The Note by Carly Schabowski – Book Review

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

It’s my stop on the Books on Tour today, to share my review of *The Note by Carly Schabowski. As you know I absolutely love World War II historical fiction novels, I just can’t get enough of them! The Note is utterly outstanding in this genre and one to add to your TBR pile for sure!

Last year I was lucky enough to read Carly’s previous books, The Rainbow and The Watchmaker of Dachau if you want to check out those reviews. The Watchmaker of Dachau is still of of my favouite books of all time!

Now onto The Note:

Book Description

Auschwitz, 1942: On a warm summer’s day in Paris, Jozef and his beloved wife Adi are captured by the Nazis after going on the run. Forced onto a train with countless others, they spend days travelling to Auschwitz. They are torn from each other, stripped of belongings, their arms inked with prison numbers. In the death camp, their days are numbered––will they ever see each other again?

1953, South Carolina: On the night of her thirteenth birthday, the air as sticky as honey, Alice is woken up by the ear-splitting sound of sirens. The body of a teenage girl, Nancy, has been found in the lake.

Suspicion falls on Jozef, a German refugee who now lives in the small town. When one of Alice’s friends breaks a window in his house, Alice is wracked with guilt. She writes a note apologizing––a note that changes everything.

As Alice and Jozef form a friendship, Jozef opens ups about his painful past: he is an Auschwitz survivor. Hearing about the desperate choices people were forced to make, and the hunt for freedom amongst so much heartbreak, Alice starts to see her own life––and the death of her friend––in a new light.

As their bond deepens, Alice uncovers Jozef’s secret––one that has followed him from Auschwitz, and could now shatter Alice’s world. When a long-awaited storm breaks the suffocating heatwave, the truth finally comes out, and Alice’s life will never be the same again…

What I Thought

A gorgeous read! Heartbreaking, gripping and intriguing! Similar to Carly’s other books, you are thrown into the terrors of World War II and of course the horrors of Auschwitz when you listen to Josef telling his story in 1950s Amercia. Young teenager Alice is his listener. She was set up to throw stones at his windows when her friends suspect Josef of killing their friend Nancy. Alice writes a confession note to Josef and this is where their unlikely friendship begins. I was engrossed as much as Alice hearing Josef speaking about Auschwitz.

The settings and descriptions are extremely vivid and not for the faint-hearted. It’s a story of an unlikely friendship, survival and full of emotion. You won’t be able to put this one down!

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the advance copy.

Author Bio

Where Can I Buy The Note?

*Try the Audible free trial, you will receive:

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• After 30 days, you will receive 1 book each month and continue to have unlimited access to the Plus Catalogue for just £7.99/month (renews automatically).
• Cancel easily anytime.

Books on Tour

Here are the other bloggers on The Note book tour. Why not head over and check out their reviews!

If you enjoyed this review, you will love these:

• The Rainbow
• The Watchmaker of Dachau

• From The Dark We Rise by Marion Kummerow
• The Girl On The Platform by Ellie Midwood
• The Girl Across The Wire Fence by Imogen Matthews
• The Girl In The Striped Dress by Ellie Midwood