I wish that I could say that I loved this book. I struggled with it and it took me forever to read. The author was searching for more about his own mother because he never really got to know her but he was also researching others who knew her. It felt too chaotic and not focused enough to me. I received a copy from #NetGalley but opinions are my own unbiased ones.

This book was so heartbreaking like all of Other Holocaust related books, and the aftermath of it. The journey this book took me on is very memorable and one that I will always look back into time and again.

A very emotional read, I would recommend everyone to read it at least once.

Loved this book. Lots of interesting information to digest. This is a great read for anyone who loves to read about history. Very well written

This was an interesting account of a survivor of the infamous Auschwitz. This story tells of a brave women who used her musical gifts to survive. This was very emotional account of the mother and son relationship. The story is truly moving. This novel is a must read for those interested in the Holocaust.

In 1943, Elsa was taken to Auschwitz but because she could play the violin she survived. She did not tell her family

When her son finds out later he works hard to learn more about his mothers history. He meets all the women from the orchestra Elsa was a part of.

This was a great story about a young man who wants to learn more about his mothers secret past and the orchestra in Auschwitz.

I enjoyed this book even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. I still think it’s a worthwhile read and that others will enjoy it.

The Violinist of Auschwitz is the true story of Elsa, a Jewish woman who survived Auschwitz by performing in the camp orchestra. It was a difficult story to read at times but I'm sure I will remember Elsa's story for a long time to come.

This is a powerful book that left me in tears. I was sad, and angry too, at the inhumane treatment of the prisoners. I’ve read a lot of WWII historical fiction, but this is different because it tells the story of the author’s mother, who wouldn’t speak of this time when she was alive.
I highly recommend this book, be safe to have tissues nearby. 4 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Story: I was given a copy of this book via Netgalley, for an honest review! Thank you for granting my This ebook takes us back from the present day, to back at Auschwitz-Birkenau in WWII. The story is mainly told thru the eyes of the author, and four women, Elsa, Hélène, Violette, and Anita. Felstein's mother Elsa, got to become part of the orchestra in Birkenau. Yet she kept those years private from her family, and it took her son many years to get the story out of her. Also adding the other women, we see what a horror it was back then, but also that even beautiful music can come from the worst circumstances.
Final Notes The Violinist of Auschwitz 3.5/5
I wanted to like this book I did, and it took everything in me to finish it because this is usually my top favorite genre of books, but the book just did not do it for me. The way it was written, and how it was written, it jumped too much and I had to keep track of who was telling the story, and what voice I was meaning to listen to, so as much as I wanted to love this book, it was not one of my favorites.

The Violinist of Auschwitz by Jean-Jacques Felstein was a beautifully written book that touched my heart.
These books are not an easy read and you will need tissues and lots of them.

This book is set in WWII this story unfolds in two intersecting stages: one, contemporary, is that of the investigation, the other is that of Auschwitz and its unimaginable daily life, as told by the musicians. They describe the recitals on which their very survival depended, the incessant rehearsals, the departure in the mornings for the forced labourers to the rhythm of the instruments, the Sunday concerts, and how Mengele pointed out the pieces in the repertoire he wished to listen to in between 'selections'.

This is a remarkable book, by Jean-Jacques Felstein that follows in his mother's footsteps and by telling her story, attempts to free her, and himself, from the pain that had been hidden in their family for so long. I find Books about this time are always important so we can learn from history.

Big Hugs for Jean-Jacques Felstein and his family x

Big Thank you to Pen & Sword publishing and Net Galley for the free ARC

I very much wanted to love this story, and the story itself was wonderful, beautiful and so very tragic. My main difficulty was with the POV switching back and forth in a confusing manner. I had difficulty keeping track of who was speaking, which part of the story we were on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a terrible subject to cover. I did find this narrative hard to follow at times, perhaps this was due to the translation. Still, a well-written account of the atrocities that occurred through wartime. A recommended read.

Jean-Jacques loses his mother at a young age. She was a quiet, detached woman who survived hell on earth, Auschwitz. Elsa, his mother, survived the camps thanks to the violin but promised herself that she’d lock the memories deep inside, sharing nothing with her son who longs for an emotional connection with her that he just didn’t get. So he sets out to discover who his mother was during this time by visiting other survivors of the womens orchestra. While trying to learn more about his mother, he captures the stories of the other women and in a way discovers a bit of himself and how past experiences shaped the way he was raised.

What caught my attention right off the bat was the title. Having read a fictional account of the women’s orchestra at Auschwitz, I was already familiar with Alma Rose and I was intrigued at the opportunity to get to know more about the other women who’s musical gifts saw them through history’s darkest hour. They came from all over Europe, Jews and non Jews, each with their own story to tell. Some recalled Elsa fondly, some did not. I finished the book still not knowing much about Elsa but I learned so much about the orchestra as a whole and how their unity as a group helped them
To survive.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Pen & Sword and Jean-Jacques Feldstein for the opportunity to read this captivating book.

