The Midwife of Auschwitz by Anna Stuart Book Review

Welcome to my review of The Midwife of Auschwitz by Anna Stuart. Historical fiction like this helps me to learn more about history than non-fiction books which I often find a little too dry for my tastes. Though it is fiction, I find I learn a lot from the story. 

Click me to go to my Review

Synopsis

Auschwitz, 1943: As I held the tiny baby in my arms, my fingers traced the black tattoo etched across her little thigh. And I prayed that one day this set of numbers, identical to her mother’s, would have the power to reunite a family torn apart by war…

Inspired by an incredible true story, this poignant novel tells of one woman’s fight for love, life and hope during a time of unimaginable darkness.

Ana Kaminski is pushed through the iron gates of Auschwitz beside her frightened young friend Ester Pasternak. As they reach the front of the line, Ana steps forward and quietly declares herself a midwife – and Ester her assistant. Their arms are tattooed and they’re ordered to the maternity hut. Holding an innocent new-born baby, Ana knows the fate of so many are in her hands, and vows to do everything she can to save them.

When two guards in their chilling SS uniforms march in and snatch a blond-haired baby from its mother it’s almost too much for Ana to bear. Consoling the distraught woman, Ana realises amidst the terrible heartache there is a glimmer of hope. The guards are taking the healthiest babies and placing them with German families, so they will survive. And there are whispers the war is nearly over… Ana and Ester begin to secretly tattoo little ones with their mother’s numbers, praying one day they might be reunited.

Then, early one morning, Ana notices the small bump under Ester’s thin striped clothing…

About The Author

I wanted to be an author from the moment I could pick up a pen and was writing boarding-school novels by the age of nine. I made the early mistake of thinking I ought to get a ‘proper job’ and went into Factory Planning – a career that gave me some wonderful experiences, amazing friends and even a fantastic husband, but didn’t offer much creative scope. So when I stopped to have children I took the chance to start the ‘improper job’ of writing. It’s not been easy but I love it and can’t see myself ever stopping.

The Berlin Zookeeper is the first in my new series of WW2 novels. It’s a dual timeline novel set in Berlin Zoo in the present day and at the climax of the war, as the keepers battle to save the lives of both their animals and themselves in the face of terrible hardships. Coming this August is The Secret Diary, exploring the troubles facing a bold group of young women trying to integrate back into ‘normal’ society after life as a tight-knit team of ‘gunner girls’ – and trying to hide the secret that binds them…

I also write medieval fiction as Joanna Courtney.

My Review

Midwife, Ana Kaminski, a catholic, finds herself behind the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau during world war 2. She is joined by her young assistant, Ester, a Jewish woman, whom she promised to look after as her own daughter. Ana and Ester work hard to save the babies born into this living hell, they lean on each other and those around them in a desperate attempt to save lives and survive themselves.

This was clearly very well-researched, and a well-written, fictional account of these lives. My heart broke through their tragic story, but the humanity, hope and heroism displayed were very humbling. Very important lives for us all to remember (this was based on the lives of real people I believe) and a humbling journey to follow and learn about.

The story contains joy and happiness as well as inconceivable and otherwise unbelievable, horror, the likes of which should never be seen again. The pain that one can inflict upon another (or in this case a country upon a segment of people) is truly horrific. 

Ana’s family had become part of the resistance to help Jewish people escape Nazi forces but she and her two sons find themselves being arrested and eventually sent to concentration camps themselves. The friendship between Ana and Ester grows as they deliver babies together and nurse the sick. Their relationship is lovely to read and the ending is a happy one for them, though I would have loved an extra chapter or so on what happened to them next.

Although this is a fictionalised version of events, most are based on or around real stories and provide an interesting and easy-to-digest insight into a horrific period.

Rated