I love historical fiction- especially if it takes place around WWII. Something about the era really speaks to me. This book pulled no punches with the raw reality that was the horror of these concentration camps. The evil set upon these groups of people were immeasurable. As a mother my heart broke with Alice- having to endure what no mother should ever go through. My heart further broke for Helene who just wanted to change the world. For Sara, who just wanted her family. For Clara who had to endure it all alone in a foreign country. For Georg who felt helpless. For the mothers and fathers and grandparents that just wants their kids safe. And for Paul, who risked it all only to never reach his future.

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 1932. When Sara and her sisters are transferred to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, their talent becomes a lifeline. Their survival hinges on sewing beautiful dresses for the wives of SS officers and Nazi dignitaries. Amidst the horrors and suffering, Sara's determination, her sisters' unwavering courage, and defiance, and the unexpected friendship with a member of the Sonderkommando become beacons of hope. Once released from the concentration camp, Sara's journey continues as she searches for the man who had once saved her life. From displaced persons camps to the distant shores of Palestine, Sara's heartrending journey continues as she searches relentlessly for the man who had once saved her life.

This is a gripping tale of survival, sacrifice, sisterhood, and unbreakable love inspired by actual events. The author is an amazing writer and her descriptions of the events and the camps are very vivid. I have read many historical fiction books about Auschwitz, but this one ranks with the best. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for introducing me to this author. I will be looking for other books that she has written. I highly recommend this to anyone who reads about WWII.

A thoroughly engrossing book..wan’t to read it quickly but controlled myself. Well written. The horrendous accounts of what people went through was unbelievable. Thought I would have already read most of them but found out not. This is a must read for those who like to read historical fiction. I am anticipating her next book.

Not what I expected. Did not like it as much as I wanted to. Some camp scenes unbelievable for the situation. Little character errors (character name changes in text) It was just okay. I expected better. However, this may be because most homicides books I read are non fiction true accounts.

I finished it but there were a few times I wasn't sure if I really wanted to push through... I found the style very similar to 'the tattooist of Aushwitz', which I thought was hot garbage and DNF but if you liked it then you'll probably like this. There really was a fashion salon in Auschwitz so it's unfortunate that this book missed the mark in telling that story.

It reads like a watered down romanticized version of what the camps were actually like.

Sara was really hard to relate to and feel empathy for. She vehemently objects to sending her younger family members (one only a niece meanwhile the child's father is part of the resistance and would have taken any opportunity to save the kid) on the kinder transports but doesn't grasp the ramifications of her opinion until years later.

She somehow has all this freedom to run around the camp at all hours and has wild ambitions to sneak out her sister in a pile of corpses(?!) like WTF.

She declines a sure trip out of the country because she wants to try and meet up with a guy she only met a few times...

I have read several books with this genre and all of them have touched me in some way, this was no different, the story of Sara and her family, her loves and her losses and the cruelty endured daily. As a read it was quite a short book and I think it became obvious what was going to happen but that did not distract from the story. The subject matter is awful as we all know what happened in these camps and it’s by storytelling that we continue to remember those that didn’t return.

A beautiful, but sad novel. It is the story of Sara, the daughter of a tailor and sister of seamstress’, who tells the story of her harrowing life in Ravensbruck and Auchwitz. Only through learning her father’s trade as a young child did she stay alive. There are many details of the horrible life in these concentration camps, but this book also shares her love of family, their strong bonds, and how she ultimately survives. A tearful ending, but a beautiful story.

This story was beautiful and heartbreaking.
Although it wasn't 100% based on a true story, the events and base line are historicaly accurate. Sarah's story had me in tears more than once and my heart was completely on the floor. Especially at the loss she suffered again and again.

I encourage everyone to read these stories and share them, we need to honor all the fallen and victims each day.

I have read many books focusing on WWII, but I have never heard of this author. The book description compared this book to The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris and The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel, both of which I LOVED, so I thought I’d take a chance on a “new to me” author.

