignant, crushing and harrowing Historical Fiction set mostly in Poland during WWII. It is also about family, loyalty and courage.
Sara has tailoring and sewing in her DNA. Not only is she gifted at it but she also enjoys it. However, she and fellow Jews are ostracized and persecuted through book burning, beatings, humiliations and transportation to killing camps including Ravensbrück and Auschwitz. She and her family are destroyed, physically and mentally, and the only thing left is minute by minute survival. Due to their seamstress skills, Sara and her sister Helene are forced to produce garments for the wife of a Nazi commander in the "fashion salon". Resisting can only lead to heartache.
For a time Sara works in Kanada which earns her slightly better conditions. However, disease, starvation and constant torment take their toll. Tiny snippets of hope and friendship give Sara the will to push. When liberation finally comes, recovery is long and grueling. But the horrible price has been paid by millions, countless more by extension.
Though difficult to read, this book is remarkable. The atrocities are very real and not glossed over. The writing itself is achingly beautiful and inspired. My heart flooded with emotions and I felt sick for the prisoners as their existence were one anguish after another after another. I truly cannot fathom what their lives were like after as well, especially as Jewish persecution continued after liberation. This book has that something special which really connected with me and gave me goosebumps. I'm at a loss to describe how much it moved me.
My sincere thank you to Book Whisperer and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this emotive novel.
Sara has tailoring and sewing in her DNA. Not only is she gifted at it but she also enjoys it. However, she and fellow Jews are ostracized and persecuted through book burning, beatings, humiliations and transportation to killing camps including Ravensbrück and Auschwitz. She and her family are destroyed, physically and mentally, and the only thing left is minute by minute survival. Due to their seamstress skills, Sara and her sister Helene are forced to produce garments for the wife of a Nazi commander in the "fashion salon". Resisting can only lead to heartache.
For a time Sara works in Kanada which earns her slightly better conditions. However, disease, starvation and constant torment take their toll. Tiny snippets of hope and friendship give Sara the will to push. When liberation finally comes, recovery is long and grueling. But the horrible price has been paid by millions, countless more by extension.
Though difficult to read, this book is remarkable. The atrocities are very real and not glossed over. The writing itself is achingly beautiful and inspired. My heart flooded with emotions and I felt sick for the prisoners as their existence were one anguish after another after another. I truly cannot fathom what their lives were like after as well, especially as Jewish persecution continued after liberation. This book has that something special which really connected with me and gave me goosebumps. I'm at a loss to describe how much it moved me.
My sincere thank you to Book Whisperer and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this emotive novel.
August 1, 2024
Surviving at all costs
Heartache, Love, Family and the horrors of the Nazi’s and Auschwitz. A family torn apart by war and the brutality of the Nazi’s. There was Sara, her father, her mother, her brother Georg her sister Alice, Her sister Helene, and her niece’s Clara and Ruth as well as her aunt.
Sara’s father was a tailor and well respected in town. He taught all his children to sew and when they were 14, they received a new sewing machine. As Sara was reaching 14 and had received her machine things started getting bad for the Jewish in her home town. Since she was not able to go to school her father and her older sister Alice taught her to sew.
On the night of broken glass things began to change. This is her story from that day on. The story of the loss of her family, her romance she found with a fellow inmate in Auschwitz and his loss. How she spent the year in the camp and how she spent those after the war recuperating from the brutality she had faced and her loss.
It is a story you will cry and you will admire the characters, especially Alice, Helene and Sara as they sew clothes in Auschwitz for the Nazi elite. How they survive odds that are against them and the loss of those that do not survive.
I loved that Sara sought happiness over the safe passage to her brother Georg in America and how she finally found happiness even though it wasn’t what she originally thought it would be.
This is a story of great courage, great family love and the need to survive.
It was a great story and although some parts were hard to read, I did enjoy the story and I loved the ending.
I was given a complimentary copy to read and review. The review is written voluntarily and in my own words.
Heartache, Love, Family and the horrors of the Nazi’s and Auschwitz. A family torn apart by war and the brutality of the Nazi’s. There was Sara, her father, her mother, her brother Georg her sister Alice, Her sister Helene, and her niece’s Clara and Ruth as well as her aunt.
Sara’s father was a tailor and well respected in town. He taught all his children to sew and when they were 14, they received a new sewing machine. As Sara was reaching 14 and had received her machine things started getting bad for the Jewish in her home town. Since she was not able to go to school her father and her older sister Alice taught her to sew.
On the night of broken glass things began to change. This is her story from that day on. The story of the loss of her family, her romance she found with a fellow inmate in Auschwitz and his loss. How she spent the year in the camp and how she spent those after the war recuperating from the brutality she had faced and her loss.
It is a story you will cry and you will admire the characters, especially Alice, Helene and Sara as they sew clothes in Auschwitz for the Nazi elite. How they survive odds that are against them and the loss of those that do not survive.
I loved that Sara sought happiness over the safe passage to her brother Georg in America and how she finally found happiness even though it wasn’t what she originally thought it would be.
This is a story of great courage, great family love and the need to survive.
It was a great story and although some parts were hard to read, I did enjoy the story and I loved the ending.
I was given a complimentary copy to read and review. The review is written voluntarily and in my own words.
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