A story of the power of sisterly love alongside the horror of the Nazis and concentration camps.
Rachel and Mindel are Jewish sisters in Germany who end up at Bergen-Belsen where they are separated. Rachel vows to find her sister and this is what keeps her alive as she is sent to ammunition factories and the saltmines. Meanwhile Mindel meets Laszlo who acts as a big brother and later the kindly Mother Brinkmann who looks after orphans and protects them from the SS.
The historical research here is meticulous and the details of the horrors of the camp are heartbreaking. It is hard to imagine how anyone found the strength to carry on in such conditions when all seemed hopeless.
I am a fan of books about women in in War and this doesn't disappoint, but I was also reminded of my grampa who helped liberate Belsen, no wonder he never really spoke of what he saw.
I was fortunate to be gifted a copy of this book by the publishers in return for an honest review.

Rachel and Mindel are separated when they are taken to the concentration camp. The conditions in the camps are disgusting and harrowing. I've read a lot of similar books and I'm always left with that sickening feeling in my stomach. I read them so that what happened to them are never forgotten. The story through the children's eyes was very heart-wrenching. It was hard watching the story unfold. The pain and suffering that was endured in the camps was unbearable. The sisters bond was so strong that despite everything they never gave up hope of finding each other. Well written and had me begging for an happy ending. Such an emotional read, have your tissues ready.

Not Without My Sister is the beautiful, heart-breaking story of two sisters Rachel and Mindel Epstein. They are captured and taken to ‘hell on earth’ better known as Bergen-Belsen the concentration camp. But on arrival they are separated. Rachel is sent to work in a factory whilst four-year-old Mindel is sent to the “star” camp for Jewish prisoners. The sisters never give up hope that they will find each other, even though the odds are against them. This is a book about resilience in the face of adversity, courage, determination and the bond between sisters that can never be broken. 

Although this book is fictional, the appalling living conditions, the unthinkable cruelties at the hands of the guards, are well documented, and Marion Kummerow vivid descriptions are a stark reminder of the atrocities that took place for millions of Jews, but she is respectful and does not over dramatise the horrific events. I thought Mindel’s story told through her eyes contrasted well with Rachel’s, Mindel’s naivety protects her, and although she bores hardship, she is unaware of some of the horrendous acts carried out in these deaths camps. Whereas Rachel’s see the horror camp for what is, a place where they face systematic cruelty, neglect and starvation on a daily basis.

As the reader you invest in the characters, you feel their every emotion, despair, pain, hunger and fear. You pray for a happy ending, but you know there is a possibility that might not be the case as the sisters face hunger, disease, and certain death. But even in the darkest times, when it would be easier to give up, the sisters carry hope in their hearts, hope that they will see each other again, and hope that there is a better world waiting for them if they can survive the war. Not Without My Sister Is a poignant story that will tug at even the most hardened heart strings, with beautifully drawn characters, and filled with raw emotion, it’s a book that will stay with you long after you’ve reached the last page.

An emotional book to read. I was not disappointed in the story because I know a lot about the attrocities of the Germans towards the Jews. Thankfully there was a happy ending for the sisters. The whole story was written sympathetically and l will read more by this author.

This book is an emotional read of two sisters Rachel and Mindel who live with their parents and brothers on a farm in Bavaria but when the Nazi's take control the children are forced to hide but Rachel and Mindel get caught and are sent to Bergen-Belson.When they arrive the girls are seperated for the first time but each girl is determined to find the other and survive.5*

Rachel and Mindel are two sisters living in Bavaria during the Second World War. They already know hardship as their farm is now owned by an elderly neighbour when it was decreed that Jews were not allowed to own property, but their parents are doing everything they can to keep them on the land they know. When the neighbour dies unexpectedly Rachel and Mindel find their world ripped apart and they are separated from their parents and their brothers. Moved from camp to camp they eventually end up at Bergen Belsen where they become separated from each other as well. At 15 Rachel is sent to the part of the camp where she is put to work and Mindel is put in the star camp where she knows no one. Rachel and Mindel are both determined to find the other, convinced that they are still alive, but this is not easy in a place where no one can truly be trusted as everyone is doing what ever it takes to survive.
This is a story that will both break your heart and also have you hoping that the two sisters will both survive the torture that they are forced to endure and eventually be reunited. You can feel Rachel’s despair as each day is worse than the one before as she becomes almost like a zombie completing each task without any real sense of what she is doing, often wondering if she should just give up like so many others had before her. It is only her refusal to abandon her quest to find her sister that keeps her going. Mindel does not truly understand what is happening to her and it is that naivety due to her age that somehow makes the whole experience a little easier for her. Forging a friendship with Laszlo, they become inseparable and it is to him that she turns whenever she is struggling. He becomes a surrogate for the family she has lost. He tries to act tough, but you know just like everyone else he wants the suffering to end and to be free.
I have read quite a few books now based on experiences within in the concentration camps, but this is the first complete work of fiction. That being said I think that Marion Kummerow has really captured the harsh surroundings and treatment that the inmates of places like Bergen Belsen had to suffer. The addition of real people that you can identify with adds that extra layer to this book and shows just how much of a miracle it is that anyone survived to tell the world what really happened in these horrific places. It seems out of place to say that I enjoyed a book with such an emotive subject but this is definitely one that I would recommend to others.

