I am a big fan of historical fiction that takes place during WWII. This book is an emotional read that highlights the many ways people can be so cruel to others. One of the positive aspects of this book were the chapters were short, so you manage to fly through the pages. The tale is one that will touch you deeply as you live through the atrocities that are experienced by the prisoners in Dachau. The three primary characters are well developed and their story is personal. This is one of those reads that will stay with you long after you’ve closed the cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

It is a heart wrenching but also heartwarming read, truly inspirational, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The book is well written and the characters are unforgettable. It is about two Jewish people and an eleven year old German boy. They found each other and though they had different backgrounds they find love and friendship. The author tells us this story from multiple points of view.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC

A heart-wrenching story from WW2 following Jewish watchmaker Isaac Shuller in his attempts to stay alive by making himself indispensable to Sturmbannfuhrer Becher as a watchmaker/repairer, Anna their maid also from the camp and Friedrich the Becher’s son who’s a terribly lonely child and feels unloved and unwanted. He has no understanding of what’s really going on behind the camp gates. Obviously this isn’t the kind of novel you can say you enjoy but it’s a hard hitting and emotional read.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This was a new author to me, and I will be definitely be reading more of Carly Schabowski's books. The cover, alone, intrigued me to request this title, and it did not disappoint. This title was heartbreaking and emotionally hard to read at times, but in the end, it is a story that will stay with you for quite some time. My favorite character was Anna. 4 stars!

An amazing story of the Holocaust told by three different people, Isaac, Anna and Freidrich. The part told by Freidrich I found the most interesting as he was the son on the Camp Commander and it was great to get the viewpoint of both Jews and a non Jew. Heartbreaking book based on a true story that will keep you turning the pages until it's finished and stay with you for a long time

Well researched but not my favorite story of ww2 - but can see its appeal for other readers. Four stars

This book is heart-wrenching and believable. I absolutely could not put it down. Told from three points of view, the most emotional one is Friedrich, son of the camp leader who is mostly a nuisance to his parents. He just doesn't understand why he can't be friends with the Jews. If only too see through a child's eyes, right?
This is one of my favorite genres to read about and no matter how many I read they still get to me every time.
The writing was very creative and favorable, the author does a marvelous job of intertwining all three points of view into an amazing and memorable book.

Pub Date: 20 Jan 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

You can never go wrong with a Carly Schabowski novel. This new to me author did not disappoint. Absolutely loved this historical fiction.

The story is told from 3 pov’s: Anna and Isaac who are Jews, and Friedrich, son of the camp leader. 11-year-old Friedrich comes home from a boarding school and doesn’t have a warm relationship with his parents, to whom he’s mostly a nuisance. I thought it was interesting to have a child’s naïve, innocent view of things. And we saw how luxuriously the family lived just outside the camp.

The book was a quick and enjoyable read. Yet, it lacked that “something” that makes you remember it from all the other books about the holocaust.

Even after working 14 hours yesterday, I stayed up long past 1 a.m., immersed in this story. I am a sucker for beautifully written prose and a story about unlikely friendships. Absolutely loved this story!

Heartwrenching and believable, this is a different but important look at life in the concentration camps. Highly recommended.

Oh my this book has sent me on a journey of emotion. Based on a true story and telling some of the horrors of the holocaust and life for prisoners of the camp's this ultimately is a tale of love. Heartbreakingly sad at times, hard to read at others, the story of Isaac, Anna, Nina and their experiences as Jews before during and after the Second World war is one that I struggled to put down. With the help of a kind German Housekeeper Greta, and a child Friedrich each learns that hope still lives in the darkest of times, that no one can take a smile and that love really can conquer all. Anyone who wants to learn about the holocaust should read this as although it is a work of fiction there is a lot of fact and truth contained within.

Based on a true story, this is a book written from three different perspectives. There have been many stories over the years based in concentration camps and in my opinion this is one of the better ones.

If you have read similar books, you will probably be familiar with some of the scenes described: that doesn't make it any less worthy to read, as the characters bring the scenes to life.

A good yet heartbreaking read.

I am definitely in the minority with thoughts and feelings towards this one so please don't pass the countless 5 star reviews.

While The Watchmaker of Dachau was a capturing read I can't really pin point what makes it unique or original. This goes with saying I read a lot of historical fiction. At 249 pages, it wasn't as detailed or elaborate and that might be why it was a hit for many. All three characters were a pleasure to read about, I cannot say I liked one over another. The novel imposes this is an "absolutely heartbreaking" WW2 historical fiction novel, but I would honestly describe it as just heartbreaking. Lastly, the story ends with a nice bow tie for those that like closure and gratifying endings.

Overall, nothing wrong with this read it was just traditional for me.

