The Librarian of Auschwitz is a powerful, heart-breaking story based on the true experiences of Dita Kraus during her time at Auschwitz. Author Antonio Iturbe takes us through the highs and lows of Dita’s story with a captivating combination of empathy and reverence for the gravity of the situation.

We watch Dita adjust to the horrifyingly oppressive conditions at Auschwitz, with her incredibly difficult task of secretly protecting the books while helping to educate the young inmates. Despite the immense danger in keeping and reading the books, we witness how vital it is to keep the power of words alive and free. Iturbe portrays the moment when books are discovered as truly terrifying, demonstrating that it is possible to risk your life to learn.

This deeply affecting novel is written with compassion and sensitivity, capturing the heartbreak and tragedy of Auschwitz, whilst celebrating the power of knowledge and freedom of thought that the books can bring. This is a novel which not only offers insight into a deeply traumatic time, but it reminds us of the immense power of the written word and that it can outlive any destruction.

I've read many books set in WW2 in concentration camps but for some reason, this one didn't work for me.

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe was a must read and I am so glad I had a chance to read and review it. This was a book about the Holocaust, in WW2 and is a horrific reminder of the cruelty of mankind but also of the resilience of people who suffered unimaginably..

I highly recommend this book if you like to read about WW2. This author Antonio Iturbe wrote this book from the heart and you may need tissues.

I gave this book a quick try, and ultimately decided to DNF -- my tastes have changed since I requested this. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!

As is the expectation of books written about The Holocaust, this one book was a horrific reminder of the cruelty of mankind but also of the resilience of people who suffered unimaginably..
The writing was engaging and touching with metaphors that amplified the tragic events . DonMt miss the postscript.
I read and reviewed this book, provided by NetGalley and publisher in exchange for my honest review, during the COVID pandemic and the story served as a reminder that though we think we are going through hard times with recent restrictions, we still have much to be thankful for.
I think this book will be as popular as other authors writing about the lives of those in concentration camps, such as Heather Morris, this one too is well written and difficult to put down or be unmoved by.

The content of the story and the horrors of the Holocaust are worth more than the 3 stars I have given the book.
However, the book did not live up to it's expectations for me, and I was disappointed it did not even grow on me.

For me this was an excellent read . It took me on an emotional and at times heartbreaking journey of the suffering those people endured in Auschwitz all those years ago.

Unfortunately I had to purchase a new Kindle device and could no longer access this book. I will come back and review if I read this in the future.

A wonderful, emotional, thought provoking read. Following Dita's account of what they faced, along with the added extras from the Author made it an enjoyable page turner which I would happily recommend to others.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my honest review.

A must-read fictional account very much based on the true story of Dita Krauss and her remarkable life and survival in the death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau and later Bergen-Belsen. As a teenager she became the covert librarian of the banned literature that was hidden and used to teach the children of Theresienstadt Family Camp in Block 31.
It is an incredible book with vast amounts of historical information that needs to be publicly shared. Other reviewers have commented that it isn’t an emotional enough book or that something was lost in translation, however I disagree. The very subject is so grim and so utterly appalling already that to add in gratuitous emotion would be disrespectful and disingenuous and would turn something intense and moving into sensationalised disposable misery lit.
Having visited Auschwitz-Birkenau last year and seen and heard about the conditions within the camp and the vast scale of the genocide, this book has had a powerful effect on me.

“Starting a book is like boarding a train to go on holiday.” (The Librarian of Auschwitz, chapter 8)

Having read the Tattooist of Auschwitz and absolutely loved it, I was very excited to learn of this book, and knew I had to get stuck in.


I instantly recognized the cover as being part of the ‘Tattooist’ series, although it isn’t actually written by Heather Morris. That needent have concerned me though as the book was equally well written, albeit translated, and balances fact with small elements of a fictional storyline to thread true life events together.

“Two teachers look up in anguish. They are holding something that’s absolutely forbidden in Auschwitz. These items, so dangerous that their mere possession is a death sentence, cannot be fired, nor do they have a sharp point, a blade, or a heavy end. These items, which the relentless guards of the Reich fear so much, are nothing more than books: old, unbound, with missing pages, and in tatters. The Nazis ban them, hunt them down.“ (The Librarian of Auschwitz, chapter 1)

There is a constant theme of books throughout, which I enjoyed - Dita’s escapism through reading, and also her comparisons to those literary adventures she delete into with her own almost unbelievable experiences she is living through draw obvious comparisons.

