I find books about the Holocaust difficult to review and rate because anything that highlights and keeps the memory alive of all those who perished under that despicable regime is deserving of 5 stars from me and The Secret Midwife is no different.

Although a work of fiction, the author bases her characters on real people who went through the horrors of World War II some of whom miraculously survived when millions of others did not.

The Secret Midwife focuses on the stories of Emelia and Aleksy. Emelia is a midwife who risks her life supporting ALL women regardless of race or religion to give birth safely. Aleksy is a doctor who tries to save his town during occupation. Unfortunately, both were discovered and transported to the hell-hole that was Auschwitz however, they continued to try and care and help their fellow prisoners despite having no resources or equipment and the ongoing risk of immediate selection and execution.

As you can imagine, this is an emotional, harrowing and heart-breaking story but it's also one of bravery and how, despite the ongoing threats, some people did everything they could to help ease the suffering of those around them and whilst Emelia, Aleksy and some of the other characters aren't real people, they and their story will stay with me for some time.

Highly recommended to those of you who enjoy reading historical fiction; this is a must read and I have to thank Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Secret Midwife.

Amazing book!

While fiction, this book is rooted in the evil truth that was Auschwitz, and the author handled the telling with the dignity and response that the subject deserves. Emilia is a compilation of the many women who were brave enough to serve as midwives in the camp, and the things she was able to do in secret to help the many, many suffering and abused women.

This book was humbling and gratifying at the same time, knowing what those people went through just because they were born under a certain faith. I truly hope that nothing of this magnitude is ever permitted to happen again, and books like these that tell the truth of that time will keep the memories fresh and the evil at bay.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This was a very compelling story. Fast paced and well written. I greatly appreciated the research done to keep the story as factual as possible. It always amazes me how the prisoners fought to survive and not give up!

4.5⭐️

The Secret Midwife is an illuminating and devastating work of historical fiction about Emilia, a midwife who worked to covertly save countless lives from the Nazis, first in the resistance in Poland, and then from within Auschwitz. She was one of the precious few to survive her time there and live to tell the tale. This dual-timeline story goes back and forth between her experiences in the war, and the future time when she finally is ready to recount her experience.

The author did a great job of providing a window into this brutal history, and am empathetic look at what many suffered through. It was a tough but worthwhile read.

There’s an author’s note at the end where she details the inspiring people whose real-life heroism the characters of Emilia and Aleksy were based on- I definitely recommend reading it.

Thank you Soraya M. Lane, Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

INSPIRING STORY BASED ON REAL-LIFE ACCOUNTS

Soraya M. Lane, the bestselling author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, has written an inspiring story based on real-life accounts of the Polish resistance during WWII. The main character Emilia was able to survive the horrors of Auschwitz because she was a midwife. Some women arrived at Auschwitz already pregnant and others became pregnant because of the continued abuse by the soldiers who were in charge of them. It did not matter. No baby was allowed to survive. They were all to be treated in the same manner as the other “undesirables” and end up in the gas chamber. Emilia, with the help of a brave doctor, made a choice that she would do her part to help save the lives of as many women as possible. She, along with the help of the doctor and a cohort, began performing abortions. Even though they did not agree with the practice, they performed them in order to protect the mothers who would otherwise be forced to endure to cruel, evilness we cannot begin to imagine and undergo experiments thought up by the particularly heinous Joseph Mengle. She also did her best to see to it that the women would be able to give birth again if they survived Auschwitz as opposed to them giving birth under unknown circumstances.

This was not an easy book to read. I do not agree with abortion. However, I have never lived through being a POW and been held in one of the Nazi Concentration Camps. I have as a United States Citizen, toured the former Nazi Concentration Camp Dachau. There is no way I can describe the bone-chilling feeling I experienced when I stood in the actual gas chamber and the door was shut behind me! Of course, I knew the door would open and I would walk out. I could not fathom the number of people who walked through that same door and never walked anywhere again! We must never forget the horrors that people experienced during WWII!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own and without influence.

This was so so well written. Engaging and impossible to put down! A heartbreaking "based on a true story" novel about a midwife who risked her life to save so many. If you are a fan of WWII Fiction, this is for you!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and author for a copy to review!

