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.

2.5, rounded up to 3. While I enjoyed this book something was missing for me. It did not read like historical fiction to me and I felt it lacking in the detail images come to expect from the genre. The premise was there, but was not as well executed as I would have hoped. I ended up skimming parts of the book because of pacing as well.

The Seamstress of Auschwitz by C.K.McAdams
I don't usually give 5 out of 5 stars, but this one deserves it.
This heartbreaking historical fiction novel about a young Jew and her talented seamstress family enduring the horrors of the Holocaust will leave readers sniffling with a deeper understanding of a new angle of these camps. I've literally taught students about the Holocaust and have been to Dachau (another camp) and didn't know about prisoners who were forced to make beautiful gowns for officer's wives while being starved, beaten, and being treated only mildly better than the other prisoners. This was the fate of Sara and her family, at least those who lived long enough to make it to the barracks of the camp. This heart-shattering story starts right before the beginning of the war in Germany where Sara lived with her large, loving family full of life and hopeful futures as well-respected tailors learning their trade from their kind, patient father, as he had learned from his. Rumors of war and what it means for Jews start swirling and before Sara knows it, her family is caught up in the horrors of what is now known as the Holocaust. Her story of survival, friendship, and even love will tear at your heart in this extremely well-written novel.
Well done, K.C.McAdams.

This book is, in my opinion, appropriate for all ages and an important addition to any library.
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I feel sick after reading this. I read a lot of WWII books fiction and non fiction and they never fail to leave me feeling so sad and empty.

A powerful and unforgettable book that lays it all out there. I finished this one crying, like a lot of historical novels, I would like to have a hit of a longer ending post camp. The start of this book did drag a bit, I understand that the background story was just as important however, I believe it wasn’t until at least 20% in when the story really began.

Weird but I loved the font, all ebooks should have this font, I did also notice a few spelling mistakes. I feel like I can’t judge such a devastating book much more as this was a reality for many people.

Poignant and inspirational, heartrending and tragic, The Seamstress of Auschwitz grabbed me from the first page and never let go. In 1932 Germany, Sara and her sisters are living their lives when the Nazi's come to power and everything changes. First Sara's father is killed outside their doorstep, then the family (Sara, her mother and her sisters) are taken to a camp. A whispered warning that people with a desired skill fared better in the camps leads Sara and her sisters to become seamstresses. Separated from her mother and youngest sister who are feared dead, Sara, her sisters and the other seamstresses find themselves sewing evening gowns and uniforms for the wives of the camp commandant and other camp officials. It's a horrific situation and one by one the remaining family disappears and it seems that Sara is all that is left.

The Seamstress of Auschwitz is a story of tragedy, resilience, heroism and determination in the face of conditions that can only be described as hellish (and even that word is much to mild). But it is also inspirational and you can't help but be deeply immersed in Sara's story. An absolute must read!

Living in the growing extreme unrest of Nazi Germany, Sara and her family are perpetrated due to their religion. Her father, described as a kind and gentle man, is murdered, their shop and home burnt down, and the discrimination against Jews in Germany only heightens from that point onwards.

Sara and her sister are taken to Ravensbrück, before shortly being joined by the rest of the females in their family, where they are forced to sew uniforms for the Wehrmacht. Later, they are deported to Auschwitz, where the older and younger members of her family are murdered, leaving Sara and her two sisters, Alice and Helene, as the sole surviving members of the family. They work as seamstresses for the commandant’s wife, designing and creating stylish dresses to suit her fashionable tastes.

Soon, Alice gives birth to a baby girl, conceived with her husband before their deportations. The pregnancy and birth is hidden from the SS by the Jewish doctors’ in the infirmary, but Alice makes the difficult decision to smother her baby - to stop her from being experimented on. Later, Alice develops an infection, coupled with her depression and grief, she passes herself.

The “fashion salon” is shut down when the commandant is caught fraternising with the prisoners, and the sisters are re-assigned to “Kanada” - a sorting area for the belongings of incoming prisoners. Soon after, the commandant is back and the salon reopened, they are requisitioned to better accommodation (single straw mattresses) and allowed to wear civilian clothes - albeit stolen from other prisoners on their arrival.

