The Midwife of Auschwitz by Anna Stuart – Book Review

*AD-gifted: I received a copy of The Midwife of Auschwitz in exchange for this post. Affiliate links are marked with a*

I hope you are having a wonderful Jubliee Bank Holiday Weekend. If you are looking for some reading to do I would totally recommend getting a hold of The Midwife of Auschwitz by Anna Stuart. I love reading historical fiction based around WWII and this one tells us a different story from your usual ones in this genre. Read on for my full review.

Book Description

Auschwitz, 1943: As I held the tiny baby in my arms, my fingers traced the black tattoo etched across her little thigh. And I prayed that one day this set of numbers, identical to her mother’s, would have the power to reunite a family torn apart by war…

Inspired by an incredible true story, this poignant novel tells of one woman’s fight for love, life and hope during a time of unimaginable darkness.

Ana Kaminski is pushed through the iron gates of Auschwitz beside her frightened young friend Ester Pasternak. As they reach the front of the line, Ana steps forward and quietly declares herself a midwife – and Ester her assistant. Their arms are tattooed and they’re ordered to the maternity hut. Holding an innocent new-born baby, Ana knows the fate of so many are in her hands, and vows to do everything she can to save them.

When two guards in their chilling SS uniforms march in and snatch a blond-haired baby from its mother it’s almost too much for Ana to bear. Consoling the distraught woman, Ana realises amidst the terrible heartache there is a glimmer of hope. The guards are taking the healthiest babies and placing them with German families, so they will survive. And there are whispers the war is nearly over… Ana and Ester begin to secretly tattoo little ones with their mother’s numbers, praying one day they might be reunited.

Then, early one morning, Ana notices the small bump under Ester’s thin striped clothing…

What I Thought

The Midwife of Auschwitz is based on fact, it actually makes it harder to read. What those poor women have to go through, the bleak outlook of their futures is heartbreaking. The author pulls you deep into the story, and you struggle to come up for air, you will want to finish there and then. It’s certainly a page turner and one that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this absolutely heartbreaking and page-turning novel of bravery and determination to bring life and hope into a broken world.

Listen to a sample here:

Author Bio

Anna Stuart lives in Derbyshire with her campervan-mad husband, two hungry teenagers and a slightly loopy dog. She was hooked on books from the moment she first opened one in her cot so is thrilled to now have several of her own to her name. Having studied English literature at Cambridge University, she took an enjoyable temporary trip into the ‘real world’ as a factory planner, before returning to her first love and becoming an author. History has also always fascinated her. Living in an old house with a stone fireplace, she often wonders who sat around it before her and is intrigued by how actively the past is woven into the present, something she likes to explore in her novels. Anna loves the way that writing lets her ‘try on’ so many different lives, but her favourite part of the job is undoubtedly hearing from readers. You can reach her on Facebook @annastuartauthor or Twitter @annastuartbooks.

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Anna Stuart here:  https://www.bookouture.com/anna-stuart/

Where Can I Buy?

The Midwife of Auschwitz is available to buy from *Amazon