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Anna's Medallion: A Novel About WW2 Nazi Slavery Based on a True Story
★★★★★
"I really enjoyed the fast-paced storyline, which made it unputdownable. The descriptions are raw, powerful, and heart-pulling. The author doesn’t shy from showing the ugliness and cruelty of the war and real-life situations. At the same time, we witness the beauty of true love, even through the worst of times."
Gosia Nealon, the acclaimed author of "The Resistance Wife" and "The German Next Door"
Two lovers ripped away from their families by the Nazis must survive slave labor and concentration camps in Germany during WWII to find each other again!
In Nazi-occupied Poland, Anna, a freedom fighter, and Filip, a poor farmhand, are torn from their families and transported to Germany.
Enslaved on two nearby farms, they endure brutal labor, relentless abuse, and violent reprisals—yet in the midst of suffering, they find an undeniable love.
When they revolt against their depraved masters, they are banished to two separate concentration camps—Buchenwald and Ravensbrück.
Bound only by their love and a promise medallion , they must survive unspeakable cruelty at the hands of sadistic SS officers who make the camps a living nightmare.
Will Anna and Filip escape the apocalyptic Germany as the war rages around them, or will their love be doomed forever?
Perfect for the fans of Heather Morris’ The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, Kelly Rimmer’s The Things We Cannot Say, and Thomas Keneally’s Schindler's List.
★★★★★ "It's an impressive, engaging work. Draven does a fine job of describing the deprivations of the two main characters' grueling experiences as labor slaves, and deftly brings them together, making a solid argument for love at first sight. The story is fast-paced, and the descriptions of the horrors of the camps and prisons that the characters have to endure are riveting."
Donald Levin, the acclaimed author of the "Savage City" trilogy
★★★★★ "There were so many times I was in tears for Filip and Anna and those around them and in awe of how they could find joy, friendship, and love during these tough times. I’m so happy I read it. This book will sit with me for a very long time."
alexshelfdescribed, Bookstagrammer
★★★★★ "It was captivating to follow and learn how Anna, Filip and others in the book stayed alive against the odds and even more miraculously managed to find each other despite unimaginable hopelessness. This is one of those journeys that shows the true power of love and how sometimes, even in minor ways in the grand scheme of things - love can conquer and sometimes good outweighs evil."
booksofdisquiet, Bookstagrammer
Gosia Nealon, the acclaimed author of "The Resistance Wife" and "The German Next Door"
Two lovers ripped away from their families by the Nazis must survive slave labor and concentration camps in Germany during WWII to find each other again!
In Nazi-occupied Poland, Anna, a freedom fighter, and Filip, a poor farmhand, are torn from their families and transported to Germany.
Enslaved on two nearby farms, they endure brutal labor, relentless abuse, and violent reprisals—yet in the midst of suffering, they find an undeniable love.
When they revolt against their depraved masters, they are banished to two separate concentration camps—Buchenwald and Ravensbrück.
Bound only by their love and a promise medallion , they must survive unspeakable cruelty at the hands of sadistic SS officers who make the camps a living nightmare.
Will Anna and Filip escape the apocalyptic Germany as the war rages around them, or will their love be doomed forever?
Perfect for the fans of Heather Morris’ The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, Kelly Rimmer’s The Things We Cannot Say, and Thomas Keneally’s Schindler's List.
★★★★★ "It's an impressive, engaging work. Draven does a fine job of describing the deprivations of the two main characters' grueling experiences as labor slaves, and deftly brings them together, making a solid argument for love at first sight. The story is fast-paced, and the descriptions of the horrors of the camps and prisons that the characters have to endure are riveting."
Donald Levin, the acclaimed author of the "Savage City" trilogy
★★★★★ "There were so many times I was in tears for Filip and Anna and those around them and in awe of how they could find joy, friendship, and love during these tough times. I’m so happy I read it. This book will sit with me for a very long time."
alexshelfdescribed, Bookstagrammer
★★★★★ "It was captivating to follow and learn how Anna, Filip and others in the book stayed alive against the odds and even more miraculously managed to find each other despite unimaginable hopelessness. This is one of those journeys that shows the true power of love and how sometimes, even in minor ways in the grand scheme of things - love can conquer and sometimes good outweighs evil."
booksofdisquiet, Bookstagrammer
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 18, 2025
31 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 14, 2025
What a Story
5 ⭐️’s
Honestly where do I start? This book was written by Kris to tell the story of how his grandparents met. But along the way he realized there so much more that needs to be discussed during this time in the world.
