Title: The Librarian of Auschwitz
Author: Antonio Iturbe
Publication: October 10, 2017
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Genre: Teens, Literature, Fiction, Holocaust
Pages:432
SYNOPSIS: (From Amazon)
Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious volumes the prisoners have managed to sneak past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the librarian of Auschwitz.
Out of one of the darkest chapters of human history comes this extraordinary story of courage and hope.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Stories about Auschwitz and Nazi Germany are some of my favorite. Not because they are wonderful stories filled with happiness and joy, but because the reality of that situation is insightful and interesting to read about. Horrifying as well. The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe was fascinating. It was an inside look at the life of those who lived in the camps, dealt with the every day struggle of staying alive, and tried to find the small bright spots in a very gloomy world.
Iturbe told a real life story in a way that read like fiction instead of documentary style. This real life experience Antonio went through was put into a story that anyone would find interesting to read without that overwhelming feeling that is sometimes accompanied by biographies or documentary style stories. The story was incredibly hard to read in a sense of how horrible it must have been to actually live through it, but it also brought me in and made me understand at a greater level what life must have been like. A lover of books myself, I related very much to Dita and her love of the books and wanting to ensure that they stuck around for more to enjoy and learn from. I got emotional many times through this book, which is something a good author can do, pulling the reader in to feel the emotions that the characters are feeling.
While this might not be a light, fun read, this story is one that everyone should read and is written in a way that will keep you engaged and wanting to continue. A must read on all lists, in my opinion.
Star Rating: 5/5
The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe is available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and a book store near you. Make sure you add it to your reading list this fall and leave feedback for the author when you are finished.