The book focuses mostly on Sara, the daughter of a German Jewish tailor, and her struggles through a very horrific time. When Sara and her family are separated and sent to camps, she quickly had to learn how to survive the beatings and starvation that occurred. Sara’s bond with her family seemed very strong, so I just couldn’t understand why her youngest sister, who was sent to live with her brother in America, wasn’t mentioned more often. It would have been wonderful to also tell the story from their points of view.

On a side note, I found it interesting that the book didn’t include any actual dates, as most novels about this time period do. I found myself often wondering what the year was and how long Sara was actually in the camps.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

To say that you enjoy a book about the holocaust seems a bit macabre. To say that you enjoyed a book about hope, faith and the resilience or the human spirit feels far more fitting.

I've read a lot of real accounts of auschwitz aswell as some of the bigger known fictional retellings and have even visited the camp with my mother (who I can honestly say sobbed the entire time and didn't even want to visit Birkenau)
But this book captured the heart and spirit of those who endured what noone should ever have to endure under the most dire of circumstances.

I truly felt for Sara and her family in this novel, and at points almost felt as if this was a real account.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book

I love historical fiction books. The Seamstress of Auschwitz was the latest historical. Read that I have read. It was definitely worth the read, five star book.

This story spans from 1932 and continues through the British pulling out of Palestine. Sara’s journey immerses us into the horrors of Auschwitz and gives us a glimpse what life was for the displaced persons in camps around Europe. Through the eyes of Sara a lot is said including the obstacles Jews faced in trying to enter Palestine.

All stories during this time are heart-wrenching and compelling this one is no exception. Apart from giving us a large timeline, this version of events recounts and rehashes the same experiences endured by the prisoners. We can find numerous books recounting these events. Nothing new here for those who are a fan and have read books of this era before.

Having said this “The Seamstress of Auschwitz “is nevertheless a very well- written and well-paced story and reading it you won’t get bogged down with unnecessary details. Even if I read many stories covering the camps in the past, I still had a hard time leaving my emotions in check flipping through the pages.

Ms. McAdam’s version is well crafted and powerful but to my eyes did not bring anything new.

Surviving at all costs

Heartache, Love, Family and the horrors of the Nazi’s and Auschwitz. A family torn apart by war and the brutality of the Nazi’s. There was Sara, her father, her mother, her brother Georg her sister Alice, Her sister Helene, and her niece’s Clara and Ruth as well as her aunt.

Sara’s father was a tailor and well respected in town. He taught all his children to sew and when they were 14, they received a new sewing machine. As Sara was reaching 14 and had received her machine things started getting bad for the Jewish in her home town. Since she was not able to go to school her father and her older sister Alice taught her to sew.

On the night of broken glass things began to change. This is her story from that day on. The story of the loss of her family, her romance she found with a fellow inmate in Auschwitz and his loss. How she spent the year in the camp and how she spent those after the war recuperating from the brutality she had faced and her loss.

It is a story you will cry and you will admire the characters, especially Alice, Helene and Sara as they sew clothes in Auschwitz for the Nazi elite. How they survive odds that are against them and the loss of those that do not survive.

I loved that Sara sought happiness over the safe passage to her brother Georg in America and how she finally found happiness even though it wasn’t what she originally thought it would be.

This is a story of great courage, great family love and the need to survive.
It was a great story and although some parts were hard to read, I did enjoy the story and I loved the ending.

I was given a complimentary copy to read and review. The review is written voluntarily and in my own words.

Thanks netgalley for giving me an early copy of this book.
Have read many books of the horrors of Auschwitz and everyone has a tale of horrors to recount.
Sara lived with her family in Germany, her father was a Tailor and her mother and sisters were seamstresses taught by her father,
The Nazis came her father was killed, and Sara her mother and sisters were transferred to the horror camp callrc Auschwitz. Sara was determined to live and not let the Nazis win.
This was an incredible story and what a woman Sara was.
I look forward to reading CK McAdams next book The Poets Daughter,

This story had a great deal of potential to be very interesting. However, this author's writing style and I dont mesh. This was more like reading an outline to a story (albeit a very good outline), but for me it lacked depth and fleshing out of the characters. Regardless, it's a story that needs to be told. I just wanted to know more as we moved along.