This is a heavy book. Kris does great by talking about these hard things while also not going into details at the same time. There were so many times I was in tears for Filip and Anna and those around them and in awe of how they could find joy, friendship, and love during these tough times.
In this book Nazi-occupied Poland, Anna, a freedom fighter, and Filip, a poor farmhand, are torn from their families and transported to Germany.
Enslaved on two nearby farms, they endure brutal labor, relentless abuse, and violent reprisals—yet in the midst of suffering, they find an undeniable love.
When they revolt against their depraved masters, they are banished to two separate concentration camps—Buchenwald and Ravensbrück.
Bound only by their love and a promise medallion, they must survive unspeakable cruelty at the hands of sadistic SS officers who make the camps a living nightmare.
Even if historical fiction is not your usual read, i encourage you to give this a read. It is amazing how little of this I knew before reading. And if you really are not interested personally please share with your friends who enjoy historical fiction. I did some quick reading after about some of these named locations and was in tears knowing that this history (for me at least) wasn’t taught well. Plus, learning a bit about Kris’s grandparents, in a historical fiction sense, was such a great way to learn a bit about their life.
I’m so happy I read it. This book will sit with me for a very long time.
#historicalfiction #indieauthor #worldwarII #mustread #addtotbr #KU #paperback
5 ⭐️’s
Honestly where do I start? This book was written by Kris to tell the story of how his grandparents met. But along the way he realized there so much more that needs to be discussed during this time in the world.
This is a heavy book. Kris does great by talking about these hard things while also not going into details at the same time. There were so many times I was in tears for Filip and Anna and those around them and in awe of how they could find joy, friendship, and love during these tough times.
In this book Nazi-occupied Poland, Anna, a freedom fighter, and Filip, a poor farmhand, are torn from their families and transported to Germany.
Enslaved on two nearby farms, they endure brutal labor, relentless abuse, and violent reprisals—yet in the midst of suffering, they find an undeniable love.
When they revolt against their depraved masters, they are banished to two separate concentration camps—Buchenwald and Ravensbrück.
Bound only by their love and a promise medallion, they must survive unspeakable cruelty at the hands of sadistic SS officers who make the camps a living nightmare.
Even if historical fiction is not your usual read, i encourage you to give this a read. It is amazing how little of this I knew before reading. And if you really are not interested personally please share with your friends who enjoy historical fiction. I did some quick reading after about some of these named locations and was in tears knowing that this history (for me at least) wasn’t taught well. Plus, learning a bit about Kris’s grandparents, in a historical fiction sense, was such a great way to learn a bit about their life.
I’m so happy I read it. This book will sit with me for a very long time.
#historicalfiction #indieauthor #worldwarII #mustread #addtotbr #KU #paperback
October 14, 2025
2.5
I found Anna’s Medallion to be just okay. I didn’t realize going in that it was written more for a young adult audience, which made the tone and depth feel lighter than I expected. For a story set during such a dark and devastating period of WWII, I was hoping for something more emotionally powerful and realistic. The book touches on the hardships of the camps but often skims over them instead of really showing what the characters endured.
There are moments where someone is about to face serious punishment or danger, but then the story skips ahead months later with little sense of what actually happened. Because of that, a lot of the tension and impact is lost. Even when the characters swore, it felt oddly toned down, more like how a younger writer might imagine adults speaking than something that felt genuine to the setting.
Overall, the story had potential, but it never hit the emotional depth or realism I was hoping for.
The choice to have a virtual voice narrate the audiobook was, honestly, a poor one. Besides mispronouncing certain words, like “Polish,” which sounded more like “polishing a desk”—there was no emotion or life in the delivery. It really pulled me out of the story. I normally read my books, but I like having one to listen to while walking, and this experience reminded me why I prefer human narrators. I’m sorry, but that decision is built into my rating. It was the publisher’s or author’s choice to go that route, and while it may have saved some money, it definitely cost the story its impact.