“Within their pages, books contain the wisdom of the people who wrote them. Books never lose their memory.” (The Librarian of Auschwitz, chapter 6)

The book is enthralling and features many protagonist narrators, from Kano to as guard to prisoner and I felt the plight of all of them throughout, felt their pains, the sufferings and their frustrations. There was one chapter where I think I held my breath for about 10 pages! If you’ve read it you’ll know where...and only released my breath when my page companions could release theirs..

Another stark enlightenment to the horrors of the worst of humankind...but with the magic of books and healing powers of reading threaded throughout. A must for any ww2 literary fan, and especially for those who value the book.

“The bricks used to construct this story are facts, and they are held together in these pages with a mortar of fiction.“

I really enjoyed this book, it was quite an emotional read. Definitely one to recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I felt that this was a good story although I feel that some of the more emotional parts of this got lost in translation. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

'Culture isn’t necessary for the survival of mankind; for that, you only need bread and water. It’s also true that with bread to eat and water to drink, humans survive; but with only this, humanity dies.'
This quote in the book for me sums up why this story had to be told. For me this quote is one of the reasons I became a librarian in the first place. Culture is a basic human need and breeds hope and humanity.
I would not say that this book is written particularly well but it is a story based on truth and shows that adversity can be overcome if you hold on to what makes us human in the first place.
'To live is a verb that makes sense only in the present tense.'
The story follows a young girl's story to find purpose and a mission in a world gone mad and this mission gives her a reason to survive. There are beautiful moments in this book despite the horror Dita incurs due to her love of the written word and her part in making the lives of the children in their care happy for at least a moment. Heroes are present from small acts of kindness and they should not be forgotten.
I hesitate to call this book beautiful but it's message is certainly that. To put it in the words of the author:
"Novels add what’s missing to life.” And this book is testament to what should be learnt from such atrocity

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Again a very good read and one I can highly recommend to others.
Thoroughly enjoyable.

Heartbreaking, compelling, terrifying, overwhelming, uplifting and inspiring.

Everything about this book was amazing, but it's one of the most difficult books I have read.
This book will stay with me for a very long time.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

A powerful book and one that I shall remember. Antonio Iturbe has a great writing style, and for me, he delivered the message beautifully although it was a little slow at the beginning and the jumps in time took a little getting used to. Though the book was difficult to read because of the subject matter, it was certainly worthwhile. Highly recommended. Rating; Four Stars.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Penguin Random House UK/ Ebury Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

It doesn’t matter how many times you read books or watch movies, the stories of Auschwitz never fail to shock. The Librarian of Auschwitz charts fourteen year old Dita’s experience as the custodian of a clandestine library consisting of just eight books. It is truly a story of courage.

Dita is imprisoned in Block 31 – the family block. Conditions are as horrific and dangerous here as anywhere, and schooling and books strictly banned. But a secret school is in operation, lessons are whispered to the children, and the eight precious books closely guarded over. It astounds me that despite the cruelty, starvation and deplorable and desperate conditions and the certainty that discovery will mean death, people have such courage. Some of the books are written in a language nobody recognises, or are reference books and adult books beyond the children’s understanding. But it was what the books represent that make them so important – knowledge, humanity and hope.

I was concerned going in that this was a translated book, but it didn’t feel so and none of the power or emotion of Dita’s story was lost. There are other people’s stories along the way, and as you may expect this isn’t an easy read. It’s horrifying, shocking and incredibly sad. But it’s also inspiring, humbling and filled with hope. It broke my heart over and over, at points I couldn’t continue to read and had to walk away due to the intense emotions it provokes. It’s a difficult book to review, as I feel I do not have the eloquence to do it justice. A moving story of human courage during the darkest of times. Highly recommended to everyone.

I was given a copy of a the Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe. This book is based on z true story of the Librarian Dita but parts of the story are fictional. The story covers many true events and people who both lived and died Auschwitz. The story although very emotional due to the true story it also has stories of courage and friendships. A must read for fans of historical fiction.

The central character was Dita a young girl persecuted for her religion the story was so moving, the book needs to be read even though it is very sad atrocities like this need to be remembered so that hopefully they will not be repeated. Well written and a worth while read.