Book Description
Naomi Demetriou has survived three years behind the walls of Auschwitz. Torn apart from her family, every breath could be her last. She’s learnt to survive by secretly trading the clothes she’s forced to sort through in exchange for food. But when an SS officer singles her out, her life becomes even harder. And then she discovers she’s pregnant…
With the support of Ana, the kind midwife, and the other mothers in Barrack 24, Naomi does the impossible and gives birth to a tiny baby boy. Hiding in the shadows, Naomi vows to do whatever it takes to keep baby Isaac safe. With rumours circulating of an Allied invasion, Naomi holds onto the hope the camp will be liberated. And she dreams of returning to her house by the Greek sea with her son.
But the day comes when Naomi hears heavy footsteps and the harsh voice of an SS guard. ‘Out! Now! You can’t take anything with you!’ She’s shoved into a line of people being marched out of the iron gates. Thick snow falls around them. Tears sting in Naomi’s eyes.
It all happened so fast. And she was unable to grab the bundle of blankets containing her little boy. But Ana is still there, will she and the other brave women be able to save him?
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
THE LAST BABY IN AUSCHWITZ by Anna Stuart is an emotional, gut-wrenching WWII historical fiction story following two young cousins from a Jewish Greek family as each fight to survive in their own way every day in the Auschwitz concentration camp during WWII. Two different girls, but strong family ties that refuse to be broken. A difficult read told in alternating perspectives that is hard to put down.
Naomi Demetriou is separated from her escaping family and captured as they tried to flee from the Nazis who have overtaken her Greek island. Naomi’s mother is Polish and is fierce in her protection of her family and knows the Nazis are dangerous and warns Naomi that no matter what happens, she must survive. After a harsh start in a barracks with Russian women prisoners, she is sent to work sorting the clothes from the prisoners off the trains and is transferred to a hospital barracks for women giving birth.
Lieke Demetriou is rounded up with her father, mother, and brother. Lieke’s mother is Austrian and finds it difficult to believe the Germans would harm them. When they reach Auschwitz, Lieke and her mother are among the few lucky prisoners because they are bilingual and are chosen to work in the offices, while her father and brother are separated from them.
Throughout the years, the cousins can occasionally speak to each other and remind the other that as their mother told them, their family ties are like a spider’s web and even when destroyed, the spider will keep rebuilding them. And as the Russians approach the camp to liberate the remaining prisoners, Naomi will do anything to protect the secret that came from all the suffering.
This story follows the two very different paths of the cousins over their years in Auschwitz and the varying sacrifices they had to make to survive. This would be terrible for anyone, but when you realize how young these girls were, it is especially heartbreaking. This is such a horrific story of what people will do to other people and yet the author is able to ultimately turn it into a beautiful story of family, love, and survival.
I highly recommend this emotional rollercoaster of a historical fiction story.
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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.
I write WW2 fiction, focusing in on some of the lesser known nooks and crannies of this astonishing period and writing from a female perspective. The Midwife of Auschwitz has been my bestselling novel to date but I am always looks to explore emotional tales of courage, strength and overcoming terrible odds.
I also write medieval fiction as Joanna Courtney.
Social Media Links
Website: https://www.annastuartbooks.com/
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