Thank you so much for the ARC of this book. I loved Morris' first two books so I was looking forward to this one. However, it seemed to me like this title didn't know what it want to be and I didn't enjoy it very much.

After reading The tattooist of Auschwitz and being incredibly moved by it i was really eager to read more of Morris's books. the set up for this one was a little different, and didnt hit me with as much an emotional response as the other two novels which was a bit disappointing as i didnt connect with it as well.

whilst both previous novels were largely based on anecdotes from survivors or records, Stories of Hope is quite different. It still remains to be anecdotal, however the fictional storytelling spin has been removed, and what remains is a sort of self-help book about communication and listening from Heather Morris' own life experiences.

Listening is the key to learning from the people Heather Morris meets with to hear about their suffering and trauma during the Nazi regime. This is the message she underlines in her telling of these stories. Having read The Tattooist of Auschwitz this was a compelling explanation of the background to the book and also her special relationship with Lale Sokolov. In addition to this we hear about Heather’s background and the suffering she also endured growing up. Although the stories are both upsetting and sad they are ultimately about hope and it is an uplifting read. Thank you to Net Galley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I listen to this on audio, and was a little disappointed with it!

I was hoping for a collection of stories that were full of inspiration and hope, but it felt a little preachy to me in places, which is a shame.

Despite this, many of the stories were very interesting! Which is why I kept on listening and have given it a 3/5.

Excellent stories that tell an important story we all should hear, thank you for the read. The author writes such incredible books about such an awful time

I don't really understand the purpose behind this novel other than to tell us the small extra pieces of information on Lale - to me that could've been a bonus chapter on a newsletter.

It is a very repetitive book but I did enjoy the sweet moments with Lale again

Another great book by Heath Morris about the lives, loves and losses of those unfortunate enough to suffer during their time at Auschwitz during World War 2.

Written with such feeling, insight and heart that it moved me just as much as her previous books.

A short book in which writer, Heather Morris, takes us on a journey through some of her life defining experiences including her remarkable friendship developed with the tattooist of Auschwitz.
Thanks to netaglley for the advance copy.

I don't usually read non fiction but after reading and loving the authors previous work I wanted to read this. It was an enlightening read that I quite enjoyed reading.

A great book that had me hooked! Well worth picking up as it is definitely worth a read. Great storyline and interesting characters!

This was a hard read - Heather gives some background as to her life in New Zealand which was difficult and talks about her grandfather and to a lesser degree her father who actually listened to her. She talks about the importance of really listening to individuals and hearing their stories. She talks about how she became a listener to Lale’s story and how she processed it.

Her underlying theme is one of hope and the importance of keeping the memories of the Holocaust alive.

I was in tears at times reading but I would encourage anyone who has read her two books to read this.

Interesting and heart-rending. It is a book about listening to the people around you, cultivating understanding and compassion for others. Beautifully written.

Thank you to Bonnier Books UK for the arc of Stories of Hope written by Heather Morris.

4 star read for me as I loved Cilka's Journey and The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris so I instantly knew I wanted to read this! This was so inspirational as its basically her bio of her childhood then going to Australia and everything in which leads up to meeting Lale Sokolov and writing the Tattooist of Auschwitz. Also about her friendship with him which led to her being introduced to other survivors of the Holocaust.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stories of Hope by Heather Morris is her latest book and is another beautifully written book by one of my favourite authors. Heather has a wonderful way of written all her books, they are all written with Love from her heart. Within this book Heather takes us on an inspirational journey through some of the defining experiences of her life, including her profound friendship with Lale Sokolov, the tattooist at Auschwitz-Birkenau and the inspiration for her bestselling novel and one of my favourite books I have ever read.

I Highly recommend all Heathers books and i had to purchase hard copies of all her books she has written and are sitting proudly in my book case waiting to be read again in the future..

Big thank you to Bonnier Zaffre for an ARC.

This is a very different book to the author's other books as it's non fiction drawing on her own life and experiences. It was interesting to learn about her childhood in New Zealand and how she learnt to listen with to her great- grandfather and the tales he used to tell.
It felt a bit like being at a book event with Heather and having all the questions answered that formed in my mind when I was reading The Tatooist of Auschwitz or Cilka's Journey
As a second generation of a survivor, I'm grateful that she was asked to have a coffee with a man, Lale Sokolov, who had an interesting story to tell. It's so instant these stories are told so that we can learn from yesterday for a better tomorrow.

As well as interviewing Holocaust survivors to hear their stories, she has a wealth of experience of working with people in hospital, often at the most vulnerable time in their life as she was part of the Social Work team.