The Seamstress of Auschwitz by C.K. McAdam takes place at time in history where much has been written about. WWII is brought about as a result of the rise in Nazi power. Not only does Hitler wish to concur all surrounding areas, he also wishes to annihilate the Jewish population. Sara and her family have been tailors for generations. They, however, are Jewish. When they are rounded up by the Nazi’s. the women are separated from the men, being sent to different camps.

Sara and her sisters survived persecution because of their sewing abilities. She and her sister Helene are responsible for creating sort after fashions for the wives of the Nazi’s. The story goes into much detail about their time in Auschwitz and what happens to them in the end.

Sara’s life history is being told to her granddaughter on her birthday. For me, the story was slow moving in the beginning as well as the writing being a bit choppy. As with all historical fictions that deal with the same topic, I like finding out about how things took place back then, and how people were able to survive and move on. Since there was so much that involved this, I was able to move past the negatives.

Thank you Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this advance readers copy.

The Seamstress of Auschwitz' is a captivating and quick read. This historical fiction set in WWII Germany follows Sara, a Jewish woman living in Germany when the war breaks out. The story primarily follows her perspective, but it’s also a touching tale of family. Sara’s skills as a seamstress don’t save her outright, but they do make life in the death camps slightly more bearable by improving her job and rations, giving her and her family a fighting chance. There’s a romance element between Sara and Paul, but with their limited contact, their strong connection seemed to stem more from loneliness than anything else. Despite this, it’s a compelling, well-written book that kept me engaged from start to finish.

I was stuck between a 3 and 4 on this one. Parts of this book were very good and I couldn't put the book down. Other parts seemed to drag on. The story does not bring to light too much new information, with the exception of moving to Palestine. There is a love story woven throughtout the story of loss a nd grief, and the main character does not actually get a happy ending... well somewhat.

"The Seamstress of Auschwitz" by C. K. McAdam is a deeply moving and heart-wrenching work of historical fiction set primarily in Poland during World War II. The story delves into themes of family, loyalty, and bravery.

Despite her talent at sewing, as a Jew, Sara faces severe persecution, enduring book burnings, beatings, humiliations, and eventual deportation to concentration camps. The physical and mental destruction of her family leaves her clinging to survival minute by minute. Sara and her sister Helene, due to their seamstress abilities, are coerced into making garments for the wife of a Nazi commander in a "fashion salon," where resistance only brings more suffering. Small moments of hope and friendship help her persevere. After liberation, Sara's recovery is long and arduous, marked by the immense suffering endured by millions.

This book, although challenging to read, is exceptional. It portrays the brutal realities of the Holocaust without sugarcoating. The prose is hauntingly beautiful and deeply affecting. The narrative stirred profound emotions in me, making me empathize with the prisoners whose lives were filled with relentless agony. I am also left pondering their post-liberation lives, especially as Jewish persecution persisted. This novel profoundly moved me, leaving me with goosebumps and a lasting impression.

The Seamstress of Auschwitz by CK McAdam
This the first book I've read by this author and it will differently will not be the last. What a great story, which is an example of what Jews went through Hitler reign.

Sara was a Jewish girl who was sent to Auschwitz. She was able to use her skill as a seamstress to keep herself safe from working hard labor. She lived in unbearable conditions, like so many other. She never lost her faith or hope.

This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions. I cried, had hope that in the end there was a happy ending and anger that people could be treated this way. I loved the characters and the storyline was well written. I enjoyed the book so much that it was hard to put it down!

I highly recommend this book.

I received this complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.