A hard read but a book worth reading. I'm not going to lie I had a box of tissues in my hand as soon as I opened the book. Because I knew that I was going to read them and I was right.

The Violinist of Auschwitz by Jean-Jacques Felstein, an excellent and mind blowing book which narrates a horrific story of Nazi rule. I have never read something like this. The author has portrayed minute details of Holocaust which are beyond imagination. It is not only a biography but an emotional picture of a country torn apart because of war and hatred. The plot is basically set in a camp where Jews are assigned to play music for the Nazi soldiers with disregard to their basic rights. They live in un- hygienic conditions and are forced to play music whatever happens.

I would like to give the book 5 stars for its amazing narration and plot. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me an opportunity to read and review the book.

I'd like to thank the writer and publisher for granting me access to this title.

I really like historical (non)-fiction. I have read many books on World War II but I have never read anything about orchestra in concentration camps. I enjoyed reading this book. It was very interesting and insightful.

Alma Rose was a talented violinist. Her life had opened up for her a world of opportunities that is, until the Nazis descended and brought a world of evil and hatred that brought destruction to the world she embraced.

Sent to Auschwitz, Alma is chosen to lead the rag tag orchestra that plays for both the Nazi higher ups and those who are entering the camp, many of which are sentenced to immediate death. At first she refuses the post, but then realizes what that position could mean, extra food and the ability to intervene in their death sentences. Alma takes on the role, and meets Miklos, a pianist, and they fall in love. Held together by the nightmares they share, they find consolation in their music, notes, and concerts always wondering if someday this hell they live in will end.

This story, as all Holocaust story is tragic, but it does show the ability of so many to withstand evil and learn to live another day with hope. Told through memories of the girls in the orchestra, this is a vivid portrait of evil and death awaiting those confined to the death camps.

It is a reminder that humans should never separate one group of people from the mainstream because of their beliefs and ancestry. It frightens me to see that this might occur again even though so many have pledged never again!

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this story that was so vivid and often pointed out the vileness of mankind.

INTERESTING NARRATIVE ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST AND THE AFTERMATH

"When you've been to Auschwitz, you can never leave it completely. When you haven't been there, you can never truly understand."


👍 What I Liked 👍

Narration: This is not a memoir. It isn't a biography either. it's somewhere in between with elements borrowed from both genres. The narrator is both telling his story of growing up with a mother, who went through Auschwitz, and he is telling his mother's story as well as the stories of her friends. The narration, therefore, becomes were unique, because it's both the voice of the actual narrator but also the voices of the women who played in the orchestra with the narrator's mother. At first it was difficult to get into, but it quickly became one of the things I enjoyed the most.

Journey: Another thing that made this book quite unique was the journey, that the author describes. His own journey into his mother's history. Through interviews with his mother's friends he learns more about his mother after her death. It is both an emotional and physical journey, and both are fascinating to follow. The author gives away a lot of himself to the reader, which made this a very interesting story to dive into.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Chronology: I am a sucker for chronology. It is a personal preference of mine, and others might not care all that much. Personally, I was a bit bothered by the jumps back and forth in time. The jumps are clearly marked, which was nice, but as the story went on, I had a hard time keeping things straight and remembering when what had happened.

Arrested in 1943 and deported to Auschwitz, Elsa survived because she had the 'opportunity to join the women's orchestra. But Elsa kept her story a secret, even from her own family. Indeed, her son would only discover what had happened to his mother many years later, after gradually unearthing her unbelievable story following her premature death, without ever having revealed her secret to anyone.

Jean-Jacques Feldstein was determined to reconstruct Elsa's life in Birkenau and would go in search of other orchestra survivors in Germany, Belgium, Poland, Israel and the United States. The recollections of Hélène, first violin, Violette, third violin, Anita, a cellist, and other musicians, allowed him to rediscover his 20-year-old mother, lost in the heart of hell. An incredible story unfolds, and this is a fascinating, heartfelt, and at times, harrowing read. Definitely recommend!

Of all I’ve ever read about Auschwitz, I never read anything about an orchestra. This book centers around an all female orchestra.

While the story is intriguing, it was slightly hard to read due to the way the author chose to have his story unfold.

The author tried to discover what his mother endured in the camps that she never spoke of. Most prisoners found they could only speak of such things to others who had been there. She felt like a stranger in her own family. Even her violin came to represent evil.
Concentrating on music allowed the prisoner musicians to momentarily forget the everyday horror of the camps. Even among the orchestra members there was inequality. The Poles tended to be anti-Semitic. The aristocrats received food parcels that they didn’t share.
The author spends a lot of time telling his own story of his search.