In 1995, an appeal is made on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, asking for information regarding a midwife who helped women in the concentration camp. Listening to the appeal is Emelia, who realises they are looking for her, and she accepts it is time to tell her story.

This dual timeline book follows the story of Emelia. In 1940s Poland she is a midwife, and when she is caught helping a Jewish woman, she is transported to Auschwitz. What follows is the story of how she helped women, alongside Doctor Aleksy Gorski and fellow inmate Lena.

A very emotive book, it doesn't hold back on descriptions of the brutality and inhumanity. A heartbreaking story that will stay in my mind for a long time.

The Secret Midwife, by Soraya M. Lane

If you enjoy WWII fiction, then this book is a must-read.

Emotionally compelling and beautifully written, this book tells the story of young midwife, Emilia, who is sent to Auschwitz, after being betrayed for helping Jewish mothers give birth in her home village.

When she discovers what happens to new mothers and their babies, she knows she has no choice but to go against all she believes in, to save lives. I felt so drawn to Emilia, Lena and Aleksy, the character development was first class and the dual timelines of Emilia’s life during the war and her telling her story in 1995 were seamless, with a very cleverly thought out TV appeal leading to Emilia’s decision to finally tell her story.

The author has sensitively acknowledged the terrible atrocities committed at Auschwitz, while weaving a thread of hope amongst the innocent people held there.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Soraya M. Lane and Amazon for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

Again another triumph for Soraya M Lane - this is well researched and well written and of course completely heartbreaking.

I think, as I am a child of the late 50s, what happened in Nazi Germany in WW2 is incomprehensible, why were they so cruel and heartless?
This book explores Auschwitz and all the horrors that being taken there involved.
Based on aspects of facts the birth of babies of Aryan appearance often through German fathers and their placing with German parents was inhuman - it would have been good to find out if Hannah had found her mother or who she might have been.
I think to say too much more would provide too many spoilers - this book should be compulsory reading in schools and to lead to more research by students in my opinion.
I normally read before bed but this book certainly wasn’t the sort that made comfortable bedtime reading - as it seems was the authors intention.
The main characters Emilia a midwife, and Aleksy a doctor did all the could to administer care to those that needed it despite the conditions they were expected to work in.
They faced death every day.

This was a thought provoking read. A harrowing story of times that should never be allowed to be forgotten or repeated.

Great story for the genre! You will be taken into the time period and be rooting for all the characters in the book while reading about all the injustices done to the Jewish people and those who helped them. Somewhat follows story lines that are in other books of the genre, but this one does tell a good story.

The Secret Midwife by Soraya Lane is one of her best historical fictions I have read. This is a heartbreaking and horrific story that will bring tears to your eyes. Ms. Lane tells this one in dual timelines with well developed characters that will seem so real to you. Beautifully written and highly emotional, I could not put this one down. Ms. Lane is an extraordinary storyteller and this one is written with great detail. The subject matter is delicate but this author always handles it with the utmost care. Even though this is a fictional story it is based on actual horrific and barbaric events in history. This author is a must read for me and once again she did not disappoint. Bravo Soraya Lane!!

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Soraya Lane for another wonderful book to read and review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
#netgalley #lakeunionpublishing. #sorayalane
#thesecretmidwife. #arc

THE SECRET MIDWIFE by Soraya M. Lane is a beautifully-written and heart-wrenching dual-timeline story that kept me engrossed from beginning to end. I have read and loved many of this author’s historical novels and this one is no exception. In London in 1995, on the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a news broadcast airs that seeks the identity of a Polish midwife known to have saved hundreds of lives of women and children imprisoned in the camp. Now elderly and recently-widowed, Emilia decides it is time to tell her story – that unbeknownst to even her daughter, she is the midwife they are seeking. Emilia agrees to an interview and slowly reveals the details of her life, starting in Poland in 1942 when then a young midwife, Emilia is secretly helping Jewish mothers and working for the resistance. When she is betrayed by a neighbor, Emilia is sent off to Auschwitz. Because she is a midwife, she is put to work caring for expectant women and new babies. She works alongside an imprisoned doctor to keep these vulnerable women from the horrific experimentation by Nazi doctors. Based on some true people and events, the story is intense and utterly heart-breaking. The brutality of the Nazis and the horrendous conditions in the camp were hard to read about, but Soraya Lane tells this story with the utmost compassion and sensitivity – a true honor to the brave and selfless people who risked their own lives to help others during this time. This compelling story of courage and resilience will remain on my mind for a long time to come. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

