This is a new author to me and as I like to read historical fiction, I had high hopes.
This is a powerful read and I felt emotionally connected to Ania and Benjamin.
This was a dual timeline story between the 60’s and 40’s but it was easy to follow.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

I chose to read this as I remembered enjoying another book by this author previously, and I had quite high expectations.

From the start, I was captivated by this powerful and emotional WWII novel. The author wrote in a way that made me feel connected to Ania and Benjamin, before I knew much about them. I wanted to know their story, to understand the significance of the red ribbon.

Before long, I found myself hanging onto every word, and it felt almost as though I had become part of the story myself, as an onlooker or observer. I connected deeply, not just with Ania and Benjamin, but with the other characters too, and this heart-rending story left me close to tears.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

Ania is an extraordinary Polish woman who is teased because she’s different from the others in the village. After witnessing her family being murdered she escapes into the forests and connects with a group of misfits. Looking for revenge against those that killed her family they start planning their revenge.


This was an interesting read about a group of misunderstood misfits who were rejected by others in society and the other resistance groups. It was a dual timeline story, between the mid 60’s and the 40’s during WWII as it jumps between past and present while the story is being told and remembered. I loved the friendships between the merry band of friends. The author tells a compelling tale of bravery and those who are misunderstood by society.


Thanks to @boldwoodbooks, @rachelsrandomresources, @netgalley and the author for this ARC

This is an intriguing read, inspired by an incredible true story from the author’s own family. Courage and sacrifice from a young woman (probably classed as autistic nowadays) in the darkest days of war in Poland. It’s an unusual World War 2 book as it centres on such a small group of people. The author highlights the impact of war on those marginalized by society. Stick with it through the slower paced sections and remember the truth within. Interesting and thought-provoking.

This was a fascinating book. While I suspect it will not be everyone's cup of tea, I personally, found it intense and fascinating. Carly Schabowski is a wordsmith. Her descriptions captivated me. Here is one sentence as a short example. "The sky that night had been a purple bruise, as if the heavens themselves were in pain."

The main character of the story is a young girl named Ania who believed that she killed her mother simply by being born. She had red ribbons from birth which I believe were significant in Polish tradition. The colour red was a theme that ran through the novel, from birth til the end. Ania never really fit in her family or her community. It was as if she had no emotions or feelings. The second world war had begun and already life was getting harder. An emotional wounded man named Benj was living in her families barn and in some way, as misfits, they connected as friends. After discovering the murder of her father and sister at the hands of those in power, Ania and Benji left her home and headed off into the unknown. In their travels they connected with Gosia, an old woman who seemed most in anger at her departed husband, and then Wanda, a woman of beauty and mysterious background when seemed at times to see what would lie in their future. Wanda came with Aleksi, a Russian who had managed to escape the hellhole of Maidanek. As a group, they became an unlikely family, doing what they could to survive and take revenge where they could too. Ania was the lynch pin that seemed to hold them all together even though at times, they couldn't understand her at all.

The primary voices in the story are those of Benji and Ania. There is a definite element of paranormal activity in the telling, but short of giving things away, the book has to be read to be understood. It isn't an easy read, but it's worth it.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book due for publication in November. All opinions are my own.

This is the rare book that compels you to write a review of it while still in the middle of reading it. Why? Because when you read a story so gripping, when you meet characters as strong and original as Ania and Benjamin, you want people to join you on the ride. You want as many readers as possible to feel the magic of traveling without moving, of being moved by the images forming in your mind as you discover the story of the girl with the red ribbon.

‘A stunningly, different WW2 story told from the POV of a girl defined her whole life for being different. Emotional and raw, the brilliant portrayal of Ania will stay with me for a long time.’

As bad as it sounds, I just love a good World War II/Holocaust story. There is just something so beautiful and heartbreaking about reading these stories, whether fictional or otherwise.

2.5 stars
A young woman enacts brutal revenge upon members of the Nazi Party, after they destroy everyone she loves.
The main female protagonist has been an outcast in her village her entire life. She is extremely intelligent, but lacks the social skills needed to be accepted by others. Her lack of emotion and reluctance to be physically touched would most likely lead to a diagnosis of autism in modern times. During the evil regime of the Nazis in WW2, those traits are exactly what she needs to take down as many of the monsters as she possibly can…
Because the main character was portrayed as a person with emotional detachment issues, I never developed much of an “investment” in the story myself. Scenes of a young girl being able to kill, with no remorse, (even if they were Nazis), were disturbing.
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.”

