The Ballet Teacher of Auschwitz: An Emotionally Heart-Wrenching WW2 Historical Fiction Novel

by Dani Zrihen

Freedom - stolen.
Family - torn apart.
Hope - shattered.

But dance? Dance was written in her bones, and even Auschwitz couldn’t take that away from her.

1941, Lodz. When nineteen-year-old Jewish ballerina Eleonore Kantor arrives at the Lodz ghetto, she quickly learns how easy it is to break a person’s spirit. After the Nazis murder her mother before her eyes, she is left with nothing but a pair of ballet slippers. Painstakingly hand-stitched by her mother, they were a gift to remind Eleonore to continue pursuing her dream of becoming a ballerina, no matter what.

Determined to find light even in the darkest of places, Eleonore joins the ghetto resistance to open a secret ballet studio for the children. And when she meets charming resistance fighter Matias and his beloved niece, Greta, she finds more than just purpose - she discovers a chance at love.

But when a resistance operation goes terribly wrong, Eleonore is deported to Auschwitz - a place so devoid of joy, she can't imagine ever dancing again. And when a twist of fate reunites her with Greta, she vows she will do anything to keep her safe. But knowing she may never see her love again, is hope enough to carry her through?

The Ballet Teacher of Auschwitz is a captivating and heartbreaking story of courage, resilience, and the enduring power of love, perfect for fans of Ellie Midwood and The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 26, 2025

Reviews

[Damelys Vientos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book. The entire story had me wanting to know what happened next.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even begin this review? There aren't enough stars for this book, which is all the more remarkable, given that it is the author's debut novel. The pacing is perfect, never dragging, from the first paragraph to the last. It begins in Berlin and moves on to the Lodz ghetto, then Auschwitz, and gives closure to the characters after the end of the war. Despite the historical significance of these locations, this is a character-driven story that resonates deeply with the heart. I didn't rush through this book because I wanted to keep Eleonore, Lea, and Greta close to me. As they became family to each other, they became family to me.

"The historian will tell you what happened. The novelist will tell you what it felt like." E.L. Doctorow

The Ballet Teacher of Auschwitz is not to be missed, even if you think you've read plenty of books about the Holocaust. This beautifully written novel will stay with me for a long time. (Keep a box of tissues close to you.)

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a powerful and beautifully written story. Even though it takes place during one of the darkest times in history, the author managed to capture so much humanity and love. These people endured unimaginable loss during the Holocaust, yet the book shows how love can still grow out of tragedy. The way their lives came together was so moving and gave the story such a sweet conclusion. It made me tear up but also left me with a warm heart.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Book

I couldn’t put this book down. It was excellent and well written. Parts of the book brought me to tears and the ending made me happy.

[Kim Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good historical fiction. I enjoy historical fiction and I love reading and collecting all genres of fiction that include ballet related themes or characters. I have one critical problem with ballet accuracy in this book, however, that bugged me beyond measure. As someone who has trained in ballet and pointe when I was younger, still puts on pointe shoes once per week at age 55, and has been around the dance world my whole life in some capacity or other, I really can look past some ballet inaccuracy in fiction. I know that not everyone knows the ins and outs of ballet/dance and don’t expect every author to be an expert. I can tell you though that there is no way her mother made/sewed her pointe shoes. A seamstress/dressmaker, no matter how skilled at that craft, would not be in possession of the materials, tools, knowledge, and skills to craft pointe shoes. Artisans are trained for many years to shape the box, layer the paper mache-type materials and burlap to make the platform, shape the body of the shoe, and the supporting shank. It is, and has been, a highly specialized profession since they were first being made. I highly recommend that if there is ever a future edit of the book that the author fix this glaring mistake. I understand that the sentimentality of the shoes tie with her mother was important to the plot. This could have been better accomplished correctly by having her mom maybe save up for the shoes secretly and have her teacher use her former connections with the ballet school and/or pointe shoes providers to acquire the shoes for Eleanore. The emotional attachment would have still been there.
That criticism aside, I do thank the author for a ballet character and a beautifully told story of an awful time in history and resilience of spirit.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to describe how much i loved reading this book. It was an intense read that honestly I had to pause a few times, take a break and then resume reading. But so so so worth it. So beautiful.

[La-Shanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Ballet Teacher of Auschwitz" is a powerful story and great written piece of historical fiction.

[Harper Sager · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so beautifully written. She does a wonderful job of describing the heartbreak for Jewish people. So so good

[Andie Sutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, annoying narrator on audiobook.

[Baylee Welliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written story.

[J. Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great book about wollwartwo

I keep finding books about World War Two A war I lived through
I read every book and every movie about the war

[Susan Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story of a true hero

A story that will make you cry and then give you hope. The strength to survive in the worst circumstances. But hope should never die. A page turner!