I have read many, many accounts of survivors of Auschwitz. Reading a fictionalized account doesn’t make it any more palatable.
There are many scenes that most readers just won’t be able to stomach.
But amidst the darkness and death there was life and hope.
It’s a jarring read, based on bits and pieces of truth stitched together by the author.
Read it.

At times difficult to read but always holding my attention. The subject was treated with sensitivity whilst not shying away from the realities of the horrors humans up an inflict on each other.. I highly recommend this book.

The Secret Midwife is historical fiction that was inspired by true events and people from a terrible time in our history. It is a tough read in so many ways, but so worth it. The author does an excellent job in portraying the courage and strength of those who suffered the horrors of the Holocaust. No matter how many books I read on this subject, I am continuously learning new information that wasn't covered in my history textbooks. Novels such as this are so important in bringing history to life and reminding us of what could happen again. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance copy to read and review.

This was a historical novel about a period I am usually drawn too. It was a story of resilience during a horrible time in our world history. And one woman had a chance to bring some hope to the pregnant women of Auschwitz’.

The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane is a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading the last page. Having just been to the Holocaust Memorial in Israel earlier this year, I had a visual context to go along with this fictional story. The bravery and courage as well as the devastatingly heartbreak of Auschwitz needed to be told. Based on careful research then told with honesty and sensitivity this important story is a hard but also inspiring read.

Beginning in 1995 Emilia looks back finally ready to tell her story as a midwife in Auschwitz. Her story is personal, vividly real balancing the horror of the atrocities done there to the resiliency and hope of the ones who not only worked secretly against it but also helped other and themselves to survive. May we never forget, even more may we never allow it to happen again. The Secret Midwife stands as testimony to this goal.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

1995: On the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz the London news appeals for any information about the identity of a brave Polish midwife who save hundreds of lives and has never been found. Listening is an elderly woman and her daughter and she is shocked when her mum declares she is the person they are looking for.

1942: Emilia like her mother before her is a midwife, she attends the women in her Polish village and she cycles through the German check points and it’s the perfect cover. Hidden in the area are pregnant Jewish women, she includes them in her rounds, her father is worried she’s taking a huge risk and sure enough someone betrays her.

Emilia finds herself aboard a train, she has no idea where she is going and her destination is a concentration camp called Auschwitz-Birkeneau. On arrival Emilia is stunned by the SS guards yelling at them to get off the train, their German Shepard dogs snarling and snapping, everyone is put into different lines and she can see emaciated people wearing what looks like stripped pajamas. Emilia starts the long and degrading process of her incarceration in Auschwitz.

The next day she’s sent to work as a midwife, she’s horrified by what she witnesses, she’s saved from being severely punished by Doctor Aleksy Gorski. Emilia, Doctor Aleksy and her new friend Lena come up with a dangerous plan, to save as many pregnant women and babies as they can and with the hope that one day they will be reunited.

The dual timeline narrative isn’t easy to read, the Holocaust was brutal and inhumane and nothing is left out. Even worse was the treatment of young innocent teenage girls, pregnant women and newborn babies.

I received a digital copy of The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Lane uses as a basis for her latest outstanding historical fictional story, the real life written testimonies of a Polish doctor, midwife, a gynecologist and what they did while prisoners at Auschwitz.

They wanted to save as many women and babies as they could and they also wanted to world to know what happened in the camp and for the perpetrators to be made accountable. An emotional and heartbreaking story about Auschwitz, one that will stay with me for a long time, it moved me to tears and five stars.

Soraya Lane Takes On Auschwitz. How can you be a historical fiction writer who mostly focuses on the European theater of WWII... and *not*, at some point, do a story about Auschwitz? Well, the answer here is... you can't, and this is Lane's take on it.