Awesome book! I loved it alot! I read alot of historical fiction and this was top tier! Thank you for sending it to me!

I was drawn to The Girl With The Red Ribbon by the evocative cover and the strong blurb which ticked a number of boxes for me: historical-fiction inspired by true events, and set partly during WWII. It definitely sounded like a story I'd enjoy.

The Girl With The Red Ribbon is a dual-timeline story set in 1940's Poland during WWII and latterly in 1969. It is told mainly in the first person from the perspective of Ania Sobolewska, a strange young woman, who is small for age and seems devoid of emotion. She tells us about her life and motivation, not only to survive the war but to avenge the deaths of her father and sister. Along the way she picks up four other damaged individuals who are also just trying to survive.

The main characters have flaws which set them apart from most people and they rely on their own wits to survive and look out for each other. Despite feeling the pace was a little slow at times, I could not put the book down for fear of missing an important piece of information. I was interested by the Polish custom of photographing the dead and learning about Polish farmers being driven off their land. But it was the bonds which kept the five damaged characters together which really held my interest in this compelling but heart-breaking story.

I would highly recommend The Girl With The Red Ribbon to readers, who like me, enjoy fact-based historical fiction and stories set during WWII.

The Girl With The Red Ribbon is an interesting story. I liked learning about how other cultures “celebrate/mourn” death and the significates of the red ribbon. It was interestingly written, as I believe the POV was of a young woman with autism. Although Ania struggles to understand emotions she is smart, fearless and bold. Ania’s maturity, confidents and understanding grows as she tries to survive the war, along with her make shift family. I have read a number of Carly Schabowski books, unfortunately this wasn’t one of my favourites, as I felt the story dragged on and a little repetitive. 3 1/2 stars

I would like to thank the author, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my free copy of this novel, in exchange for my honest review.

A stunning novel that drifted in the gap between fiction and reality. It tells fragments of the story of a person some would now describe as being high functioning autistic and how she gained revenge on Nazis and their collaborators for the savage death of her family. The book details life in the resistance in eastern Poland in WW2 but also chronicles the unorthodox friendship of several misfits who hung together to survive and fight back. A really thoughtful and at times profound read

This story is a WW2 historical fiction based in Poland. Ania the main character was born without the ability to understand emotion. Her mother died giving birth to her and they tired a red ribbons to her bed to keep the evil away. Ania took these ribbons and wears them. With the invasion of the Germans, they hid a Jew named Benjamin in their barn. Her father Anna sister are killed and Ania and Benj set off into the woods of Poland to find their friend for help. They end up with an old woman named Gosia and at her uncle’s house, they find Alesksi, a Russian POW, and Wanda a Gypsy. Ania, even though she looks like a child at 19 becomes the leader of this mismatched group of outcasts. I wasn’t a fan of this book. I really couldn’t wait for it to end. I felt like there was a lot of repetition. Thank you for NetGalley and Bollywood books for the Advanced copy. This is my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Girl with the Red Ribbon by Carly Schabowski in exchange for my honest review.

This beautifully crafted historical novel takes us into the heart of war-torn Poland, following Ania, a young girl who views the world through a lens of logic and precision. Seemingly on the autism spectrum, Ania struggles with emotional connections and social cues, marking her as "different" in a time when differences are rarely tolerated. After a harrowing escape from her family farm, she joins forces with Benjamin, a Jewish man fleeing persecution, and a motley crew of others displaced by war. Together, they embark on a journey of survival, resistance, and purpose.

Schabowski’s characters feel incredibly real. Each one faces their own struggles, from personal grief to the challenge of staying human in the face of dehumanizing times. Ania’s character arc is especially moving, as she learns to confront her fears, adapt to the harsh realities around her, and ultimately grow beyond her initial self-focus. The addition of dual timelines and perspectives adds to the richness of the story, painting a vivid picture of resilience and survival.

