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Lipstick in Auschwitz: The Unbelievable True Story of a World War II Holocaust Survivor
She made it through the first selection… but can she survive to see the end of the war?
Marysia is only seventeen when war breaks out in her hometown of Krakow, Poland. With nothing more than a toothbrush in hand, Marysia splits from the rest of her family and follows her mother to the Krakow ghetto, where they think they will be safe.
But safety is fleeting, and the ghetto is no haven. Soon, Marysia and her mother are on a train bound for a place more terrifying than imagination can conceive – Auschwitz.
Stripped of everything that makes them human and waiting in line to be sentenced to life or death, Marysia ingeniously applies a swipe of used lipstick she found by chance to add color to their cheeks. Their ploy works – but survival in Auschwitz is a daily battle, and they will need more than a little luck, and a lot of courage, to make it through.
Based on a true story of heroic survival, Lipstick in Auschwitz spins an unbelievable tale of bravery, determination, resourcefulness, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and her daughter, even within the walls of one of the most evil places ever known to man.
Marysia is only seventeen when war breaks out in her hometown of Krakow, Poland. With nothing more than a toothbrush in hand, Marysia splits from the rest of her family and follows her mother to the Krakow ghetto, where they think they will be safe.
But safety is fleeting, and the ghetto is no haven. Soon, Marysia and her mother are on a train bound for a place more terrifying than imagination can conceive – Auschwitz.
Stripped of everything that makes them human and waiting in line to be sentenced to life or death, Marysia ingeniously applies a swipe of used lipstick she found by chance to add color to their cheeks. Their ploy works – but survival in Auschwitz is a daily battle, and they will need more than a little luck, and a lot of courage, to make it through.
Based on a true story of heroic survival, Lipstick in Auschwitz spins an unbelievable tale of bravery, determination, resourcefulness, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and her daughter, even within the walls of one of the most evil places ever known to man.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 15, 2023
A harrowing yet profoundly inspirational journey…
"In 'Lipstick in Auschwitz' by Miriam Nick, readers embark on an emotionally charged journey through one of the darkest chapters in human history. Set against the harrowing backdrop of World War II, we are introduced to Marysia, a young girl whose unyielding spirit and resourcefulness shine amidst the horrors of the Holocaust.
As the war engulfs her hometown of Krakow, Marysia and her mother desperately seek refuge within the confines of the Krakow ghetto, clinging to the hope of safety. However, their quest for security proves futile, and the inevitable transport to Auschwitz, a place unimaginably terrifying, becomes their grim reality. Amidst the dehumanizing conditions and the constant presence of death, Marysia's ingenuity comes to the fore. During a selection process that determined life or death, she orchestrated a small but significant act of defiance. With a stolen lipstick, she adds a touch of color to their cheeks, a gesture symbolizing the indomitable resilience of the human spirit.
Miriam Nick's storytelling possesses a haunting quality that will resonate deeply with readers. She vividly portrays the stark and brutal existence within the confines of Auschwitz while capturing the enduring bond between a mother and her daughter, a thread of humanity that remains unbroken even in the bleakest of circumstances.
'Lipstick in Auschwitz' serves as a poignant testament to the extraordinary strength and adaptability of individuals in the face of unimaginable cruelty. This narrative not only offers a sobering reflection on the historical atrocities of the Holocaust but also pays homage to the immense courage displayed by those who confronted this unparalleled evil. This book is a compelling and necessary addition to the literature of this era, providing readers with profound insights into the resilience of the human spirit during one of history's most tumultuous periods.
Highly recommended, and a well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
"In 'Lipstick in Auschwitz' by Miriam Nick, readers embark on an emotionally charged journey through one of the darkest chapters in human history. Set against the harrowing backdrop of World War II, we are introduced to Marysia, a young girl whose unyielding spirit and resourcefulness shine amidst the horrors of the Holocaust.
As the war engulfs her hometown of Krakow, Marysia and her mother desperately seek refuge within the confines of the Krakow ghetto, clinging to the hope of safety. However, their quest for security proves futile, and the inevitable transport to Auschwitz, a place unimaginably terrifying, becomes their grim reality. Amidst the dehumanizing conditions and the constant presence of death, Marysia's ingenuity comes to the fore. During a selection process that determined life or death, she orchestrated a small but significant act of defiance. With a stolen lipstick, she adds a touch of color to their cheeks, a gesture symbolizing the indomitable resilience of the human spirit.
Miriam Nick's storytelling possesses a haunting quality that will resonate deeply with readers. She vividly portrays the stark and brutal existence within the confines of Auschwitz while capturing the enduring bond between a mother and her daughter, a thread of humanity that remains unbroken even in the bleakest of circumstances.