Now, how can you be an amateur historian, with large amounts of knowledge about large amounts of things - and familial ties to the liberation of concentration camps during WWII to boot - and *want* to read a story about Auschwitz, knowing all too well the very real horrors there, among the worst humanity has ever inflicted upon humanity? (Arguably worse than the Imperial Japanese military's Unit 731 in overall scale, though it seems that Unit 731 may have been even more horrific - if such a thing is possible.) My answer is... I didn't and don't, but I've read many of Lane's books and trust *her*.

As it turns out, my trust is well placed. Lane manages to craft an Auschwitz tale that never shirks from discussing the horrors of that facility - while never showing them in brutal, sadistic detail the way an author with a more horror-genre nature might. Instead, Lane takes a page from Titanic (and a school assignment I once had that I'm fairly certain predates that movie, and which I'm coming to realize ever more that I had really done the way I want to now as an adult when it was possible as a child) in creating a dual timeline (shocker, I know, for long time fans of Lane) tale of hope and survival against the most brutal and desolate backdrop possible in Europe during that particular period. Taking inspiration from a variety of real life people who really did a lot of the things Lane has her characters doing to help people survive, Lane manages to show the goodness of some people and the willingness to risk their own lives in order to do the right thing, even in the very heart of the place doing so many very wrong things. Indeed, even the Angel of Death, Josef Mengele is a recurring character throughout the tale - though to be clear, while always being clear about the horrors he was responsible for while never directly showing them "on screen".

Longtime fans of Lane will note her usual stylings are completely in play here, as is her usual historical accuracy to a relatively high degree, while still taking the occasional artistic liberty where necessary to tell the story she is telling in the manner in which she wanted to tell it. Even here, the liberties are more subtle than jarring, almost to the point of being indetectable.

The horrors of Auschwitz in particular are some of the most well known brutalities of the Jewish Holocaust of WWII, at least in the West. (I'm told they still aren't as well known in certain Eastern circles? But I have no real way of knowing, having never lived outside the southern US.) At on that level, perhaps some might argue that an author like Lane should instead pursue her "normal" focus and tell the *other*, far lesser known, stories. To that, I point out that among the first books I read from her was about perhaps *the* most famous event of WWII in the American zeitgeist at minimum (*arguably* more famous than even the events of D-Day nearly three years later), the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In between these two well known events, Lane *has* been writing about lesser known events, indeed some that even this amateur historian had never heard of and had to learn about in more detail after reading one of Lane's books. (Which I absolutely encourage all of her readers to do.) I also point out that just because a particular thing is well known, doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't continue to be explored - even as I readily encourage exploration of the lesser known topics as well, which again = Lane also does.

Overall, this is an appropriately sober and stark tale about one of the darkest stories in all of WWII, while still shining a light on the very real lives women lived in the period and events in question and still showing the goodness of humanity and the light of hope even in the darkest of situations, as Lane tries to do in all of her tales. Very much recommended.

The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane is a harrowing, heart crushing, horrifying and compelling dual-timeline Historical Fiction story about The Holocaust. What makes it so sobering is that such cruelty was indeed meted out by humans to millions of other humans in incomprehensible barbarity.

In 1945 Auschwitz was liberated yet many prisoners did not experience true freedom going forward. The story begins fifty years later in 1995 London when a midwife who had saved hundred of lives at Auschwitz during WWII was sought on television. The responsible woman, now in her 70s, happened to see the plea and a short while later Emilia told her remarkable story to a journalist. Her job had been about saving lives no matter their ethnicity and this didn't change when she was transported to Auschwitz in 1942. As a midwife she was in a unique position but lived a constant nightmare as the other prisoners did. She befriended Lena and the two encouraged each other as much as hellish conditions permitted. Doctor Aleksy was another prisoner who was relied upon for his skills at the camp. He and Emilia desperately tried to ease suffering and their acts didn't go unnoticed by fellow prisoners and the SS. Yet there were occasional tiny slivers of humanity. There had to be.

Soraya M. Lane is an auto-author for me, no need to even read the blurb. She writes beautifully with incredible attention to detail. Though the subject matter is horrendous, stories like these are crucial to learn about.

My sincere thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this haunting book, one I won't soon forget.