When I read true stories about WW2, it brings a lump to my throat to imagine people living in those inhuman conditions. The Watchmaker of Dachau is also a true story as mentioned in the blurb though I couldn't find a reference for it online.

Issac is a watchmaker who is taken into service in a German household. Anna, who works there as a maid, finds kinship with him. But there is the constant threat of death hovering around them - will they even be alive by the end of it all?

The voices of the characters were unique and heart-rending. The way they try to find happiness in little things tugs at the heartstrings. I also liked that the author wrote from the POV of a nice German boy which is usually missing from WW2 stories.

One of the better books on the Holocaust and its horrors.

4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I really liked the story it was moving and beautiful. I liked how we get to see three different perspectives and I really liked that one of them was from a child that didn't get what was going on at the time and doesn't know why he can't be friends with the Jews. I liked how the story was built with the different perspectives and I also liked the friendship that was built between the characters.
It's a really good book that I would recommend everyone to read.

Is it possible to say that a story about concentration is an easy yet uplifting read? If so, then this book qualifies for that type of description. I think for one thing, the author seemed to focus on the attitudes of the inhabitants rather than the horrors they were facing. I thought that the author did a great job of weaving the stories of Anna and Isaac and how they are shaped by their dual status. The way that Anna and Isaac individually deal with their conflicting emotions was well-done. In the face of having everything taken away, a person must make a decision. Levi chose to keep his spirit as much as he could – that was something that the Nazis couldn’t take, he could only give it up. I could go on about all of the lessons that could be learned from the characters in this book, because there were many. But I will just say that you should probably have tissues ready for the last 25% of the book (or so). For a more detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.

Packed in a freight car heading for Dachau, Isaac must ensure he finds a way to survive this brutal concentration camp. Finding work with office Becker and his wife gives him a way to stay alive. Anna, also working in the home, finds a friend in Isaac, but danger is always close. Well written historical fiction.

The Watchmaker of Dachau follows multiple POVs during the second world war, showing the stories of those living in concentration camps and a young son of a Nazi party member.

I really enjoyed this story, Isaac’s story was heartwrenching and full of emotion whereas Anna’s showed a more fearful point of view yet they were both brave in their own ways. The way that the author incorporates J.A.L’s story was also very creative and I think that it is a side of these WW2 based that we don’t often get shown by authors. I thought the writing was really commanding but very readable and the moments that were intensely heavy or heartbreaking were conveyed in a way that didn’t diminsh their importance but didn’t detract from the overall plotline.

The relationship between the characters was also really lovely to read. I was worried when I noticed some more romantic themes coming through that it would be a bit cheesy and tonedeaf but I felt that it was quite well done. Friedrich’s character development was something I particularly enjoyed as well.

4/5 stars for this novel. Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

The Watchmaker of Dachau is another WWII based novel that adds to my love for Historical Fiction. I requested for a copy of this book from NetGalley and I am ever grateful to the publisher and author for getting approved to read it!

The story is told from different points of view but caries on from where the previous chapter leaves off. Initially, we are introduced to Isaac, a Jewish watchmaker who has been taken to the concentration camp at Dachau. Having arrived without any belongings, he immediately surprises the Officers who are checking the prisoners. The only things he has with him are his tiny tools for fixing and making watches. This creates an interest in him that leads to his working for Senior Officer Becher at his house a little way off from the camp. Through this, we meet Anna, who is brought from the camp everyday to work at the house as a maid. Thirdly, we meet the Becher's ever curious eleven year old son who does not understand why he was pulled away from school to come home and live in a confined manner.

With the ever growing horrors of the camp, Isaac and Anna try to find ways to cling to hope. The author focuses on the different perspectives to give us glimpses into how these characters think and react to their situations and surroundings. We observe the stark contrast between life in the camp and then at Officer Becher's house just outside. Isaac forms a few bonds with people around him but also with Anna and Friedrich. Anna on the other hand meets Nina, her constant companion and support at the camp. Having to constantly fix things, Isaac works diligently in the shed in the garden, trying to keep his head down and not be thrown out. Through this, we follow him as he discovers letters from someone detailing their life before and during their time in the concentration camp. This is a story of love for another, love for family and of hope. 

The beauty of this story lies in the hope of being saved and finding love in the midst of all the sadness and death. The story is heart wrenching and at times difficult to read, but it is definitely worth the read. The bonds formed and those which endure are amazing and borne out of shared experiences. These kinds of bonds do not break easily and in the end, the reader will be satisfied with the story. All the smaller story lines in the book come together in the end like a thread woven through fabric forming a tapestry of horrors lived and left behind. This is indeed a well-written tear-jerker of a book based on a true story that must be known to all! I highly recommend this read!