'Lipstick in Auschwitz' serves as a poignant testament to the extraordinary strength and adaptability of individuals in the face of unimaginable cruelty. This narrative not only offers a sobering reflection on the historical atrocities of the Holocaust but also pays homage to the immense courage displayed by those who confronted this unparalleled evil. This book is a compelling and necessary addition to the literature of this era, providing readers with profound insights into the resilience of the human spirit during one of history's most tumultuous periods.
Highly recommended, and a well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
May 9, 2024
Lipstick In Auschwitz
The book is pretty good, but I could have enjoyed it much more. It is very disjointed. The author digresses often so the story goes back & forth & gets confusing. Even she herself once says: "I shall have to return to this subject several times, adding every time a new feature and dimension of their power over us." I realize that she recorded her memories as they occurred to her. I don't blame her, I blame the editors! They could have brought these memories together in a chronological order & made this book much easier to read. Also, English not being her first language, or second or even third or fourth, some words are used incorrectly. Again I blame the editors! Some were likely typos, but many were not. For instance, instead of saying one spun stories, the word spined was used, as was deleted instead of delighted. These are only two examples of MANY! I would think it would be the editors job to correct these before publishing! The stories themselves are heart-wrenching but she lightens them with comic relief & shares her own sense of humor! I was disappointed that the book ends without finishing the story. She doesn't tell what happens to her mother other than she finds work in the fashion world. She barely mentions that she eventually is confined to a wheelchair, but not how or why. Her mother was such a huge part of these stories, I would have liked to know!
The book is pretty good, but I could have enjoyed it much more. It is very disjointed. The author digresses often so the story goes back & forth & gets confusing. Even she herself once says: "I shall have to return to this subject several times, adding every time a new feature and dimension of their power over us." I realize that she recorded her memories as they occurred to her. I don't blame her, I blame the editors! They could have brought these memories together in a chronological order & made this book much easier to read. Also, English not being her first language, or second or even third or fourth, some words are used incorrectly. Again I blame the editors! Some were likely typos, but many were not. For instance, instead of saying one spun stories, the word spined was used, as was deleted instead of delighted. These are only two examples of MANY! I would think it would be the editors job to correct these before publishing! The stories themselves are heart-wrenching but she lightens them with comic relief & shares her own sense of humor! I was disappointed that the book ends without finishing the story. She doesn't tell what happens to her mother other than she finds work in the fashion world. She barely mentions that she eventually is confined to a wheelchair, but not how or why. Her mother was such a huge part of these stories, I would have liked to know!
November 18, 2024
Miriam Nick has written an astonishing story of her life during World War II and the Holocaust. When she was an elderly grandmother, she took the recordings she had made over the years and began to write the story of her life during the Holocaust for her grandchildren. Until this time, she rarely spoke about those years. In her book, she tried to put the events and people in time order; but she isn't always successful. She hints at what will come later and says she will talk about people later. Instead of being a distraction in reading the book, I found it to be an incentive to read on to see what she would say about that event or person. Others might find it distracting. One must remember that she it telling her story for her grandchildren.
She was seventeen when she found herself and her family faced with war as the Nazis invaded Poland.It seemed like her world changed overnight. She and her mother were separated from the rest of the family and they supported each other through their ordeal as they went through seven concentration camps together. Some camps were better than others; but they all were horrible. They all were overcrowded, filthy, infested with lice and other creatures, and provided little food or clean water, few blankets, many people, and cruel overseers and Kapos. As she tells of each camp, she tells everything. Sometimes you might get too much detail; but you definitely see how it was.
The book is excellent and should be read.
She was seventeen when she found herself and her family faced with war as the Nazis invaded Poland.It seemed like her world changed overnight. She and her mother were separated from the rest of the family and they supported each other through their ordeal as they went through seven concentration camps together. Some camps were better than others; but they all were horrible. They all were overcrowded, filthy, infested with lice and other creatures, and provided little food or clean water, few blankets, many people, and cruel overseers and Kapos. As she tells of each camp, she tells everything. Sometimes you might get too much detail; but you definitely see how it was.
The book is excellent and should be read.
September 30, 2025
This book is the most profound story of a Holocaust survivor as I have ever read. This woman survived 7 - yes 7 - concentration camps with stories you have to read to believe. A few things to know 1) she wrote this some 40 years after the liberation of the camps, 2) she didn't speak English so some of the translation is a little messy but doesn't interfere with the book and 3) if you're looking for the extreme brutal actions, violence and insufferable behavior of the guards, etc., you will find it somewhat watered down. The reason being is the author still found it hard to repeat and believed the bigger story was the people who survived and those that didn't. I did find it a bit distracting when the author would start a story only to stop it and state she would get back to it later - which she would but it could be many chapters later. A great read!