We meet Paul, a male prisoner also based in “Kanada”, who also acts as a courier around the camp. Paul, Sara’s beau, helps sneak medicine to Sara when she is taken to the infirmary and suffering from typhus.

Helene is discovered conspiring with the underground network, attempting to come up with plans to escape, she is executed in front of the camp, Sara is also in the audience.

Sara survives the evacuation of the camp by remaining in the infirmary, where she is sick with pneumonia, her fellow prisoners play dead when the SS enter to destroy documents. Afterwards, the camp is deserted and it is only a matter of time before the camp is liberated, it is just a matter of survival.

Sara eventually makes her way to Palestine, to the address Paul gave her. Whilst she doesn’t reunite with Paul (who unfortunately was shot on a death march), she does meet the man he saved in the process, Claude. Together, they make their way to her remaining family in America.

Whilst I enjoyed that this book was short in nature, I felt disheartened by the lack of detail and how hard I found the passage of time in the book. Things seemed to happen one after another with no space in between, and whilst it may have been months or years in the book, it felt significantly shorter. I enjoy historical fiction because it brings to life the stories of those that came before us, but in this case, I feel other authors have achieved this in a better way.

I give the book 4.5 stars. I received a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I'm Jewish. I have read books on the holocaust. I think this is the first historical fiction book I have read on the holocaust.

Holocaust books are always difficult to read. You know what happened. I feel it's more important than ever to read and talk about the holocaust. Antisemitism is on the rise. Holocaust denial is on the rise

The book is fairly easy to read. The chapters aren't too long. I would need breaks from the book because a holocaust book is horrifying.

The book talks about the horrors of the Holocaust. It, also, talks about family, faith, and friendship. These themes made the book relatable. These parts of the story, made me want to continue to read. It made the story and the characters human and likeable.

I encourage others to read this story. I look forward to the authors next book. I am thankful to Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

Thank you Netgalley for the read!
I finished this book pretty quickly. Beautifully written story about two sisters being captured by Nazi's during WWII and being taken to concentration camps to become seamstresses. Like most WWII books this one is also a heart grabber and had me crying. I'd compare it to the Tattooist of Auschwitz. Very well done and highly recommend.

I absolutely loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz and this book is just as good as that book

C.K. McAdam has crafted a powerful and unforgettable novel that pays tribute to the resilience and strength of the human spirit.

Though difficult to read, this book is powerful and I felt all the emotions including their anguish and hopelessness.

This is an incredible story and one I won't forget soon. It is a definite recommend

Thank you publisher and netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

Such a bittersweet story that was beautifully told! I experienced every emotion while reading it which is something I love about historical fiction. Great book! Thanks to Netgalley, publisher, and CK Mcadam for the read!!

From a Jewish family of seamstresses and a tailor father, Sara and her sisters are affected deeply by the brutality of the Nazi regime. From concentration camp Ravensbruck to Auschwitz, their talents sewing dresses for Nazi wives saves them from death in the ovens, but at a high cost...well written historical fiction.

I have never cried at a book so much in my life!

This story was so sad, shocking, yet incredibly inspiring.

The story follows a young girl who has followed in her families footsteps to become a seamstress.

During the war, Sara, is forced into a concentration camp and is forced to work long, painful hours. with a sewing machine in order to make uniforms and dresses or she will be killed.

During her time in the camp, she suffers loss after loss and loses those closest to her. Sara eventually becomes incredibly ill. Her sister, Helene, tries to come up with a plan to get them out of the concentration camp but it’s too dangerous and they must think of another plan.

Sara’s story is incredibly sad and honestly, I cried so much during this book. She is such a loveable character who has so much determination and courage.

The ending especially had me sobbing!! 😭

5 ⭐️

‼️ TW : this book does contain war, death of all ages, torture, starvation, illness and violence ‼️

Loved reading the wonderfully written story. When the Nazi's take over Germany, Sara's family send their youngest to England, Sara's father is brutally murdered, Sara and her sister are captured and taken to a camp and become seamstresses for the Nazi women, watches sisters die, her mother, aunt, and niece taken away, and other atrocities. Read the highly recommended and a must read riveting story.