She spoke about a young woman with a terminal illness who had overheard her father saying "She's dying" and she replied
"Mum, its only takes seconds to die, the rest of the time we are living"

A young girl with wisdom beyond her years reminding us to live, or as Lale Sokolov would say , "If you wake up in the morning, it is a good day"

I will first start by saying that Heather Morris' previous two books were some of the best that I have ever read.
They were so incredibly moving and well written that I pledged that I would happily pick up any further books by her, as I had been so impressed.
I hadn't heard the same amount of hype around the third in Morris' series of books but I went into it with a lot of expectations. And sadly on this occasion it did not live up to them.
I did get small snippets of what I was hoping for, more about Lale, Cilka and Gita.
There just wasn't enough of it.
Stories Of Hope felt more like a self help book than the compelling story that I was expecting.
I am, however, looking forward to seeing what Heather Morris releases next, as she does mention that she is working on another book. I would also wholeheartedly recommend checking out both The Tattooist Of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey, if you have not already.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge fan of The Tattooist of Auschwitz I was beyond happy when @zaffrebooks sent me a copy of @heathermorrisauthor newest book! It reads as a memoir about how The Tattooist of Auschwitz & Cilka’s Journey came to be. Very different from Heather’s previous two novels as it is non-fiction and tells of Heather’s own book-writing journey, but definitely no less moving.

The focus is largely on Lale Sokolov (who you’ll know of if you’ve read The Tattooist of Auschwitz), about how the author spend so much time with him, listening and absorbing his history so she could tell his story. Heather talks of how on this journey she met other Holocaust survivors, Lale’s friends, and heard their horrific stories, some of which inspired her second book Cilka’s Journey. But it also tells of how the author herself coped with hearing such traumatising truths.

As such, the book provides practical advice on how to listen to others - particularly older people, whom the author calls “living history”. Usefully, at the end of the chapters there is a list bullet-pointing tips on the topics talked about in each chapter, such as effective listening but also self-care after being the listener to disturbing stories.

As always, I found Heather’s writing so engaging and sensitive; it was simultaneously beautiful and heartbreaking, but of course, with that overwhelming sense of hope which permeates her work, reminding us to always look for that glimmer of hope no matter how bleak the situation is.

I would recommend Stories of Hope for all fans of Heather’s previous books - especially so as there are previously unheard of snippets of incredible stories and a sneak peak at what’s to come!

I am genuinely upset and disappointed.

From the moment I picked up The Tattooist of Auschwitz I knew I'll read everything Morris will ever write. She's an incredible storyteller and it was one of my favourite books of 2018. It still holds a special place in my heart, along with Lale and Gita.

When I was granted access to Stories of Hope I was over the moon. Excited to read more stories about the strength of other survivors and people the author has met.

What I got, however, was an unwanted self help book. It felt largely repetitive and frankly frustrating.

I did get to hear more about Morris' time with Lale and the research before The Tattooist of Auschwitz was written and I absolutely loved those parts of the book.

Stories of other people were very few and far in between and I really wish there was more about them and how they inspired the author, rather than "practical tips how to listen to your elders/children/patients"

I recommend reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and Cilka's Journey because they're incredible, but if you're genuinely interested in other stories of hope, this book isn't it.

If you are after tips on how to listen better, you may enjoy it more than I did.

Let me just start by saying that Heather Morris completely wowed me with her previous two novels. The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey provided a unique insight into the lives of concentration camp prisoners. Whilst both novels were largely based on anecdotes from survivors or records Morris managed to scrape together, Stories of Hope is quite different. It still remains to be anecdotal, however the fictional storytelling spin has been removed, as have other bystanders, and instead what remains is a sort of self-help book about communication and listening from Heather Morris' own life experiences. Not what I expected at all.

Have you ever heard of the term, "a shit sandwich"? In which you compose a review essentially with what's good, what sucked, and then try to end on a high again to balance out the negativity? That's my standard approach. But I struggled to pull the positives from this novel because the whole thing felt so incredibly patronising. Copious heavy handed tips on active and passive listening or communication with adults and children from an expert might be one thing, and while I totally appreciate Heather has formed her career on building a Rapport with people like Lale Solokov to tell their stories, I felt like if I had wanted a self help book about how to better my skills I would have gone to an expert who had composed a self help book.

Perhaps my expectations of this novel are the fault though. I had hoped I would build my imaginings of Lale, Gita and Cilka more with this novel. There are a few snippets, but they all feel like a driver to let us know how fantastic the author is at communicating and listening now, rather than sharing their stories.

It just doesn't work for me at all. The tone is all wrong, the delivery is very unusual and the take home was lacking for me. I can't believe I'm giving such a low rating to an author who really created waves for me when I read her other work, but two stars it is.

I loved The Tattoist of Auschwitz and this one was also another Pearl.

She writes with such passion and grace and I just adore her books, the book is full of wonderful characters and you really feel like you are there with them, I can’t wait for the next one!