I found Anna’s Medallion to be just okay. I didn’t realize going in that it was written more for a young adult audience, which made the tone and depth feel lighter than I expected. For a story set during such a dark and devastating period of WWII, I was hoping for something more emotionally powerful and realistic. The book touches on the hardships of the camps but often skims over them instead of really showing what the characters endured.
There are moments where someone is about to face serious punishment or danger, but then the story skips ahead months later with little sense of what actually happened. Because of that, a lot of the tension and impact is lost. Even when the characters swore, it felt oddly toned down, more like how a younger writer might imagine adults speaking than something that felt genuine to the setting.
Overall, the story had potential, but it never hit the emotional depth or realism I was hoping for.
The choice to have a virtual voice narrate the audiobook was, honestly, a poor one. Besides mispronouncing certain words, like “Polish,” which sounded more like “polishing a desk”—there was no emotion or life in the delivery. It really pulled me out of the story. I normally read my books, but I like having one to listen to while walking, and this experience reminded me why I prefer human narrators. I’m sorry, but that decision is built into my rating. It was the publisher’s or author’s choice to go that route, and while it may have saved some money, it definitely cost the story its impact.
August 18, 2025
This book is based on the true story of the author’s grandparents. That touched me deeply. I really enjoyed the fast-pacing storyline, which made it unputdownable. The descriptions are raw, powerful and heart pulling. The author doesn’t shy from showing the ugliness and cruelty of the war and real life situations. At the same time, we witness the beauty of the true love, even through the worst of the times. Anna and Filip are resilient and will do everything to fight for their love and freedom, and that will put them through a hellish journey. Will they have enough strength to survive?
What a perfect read for everyone who enjoys historical fiction! The story is special and unforgettable.
What a perfect read for everyone who enjoys historical fiction! The story is special and unforgettable.
March 29, 2025
Heart-wrenching story with a beautiful sense of hope!
Anna’s Medallion is a must read! The strength of the characters to survive the horrific time in history opened my eyes. This book taught me of the struggles of millions of labor workers during WW2. The cruelty of the Nazi’s and the hope and fight of the labor workers to survive was so real! I highly recommend this book to anyone. This story needs to be told!
Anna’s Medallion is a must read! The strength of the characters to survive the horrific time in history opened my eyes. This book taught me of the struggles of millions of labor workers during WW2. The cruelty of the Nazi’s and the hope and fight of the labor workers to survive was so real! I highly recommend this book to anyone. This story needs to be told!
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December 2, 2025Anna's Medallion is a true-life story based on the author's grandparents during WWII. This was a tough read, but eye-opening. Although I was greatly familiar with what happened in the Nazi concentration camps, I was not aware that the slave labor of the non-Jewish population also extended through the privatization of them in private homes; the portrayal of these slave owners in this novel did not leave much to the imagination. A word of caution: the usage of expletives is heavily used.
March 20, 2025
Anna's Medallion is a compelling novel about a young Polish couple, the love they share, and their perseverance to survive under the cruelest conditions in Nazi camps. This true story conveys their tenacity in overcoming their abhorrent conditions and striving to reunite. Well written by Kris Draven. A great read!
August 21, 2025
Very moving story. You can expect a fast moving plot, lots of emotional weight, harsh realities of war, and historical awareness.
Yet, the author incorporated human connections with a mix of hope and heartbreak.
It took me a while to read it because the plot was heavy and I simply needed a break from the sadness I was reading about.
Yet, the author incorporated human connections with a mix of hope and heartbreak.
It took me a while to read it because the plot was heavy and I simply needed a break from the sadness I was reading about.
March 21, 2025
Fantastic read. Very real settings and characters. Real love story. It’s amazing that these things actually happened.
May 12, 2025
4.5 stars. Amazing story of how 2 people survived during WW2. Based on a true story
May 17, 2025
5 Stars⭐️ Extremely well written historical fiction based on a true story. Love lasts all battles. More review to come soon
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews