Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I have always been fascinated by WWII books. This story was set in 1942 in Auschwitz. Eva and Sofie are our main characters, and they are brave and strong women. 

We hear about their lives through flashbacks, as well as their dismal life in camp. Their friendship and fighting spirit are a ray of hope in this dark time.

I felt the back and forth in time took away from the story a bit.

It feels almost wrong to say how good this book was when it is about Auschwitz, the Holocaust, and the terrible things that happened during that time however the story was very compelling and beautifully although sadly written. The characters in the story as well as the struggle that they had to go through was very intense and pulled me in as a reader. I felt all the pain, but it was nice to see that there was still some goodness in the world during this time. Once I opened this book I was unable to put it down until it was finished because it just kept calling to me to find out what was going to happen to our main characters. Our story is all about our main character Eva and her life as a prisoner of Auschwitz. It is all about her finding and falling in love with a man named Michael and the events that led up to the war. However soon after they are placed in the concentration camp Eva finds out that she is expecting and will have to deliver her child in Hell on earth. There were two different time lines taking place in this book which normally I'm not a fan of however the author did a great job of keeping them separate and easy to follow for the reader so I was unexpectedly surprised by that. Like all other books about the Holocaust I found this book to be terribly sad however I believe that it is very important that they keep being written because they talk about a dark time in our past that can never be forgotten. Part of what I liked about this book and what I found so different than other books that I've read on this subject was while the story was very sad at parts it didn't dwell on that and it showed some of the luck and good things that happened, and how love survives even the toughest of terrains. What I didn't like to much was the time jumps I found it a little confusing and hard to pin point when they were happening the only thing that I would change about this book would be, I would make the time lines more clear. Minus the one little time jump parts this was an amazing read and I'm very glad that I got the chance to check this out. If you want a book that will pull at your heartstrings than this is the one for you.

I have always tried to read books on Auschwitz. Mainly because I feel everyone should know what happened in those camps.

This book is so beautifully written. Centred on two women. Sofie and Eva.  This is a story of undying friendship and love through the worst of times. How they struggled to survive and what they endured. Suitable for all ages. My twelve year old daughter read it with me. 

This story will stay with me.  And despite the despicable conditions love can be born of the situation.. if I could rate higher than five stars I would. Superb!

I couldn't put this book down. The Child of Auschwitz is about Terezin and Auschwitch concentration camps. It details the journey and personal lives of Eva and Sofie who become friends in the most dire circumstances. The conditions of the concentration camp were vividly described. It has made me want to learn more about the horrors of Auschwitch. This is a story of death, life, despair, hope and survival. This is a MUST-READ.

Thanks to net galley and Lily Graham for the advanced copy of this book.

I have always loved a good historical fiction book, and this one did not disappoint! From the opening line of the book through the end I was hooked.  I enjoyed the fact that this particular book did not dwell on someone's luck but instead seemed to focus more on the majority of the survivors. experiences.  The characters were well written and very relate-able, and you found yourself rooting for Eva, and even crying at various points of the book.

You realise from the start that when you read a book about the Holocaust, it's going to be emotional. This one is particularly so.

In 1942,s Prague, two women meet on the most horrendous train journey as they are picked up and transported to the Nazi camp in Auschwitz. They have both been separated from their family and loved ones and have to try and find them. Thrown together in such circumstances, they befriend each other and try to help eachother out. Eva has only been married for 6 months before he was taken away and she's sure he's in the dreaded camp. Sofie has been betrayed by a cousin and her baby is missing.

If the train journey was hard to read about, then when they get to the camp, you realise things are going to get worse. Their time here is horrendous and the everyday reality is hard to take. They are two ordinary women in very unusual circumstances and it's admirable to see their bravery whilst realising how hard it must have been to be in such a place and not know what is going on. Life in the camp is horrific as we know from history, but in the novel it seems all the more tragic as we see the women go about the laundry duties and taking the clothes and belongings from the 'newcomers' When you read this knowing exactly what was going on, it's all the more heartbreaking. The guards are evil personified and one even takes this further with one of the women which broke my heart.

How cam people even think of getting through something like this? How can they even cope day to day with the unknown? Well this novel is all about that and more and it's a deep and thought-provoking novel.. It's remarkable in so many ways and  heartbreaking in equal measure.

A unique Holocaust read

Moving story of how love and determination helped some survive in Auschwitz. Eva loves Michal, and she loves the baby they made just before Auschwitz was freed. Sofie is determined to find her cousin who gave away her son. Read their stories...

I received this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Child of Auschwitz is really only bookended by the child's story. The story really tells of two women who become friends in the darkest of experiences. Sophie and Eva are as close as two strangers have ever become as they protect each other and hold each other up -- both literally and figuratively -- during their time in Auschwitz.

When it came time to award stars to this book, I found myself torn. There was a lot of this story I was truly moved by, but there were sections that just felt a little more drawn out than I wanted them to be.

What a beautiful emotive book. I have never read a story based on the lives of people who lived and died in Auschwitz so I had nothing to compare it to. This was a lovely story of Eva and her desperate need to find her husband and her family, her friend Sophia and others keep her going and they will all do anything to help support each other.. When Eva finds her husband Michael in the next building they manage to spend sometime together before he is shipped away again. During this time Eva becomes pregnant and despite all the odds the baby survives. When the war ends the Russians help them leave. Eva and Helga go in search of their families and friends. Eva has promised Sophia before she died that she would try and find her son.

I couldn't put this book down and while it is all about people suffering at the hands of the nazis it also shows the love and friendship that can be found.

It feels bad to say how I love reading books about the Holocaust. It’s just something that has always interested me and I think they are also a great reminder and how we should be learning from that period of time.

A story that is set in the camps, is always going to be an emotional read. The atrocities that went on inside them is just horrific. Through Eva and Sofie’s story though, we also get a glimpse of the friendships that happened inside as well as the hope and the fighting spirit that some of the prisoners never lost sight of.

Eva and Sofie are in a way quite different but their quests are very similar. To a certain extent it’s their hope of being reunited with loved ones that keep them fighting to stay alive. Sofie was a character that I especially loved, she goes above and beyond more than a few times with huge risks to her own life. Her courage was just outstanding.

The Child of Auschwitz is an emotional roller coaster of a read. Parts were horrific, saddening, shocking, heart warming, I think I went though every emotion possible whilst reading it. Even though fiction, for me, the author gives a very real account of what life was like in the camps as well as what took place inside them. An absolute must read.

What I Loved:  The writing in this book was descriptive, yet never over-describing so that I lost interest.  I loved the way the author built this story.  The timeline would jump back and forth between Auschwitz and before the war.  The way Lily Graham made the time jumps helped to build the characters and was done just right.

How I Felt:  I loved this book.  The story was so powerful, shedding, yet again, new light onto the experiences of people in Auschwitz.  I was completely connected to all the characters and drawn into the story.  Loose ends were all tied up, making me feel complete at the end of the book.  

To Read or Not To Read:  Of course, if you enjoy historical fiction, especially surrounding WWII, this is a perfect read for you.  If you think you might enjoy historical fiction, this is a great one to start with.  Just want to say this one more time.  I loved this book.

What's This Book About Anyway?
Eva Adami and her entire family have been placed in a smaller concentration camp awaiting their placement at their next camp.  She meets Sofie, looking for her cousin who last had Sofie's son.  Eva finds her husband pushed onto a train headed for Auschwitz and she volunteers to follow him with Sofie coming with.

Together they support each other, saving each other, and looking for Eva's husband and Sofie's cousin.  They endure the horrors of the camp, find ways to barter and trade for survival necessities, and try to stear clear of the guards.

Eva and Sofie find Eva's husband and arrange a clandestine meeting with the help of a guard.  Soon, Eva realizes she is pregnant and must hide her pregnancy to avoid death.  She and Sofie vow to survive to raise their children in the aftermath of this terrible war.  Their story, while heartbreaking, is a rewarding story for any reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Bookouture, for providing this book to me in exchange for my honest review.

Do we truly understand the power of hope and love? Those who survived the horrors of the concentration camps do so for many reasons but this story is of two women who endure the unimaginable and out of all the misery was born a baby who survived and lived a full life. The world turned their backs on these survivors. They wanted to forget but we today can learn the truth that has been hidden for so long, Excellent book. Well written.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookoture and Lily Graham for my copy of her new book: The Child Of Auschwitz.

In 1942 Prague. Eva Adami has endured two long days, standing up in a train and has been treated like an animal. Eva's tired, hungry, thirsty, dirty and in shock. For Eva and thousands of other Jewish people, nothing could ever prepare them for the horror of the concentration camp known as Auschwitz and it's nightmare.
When the train finally arrives, the guards are yelling at them to get out, dogs are barking, the women are sorted into groups and led into a large hall. Here the frightened women are told to remove their clothes, they stand naked in front of SS guards, their heads are shaved, they are told to get dressed and it's a mad scramble to find anything to cover themselves from a pile of dirty clothes.

Eva and Sofie are on the train together. Both have been separated from the people they love and the plan is to try to find them. Eva has been separated from her husband Michal, they had only been married for 6 months when he received a letter telling him he was being sent to a work camp and Eva sure he's in Auschwitz? Sofie has been betrayed by her cousin Lotte, she informed the Germans that she was trying to flee the country and was separated from her baby son. Lotte might have taken Tomas to a orphanage in Austria, she was also sent to a concentration camp and is Lotte in Auschwitz?

Eva, Sofie and Helga share the same bunk in the awful accommodation block. Their days are spent standing in a line, being counted twice a day, in the freezing cold rain and sometimes it can take the guards two hours to complete the count. They work up to 10 hours a day sorting clothes and belongings taken from the new people who arrive at the camp everyday. 
Sofie is soon targeted by one of the guards called Meier and he uses any excuse to touch her. When Eva discovers Michal is in the camp hospital, Sofie makes the choice to give into the guards demands so her friend Eva can spend half an hour with her husband.

Sofie is soon a target of a nasty guard, he hates her and she's forced to change jobs and is doing hard labour. Eva is being worked to death, she starving and she discovers that she's pregnant. Both women know that they can't last much longer living in the camp, the Germans are being defeated and both women need to hang on until the Russians arrive. Eva and Sofie make a promise to look after each other children, they will find Tomas and keep Eva's baby safe.

The Child Of Auschwitz is a story about two mothers love for their children and their devotion to each other. Sofie is on a mission to find her lost son Tomas and Eva needs to hide her pregnancy for as long as she can and give her baby a chance to be born. It's a story about love, hope, motherhood, human spirit and friendship. 
I enjoyed reading: The Child Of Auschwitz, the opinions expressed in this review are my own and I gave the book four stars.

The Child of Auschwitz is a beautiful, emotional story of friendship, family, hope and love. I love reading historical fiction, so I had high hopes; Lily Graham did not disappoint! I love the way the story is written. It’s hard to adequately put in to words how amazing this book is.

This is my first book by this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I will be reading more book by this author.  She has a beautiful style of writing. It is full of details, but still with a good flow. to the story.

I have read several books about the Holocaust and it is a subject that is hard to read about. It is heartbreaking, confronting and it shows humanity in it's worst, but also it can show hope and survival. This book grabbed me from the first sentence and didn't let me go for the entire journey. I had goosebumps while reading.

Lily Graham focusses her story on the people in Auschwitz and not so much the horrors. It is there, but not in a lot of graphic detail. In flashback we get told the background story of the main characters and what brought them to this point and all their loss, hopes and dreams.

It is a beautiful story.

This is the first book I have read by Lily Graham,  I feel it’s improper to say I enjoyed a book based on an appalling time in history, but I found it to be a compelling read. It’s exquisitely written, bittersweet tale, which recounts the story of Eva, one of thousands of women held captive in the death camp Auschwitz. The story shifts between two timelines, when Eva and Michael first met, and the troubling times that led up to the war and persecution of Jews,  and the second focuses on Eva’s time at Auschwitz, her search for Michael, and the birth of their child, the author moves between the two seamlessly.  The Child Of Auschwitz is a remarkable tale of endurance, love and friendship, and the worse and best of humanity. 


The novel is set against the harrowing backdrop of Auschwitz, personally I think any author who uses a concentration camp as a location hasn’t chosen an easy path. When ever I pick up a fictional book about this location, I always worry an author won’t be able to get the balance right, I generally find there’s too much focus on the atrocities that took place in these death camps, or the story overshadows just how dreadful these places were. I think Lily Graham balanced them both perfectly; she doesn’t shy away from describing the severe conditions or the cruel treatment of Eva and her fellow prisoners, but neither is this her primary focus, it’s very much  a character driven novel about friendship, lost, survival and hope.  

It was heartwarming to see the developing friendship between Eva and Sophie blossom, a friendship so deep that they willing forego their own moral compass to help each other through sickness and starvation. When Eva gave birth my heart broke, It’s almost impossible to imagine that babies were born in Auschwitz let alone survived, their mothers experienced a life of starvation, forced labour, and infectious diseases, which hardly gave these innocent infants the best start in life. I found this read incredibly sad as fact blended with fiction, at other times my heart lifted at the strength, determination and camaraderie between the prisoners shone through. 


The Child Of Auschwitz is a reminder that even in the darkest of places its possible to find happiness,  it may be only have been for a few seconds, before it crumbled to dust, but it was moments like this that gave prisoners hope and the will to survive.  Whilst reading The Child Of Auschwitz I found it difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction, Eva’s story could be any number of women who had the misfortune to end up in Auschwitz in fact the story was inspired by Vera Bein who gave birth during her time in Auschwitz. The Child Of Auschwitz is a moving story that’s emotive, horrifying, and heartbreaking, you can’t help but think of the millions of prisoners who suffered, and died in the concentration camps. Highly recommended to those who enjoy historical fiction

This is an upsetting book about a dark time in history.

Eva and Sofie are friends, trying desperately to survive in Auschwitz. We learn of the events that brought them together and we witness their struggle.

I read it in one sitting, keen to see if there could be any happy ending. Well written and paced, this is a good book set within a terrible atrocity.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

This is not my usual genre of book but I was intrigued to read it!
Sensitively told it’s the story of heartbreak, suffering, starvation, cruelty and injustice but it’s also the tale of the most amazing resilience, hope,determination and love.
Much is written about the nazi occupation and the treatment of Jews in the concentration camps particularly auschwitz, this book explains the history of that time in an easily readable manner, describing the harrowing conditions of camp and the Mis treatment of the prisoners but the overiding sense it gave was that of the relationships formed and the sheer tenacity and strength of all those involved most particularly Eva and sofie and the little miracle baby nadeje.A most compelling read that will bring tears to your eyes and realisation of how lucky we are today.
Thank you so much net galley for this early read.

Hope and Promises in the most dire circumstances

During the Nazi occupation the Jewish people were subjected to great hardship and injustice simply because they were Jewish. They were rounded up and sent to camps, families were separated and many were burned in the gas chambers or perished because of the deplorable conditions in camps such as Auschwitz.  Few survived and even fewer were the children.

This is the story of a child that was born in Auschwitz and survived.  It is the story of Eve and Michael and her family and the story of her friend Sophie. 

The story is of Eve's time in Auschwitz, her friends Sophie, Helga and the others also in this camp. Through a man named Herman Eve was able to find her husband Michael, and spend a few hours with him before he was sent away to work in a factory. Later she learned she was pregnant. The child was born in Auschwitz.  Her friends helped her hide the baby and Sophie gave her life to save Eve and the baby.

When the camp was liberated Helga went with Eve as her family was gone.  They returned to Eve's home.

The rest of the story is contained within the pages of this book.    I don't know how they survived the camp and the conditions. Such cruelty is so hard to understand.

I think during this time God must have been crying for these people. What a horrible dark time in the existence of the human race.  We must read and remember lest we forget. This must never happen again.

What a tragic and realistic story this has been. Through all the evil there was hope, friendship and love.

I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to  Bookouture, Lily Graham, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advance copy of this book

Have read many stories about auschwitz and it is difficult to say one book is better than the other.
Every story is horrendous about what the people in the concentration camps suffered.
Thanks net galley for allowing me to read this book, and hope people who do not realise what happened in the camps an insight of what itv was like, though thank goodness we will never experience it,
Eva and sofie were in the camp,together and they were best friends.
Both determined to live and have a happy life.
They wanted the world to know what was happening in auschwitz and make sure nothing like this ever happened again.