July 31, 2025
This was a really good read. It was clear that this was not written in the authors first (or 2nd) language, so there were a few mistakes. But it was very detailed, and very open. It was very upsetting at times.
I will say however that it felt very jumbled. That author would talk about a person or event, then say they would come back to that person/event later on. But it got confusing, as this happened often.
It would have been interesting to find out what happened to the people in this book after the holocaust - a bit like some other holocaust books do, but of course: this may not have been possible.
I still think it’s an interesting read, and would recommend to people who are interested in this part of history.
I will say however that it felt very jumbled. That author would talk about a person or event, then say they would come back to that person/event later on. But it got confusing, as this happened often.
It would have been interesting to find out what happened to the people in this book after the holocaust - a bit like some other holocaust books do, but of course: this may not have been possible.
I still think it’s an interesting read, and would recommend to people who are interested in this part of history.
April 18, 2024
Very detailed and insightful
I always learn great insights from Holocaust survival stories, and I am in awe of the inner strength of human beings. However, I found this particular book a bit erratic in its narrative as each anecdote served to remind the author of another and then she was headed off in another direction. I think that about 20% of the narrative could have been trimmed and still the goal of this book would have been reached. Still a powerful story.
I always learn great insights from Holocaust survival stories, and I am in awe of the inner strength of human beings. However, I found this particular book a bit erratic in its narrative as each anecdote served to remind the author of another and then she was headed off in another direction. I think that about 20% of the narrative could have been trimmed and still the goal of this book would have been reached. Still a powerful story.
January 2, 2024
Amazing Story of Survival
An amazing recollection of some of the most harrowing times anyone could have lived through. It proves that honest friendships were critical to survival during incarceration in the concentration camps and afterwards. Everyone should read these stories so we Never Forget!
An amazing recollection of some of the most harrowing times anyone could have lived through. It proves that honest friendships were critical to survival during incarceration in the concentration camps and afterwards. Everyone should read these stories so we Never Forget!
April 15, 2024
one of the best Holocaust written
This is hands down one of the best holocaust memoir I’ve read thus far. Her prospective is interesting because she tells you about the event or person from several points of view. Fascinating.
This is hands down one of the best holocaust memoir I’ve read thus far. Her prospective is interesting because she tells you about the event or person from several points of view. Fascinating.
December 28, 2024
A fascinating first hand story.miriam N
Miriam Nick’s near total recall of her “charmed” life ( charmed as in miraculous survival) offers a valuable insight into life in a concentration camp. The slightly curious writing style is probably a result of the translation.
Miriam Nick’s near total recall of her “charmed” life ( charmed as in miraculous survival) offers a valuable insight into life in a concentration camp. The slightly curious writing style is probably a result of the translation.
September 3, 2025
Great read!
I very much enjoyed this book. Though I normally read only memoirs of the Holocaust, this book held my in
terest by following those lines. It was a factual account of a survivor experience, and an enjoyable read!
I very much enjoyed this book. Though I normally read only memoirs of the Holocaust, this book held my in
terest by following those lines. It was a factual account of a survivor experience, and an enjoyable read!
November 30, 2023
Sad and uplifting
To know what people suffered at the hands of others should make us a better people...never again. Yet it still goes on.
To know what people suffered at the hands of others should make us a better people...never again. Yet it still goes on.
January 14, 2024
Such a sad and disturbing time in history. It's unbelievable what these survivors had to endure.
March 15, 2024
Must read
This is such an good book.The style of writing and the descriptive desciptions left me wanting it to never stop.Horay to this courageus story.
This is such an good book.The style of writing and the descriptive desciptions left me wanting it to never stop.Horay to this courageus story.
July 28, 2024
Amazing
This author had me gripped from first time. So well written and emotional story.
This is defo worth a read
This author had me gripped from first time. So well written and emotional story.
This is defo worth a read
September 9, 2024
Brilliant
I could not put this book down it was a bri!giant read very informative and written with passion honestly and heat thoughtfulness
I could not put this book down it was a bri!giant read very informative and written with passion honestly and heat thoughtfulness
September 16, 2025
This is a powerful memoir of a real life Holocaust survivor.
November 24, 2025
it has its moments of the war, true story, however, pretty chopped up. jumped all over a great deal. more of a diary
January 21, 2025
Although it is important to read holocaust survivor accounts, this one was very hard for me to get through. I know it’s likely because English is this author’s 3rd or 4th language, but the moving and inspiring portions of this incredible tale were buried beneath the style of this writing.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews