The Seamstress of Auschwitz was an unexpectedly good book. I've gotten used to the formulation "The XXXX of Auschwitz" and most of the book are serviceable at best. This one though, tracing the life of Sara, a young seamstress who ends up working in the fashion salon for the officer's wives at Auschwitz, hits both hard and cleanly. The extent of McAdam's research is evidence; she catches myriad little details about the camp, about its staffing, and much more. Perhaps what I liked best was that her story didn't end at liberation. She depicts the tremendous difficulties of survival--the guilt, the trauma, and the fundamental fact that many survivors had no living families and nowhere to go. As a result, Sara takes a while to find her footing and, even then, remains forever altered by her trauma. Highly recommend this book.

This novel is well written, but the plot is too mundane. The horrors of the holocaust are well-known and have been written about ad nauseum, but there was no unique twist in this one. I did like the prose very much, but the plot just didn't do it for me.

This book was emotional in the best way. I connected with the story and characters quickly, even though I didn't have a personal connection to the events. It was historically accurate and showed a side of the atrocities of world war 2 that we rarely think about. Definitely will be checking out other titles by this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, to NetGalley and the publisher, Book Whisperer for the opportunity to read this book as an audiobook!

Historical fiction (especially surrounding the WWII time-period) are always my “go-to” books when I need to cleanse my palate and this one did a great job. It was a very well-done story with detail that depicted the harrowing atmosphere of that time.

From Goodreads: Germany. 1932. Sara Schönflies, a young Jewish woman from a line of gifted tailors and seamstresses, finds her world shattered by the rise of the Nazi regime. In this gripping tale of survival, sacrifice, sisterhood, and unwavering love, Sara's indomitable spirit shines through the darkness, turning every stitch into a symbol of defiance and every moment into a testament of the human spirit's triumph over unimaginable adversity and unspeakable trauma.

This was an absolutely powerful tale and while we all know the basics of how WWII (and the holocaust) happened, it is stories like these that really bring to life the horrors that were faced in the 1930s and 1940s because they put names (even if they are fictional) to the faces/stories/professions/families/children/etc. This book brought out all of the emotions and I found it to be a very fast read because I was constantly engaged and wanted to see what happened next for Sara, as well as her family and friends.

The book is really well written. It was also really hard to read at times, as I knew what was coming. The characters are well developed and I quickly got attached to them. We learn at the end that the seamstress shop did exist. I received an Advance Review copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.

I adore a great historical fiction, and nothing pulls at your heart strings and leaves you as devastated as one based in Auschwitz. 5 stars, great read.

The Seamstress of Auschwitz by CK McAdam was a very interesting look at prison life in Auschwitz. Yes, there was the ugliness of wholesale massacre of helpless people, but there was also a look at the kind of cold-hearted selfishness that would condone using those same helpless people to provide fashionable clothing for socialites and their friends. Definitely a solid good read.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read. The writing in this book was perfect. The character had real life and you felt for them every moment of this book.

In a sea of WWII novels this book leaves an impression. Sarah's beautiful and sometimes tragic story is well told. The span of her life against the backdrop of a war torn country in a time of desperation and evil is intricate and woven with care. I would love to be able to read this again for the first time and I just barely finished.

One of the better WWII historical fiction books I've read recently. It's well researched and well written. The story was written from a different aspect from many others, with the main character being a seamstress and having a talent that allowed her to be useful and survive the camp. The story was compelling and I found myself reading late into the night because I needed to finish the book before I could sleep. I highly recommend this novel.

The tale of a young Jewish woman who is taken to concentration camp and deals with the loss of her whole family and the boy she falls in love with. Through him and his family she finds love after the war. Her skills keep her alive.

Well written and tragic. This story was horrifying in a worst of humanity way. Absolute soul crushing sadness and horror. But the resilience of humans shines in this. The story was well done and realistic and drew me in. I read it all in one sitting I was so invested. So much tragedy in our history. Great character, and a solid albeit sad plot.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. A gripping story of resilience and survival. You feel so connected to the characters and their struggles.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-copy of The Seamstress of Auschwitz by CK McAdam..This historical fiction piece is well written and researched.You can imagine yourself in the camps with Sara the main character as she fights to live in Auschwitz with her sisters.She is a seamstress so conditions for her are somewhat better but she still faces unimaginable tragedy and illness.Even after the war tragedy continues to follow her.A very moving piece!

3.5 stars rounded down

This is hard for me to rate since I did enjoy the book, but I have a few reservations about the book. I have read a lot of WWII books and I would say this book falls more into the middle of the pack.

I struggled with the MC Sara. She didn’t really seem like a strong female character who was held in a concentration camp. She made very dumb/childish choices throughout the book. Then I struggled with Sara falling in love with Paul. The book made their interactions very brief, but she falls in love with him? She chooses to find him versus going to America to find her family? I just kind of struggled with that relationship since it was so quick.

There are no years listed in this book so I had a hard time understanding how much time had passed between different parts of the book. It seemed like only one or two years passed, but that is not the case.

I appreciated that this book was not drawn out, but so much time was covered and some parts should have went into more detail. This book felt more like a true work of fiction versus historical fiction.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me in an emotional rollercoaster. The losses, the found friends, and love found a place in my heart. The story building of the experiences in Auschwitz and the building of the character's reactions to her life events where great! The ending had me in tears and the connections to family in the end wrapped everything in a neat little bow!

A must read historical fiction! A really intriguing story that draws you in and keeps you reading. Likeable characters and an interesting setting.

Set during WWII, Sara and her sisters are Jewish seamstresses who are sent to Auschwitz where they are able to make themselves of value to the Nazis by making dresses for the the officers' wives. Their talents allow for their survival at the death camp and the story follows the aftermath as they settle in Palestine. A wonderful story of resiliency and survival.

This was a fantastic WWII historical fiction book. It gave such a unique perspective of such a horrific time in the world. The author did a wonderful job at telling a story and bringing to life the characters all while being very respectful of the time

This book is incredibly powerful and heartbreaking throughout it's telling. There are many valuable lessons we can take away from this book and I highly recommend this novel.