Schabowski’s meticulous research shines through, grounding the story in historical authenticity. The author’s dedication to portraying the psychological impact of war, especially on someone as unique as Ania, adds a haunting depth. The Girl with the Red Ribbon is a heart-wrenching yet hopeful exploration of the human spirit, and I highly recommend it to fans of WWII fiction and those who appreciate character-driven stories with rich emotional complexity.

Historical fiction set in Poland during World War II. Ania is an unusual young woman; these days she would likely be diagnosed as autistic. She doesn't understand emotions but is an expert at language and geography. She has a lot of anger, mostly towards her father and older sister. Her mother died giving birth to her, leaving behind a red ribbon which Ania faithfully wears. At times Ania seems a bit like a stereotype of an autistic person; she is poor and living at a farm yet knowledgable in everything. She is also fearless and frequently very angry. One day Ania comes home to find her father and sister murdered by German soldiers and she doesn't understand how to feel or act but knows she must go on the run. She leaves the farm with Benjamin, a simple minded man with a scarred face who had been hiding at the farm because he was a Jew. The two of them meet others: Goshia, an old woman who was left behind and a young couple who were hiding out in Ania's uncles farm.

The book tends to get repetitive as Ania repeats her story over and over again and while I enjoyed hearing about the ways this makeshift family survived, I found some of Ania's antics to be unbelievable. At only five feet tall, Ania is mistaken often for being a child, but her forceful personality makes her a leader of her little group and she decides they will try to kill as many German soldiers as possible. As the group tries to hide out, stealing food from nearby farms, Ania becomes more and more bold in her quest to do her part in revenging the deaths of her family. Parts of the story are told by Benjamin, who comes to care deeply for Ania. Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of this ARC in exchange for review..

Ania is a young Polish girl, living with her father and sister during WWII. She is described as mad and also as a genius. Although not specifically labelled, what the author describes, is an autistic girl, struggling with social relationships with those around her.

She develops a close friendship with Benjamin, a disfigured Jewish man. When her sister and father are killed, they go into hiding.

The story started really well and I enjoyed reading about how those with disabilities would have fared during the war. However, in the middle, I felt the story lacked direction and wandered aimlessly. I wondered if the story was based on a true story which the author was following faithfully, in which case I could have forgiven the lack of pace, after all, no one’s life is exciting all the time, but it doesn’t appear to be the case.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an absolutely heartbreaking and emotional read that pulls you in. This flows so well and is written with two timelines that weave together with characters that are all so individual. They come together in this story about resilience and survival. The topic of autism, being different and mental illness is very sensitively written. Although tough to read at times this looks at events during the holocaust from a very different perspective. Main character Ania hears the gunshots that are coming from her family home and manages to hide. Her family isn’t so lucky and Ania has to go on the run. On her journey she meets up with a group of misfits and the story follows how they seek revenge and justice for all those that the Nazis have harmed. Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

Historical fiction at its best. Set across two time periods 1969 and during the Nazi invasion of Poland in the 1940s we learn of the life of Ania through her own words and that of Benjamin.
Ania is an extremely intelligent but not a socially aware young woman whose father and sister are shot by police looking for a Jewish man they believe is being hidden by the family. The man Benjamin was hiding in the barn with Ania and they both believe that the red ribbon she wears and the one she gave Benjamin is what saved them.
This terrible act on her family sets Ania on a mission of revenge and along the way she encounters others that are considered misfits. The group bands together in their missions of revenge.
This is a sad story of the horrors of war and how the loss of family and friends can change you. A truly heartbreaking yet engaging read.

This has been one of the most refreshing historical fiction reads I’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying.

The story is raw and heartbreaking, yet full of perseverance, love and strength. The characters though? They’re next level.

In my personal experience and opinion, you rarely ever get a book set in this era with people who experience mental illness all in such different ways. The way the author handles each character, down to the way she chooses to write the broken English of Aleksi and the tiny ticks of Anita, these are some of the best written characters that will stay with me for quite some time.

The story itself had me gripped from the very beginning. By the end, all the small nuances that came and circled back were written with such a poetic power, that it truly moved me.

This is a book I will absolutely recommend to my fellow WWII HF reader friends and anyone that enjoys impeccable character development.

“Stale bread,” I eventually said once the laughter had died down. Then in English, “eating stale bread and everyone’s dead. It rhymes, no?”

“Do you know how to use a gun?” He asked, smiling. “Can’t be that hard. You learned how to.”