Rachel and Mindel live on a farm in Bavaria with their parents and brothers. Their life is hard but pleasant, with enough food and a loving, happy family. All of this changes when the nazi’s take over the farm. The children are forced into hiding and soon, Rachel and Mindel are captured and sent to a concentration camp. On arrival at Bergen-Belsen the girls are separated and the book tells of how they survive, never giving up hope that they would be reunited.

This is a harrowing historical fiction as the accuracy of the atrocities the girls endured are known to be true. It is a difficult read, but the author is respectful and does not over dramatise the horrific events described. I particularly liked the character of Linda and felt she was well written and very much needed!

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

I have to say I really wanted to enjoy this book, as I thought the description sounded very intriguing. However, I found the storyline very disjointed and hard to believe. I would find it difficult to recommend it to a fellow reader.

This is book is so damn interesting.The characters are beautifully written who can etch a place in your heart forever.The writing style is amazing.It does not even bore you for second.Go grab it and enjoy the book

A very thought provoking story that has been beautifully written. A story written showing camp life from two different perspectives put me in mind of " The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas " . Having visited Autschwitz myself I was able to visualize the camps and the girls daily life . Devoured the story in two days .

NOT WITHOUT MY SISTER by MARION KUMMEROW is the beautifully told and heart wrenching story of Rachel and Mindel Epstein who are thrown into Bergen-Belsen in 1944, and separated from one another. Rachel is seventeen and is desperate to find her four year old sister. It is a story about love, desperation and courage told from the standpoint of each of the sisters, and unbelievable cruelty.
The book is well researched and the horrors meted out by the Nazis on people, the Jews in particular, are inhumane and altogether evil. It is important that we remember this awful time in history.
I highly recommend Not Without My Sister as an inspirational and really good read - one that you will not be able to put down and that will stay with you for a long time.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

A book of fiction but based on some memories of camp survivors and lots of research. It's a very emotional book and it’s easy to understand the author with children of her own that age to been able to portray the four year old Mindel with such an accuracy of a child that age. The puzzlement of why the adults where acting the way they did. The separation of Mindel and her older sister left her very vulnerable. Been pushed away by the adults she seeks the company of other children not much older than herself. Generally we see the camps from an adult perspective but to realize that small children endured that kind of situation is beyond comprehension. The book is well written and definitely deserves a solid five star.

Not Without My Sister by Marion Kummerow

Rachel and Mindel are from Bavaria, Germany.  They and their parents and two brothers enjoy a quiet, hardworking life on their small farm.  They are Jewish, but non practicing, which does not matter to the Nazis

The Nazis arrive to take away their parents, a woman from the village warns the children away, so they are not immediately taken.  They survive in the woods, finding small morsels of edibles to fend off starvation.

Eventually, Rachel who is the eldest child and Mindel who is the youngest child, the girls are snatched by roaming SS officers.  They are sent to work camps.  The boys had been sent off, by Rachel, to a convent, where they can live secretly and hopefully survive this awfulness that has become their world.
Rachel and Mindel are slowly being starved to death.  They witness hundreds of atrocities daily.  Rachel does her best to shield Mindel, so she does not worry.  They are bounced around from camp to camp, but when they arrive at the Bergen-Belsen camp, they are separated, never to know if they will ever find their way back to each other.
Rachel talks to another woman who helps her learn the workings of the camp.  The women's camp is forced labor for the SS.  There is also a small men's camp, a small infirmary, and a camp for exchanging prisoners of war.  Rachel has no idea which camp Mindel is in.
Rachel gets sent to a munitions factory, while the work is not hard, it is hard on her body, the chemicals turn her hair and skin a different color and give her lung problems.  After an accident, she is sent back to Bergen-Belsen to recover from her injuries.  Rachel finds out that Mindel is in the prisoner exchange camp, there are a lot of orphans located there.  Rachel is allowed three days to heal and is sent right back out to a salt mine.  Conditions are deplorable, so bad, that Rachel gives up.  There is no point in going on.
Mindel is bewildered, she is four years old and has no one who loves her to take care of her.  Rachel even has her bowl.  Mindel finds out that if you have no bowl, you get no soup.  Other women give her short orders to tell her where to bunk and what to do during the day.  She has to sleep in a bed with two other women, she likes this, since she has no blanket and one of the women shares with the other two bunk mates.  She has to meet up in the yard and stand sometimes for hours, to be counted, the SS guards must be so stupid, that they can't count a few people who can't go anywhere.  She eats her two measly meals a day.  The soup is a gastly grey color and tastes terrible.  Then all day long, Mindel stays on her bunk, there is nothing for her to do.  The adults and older teenagers all have to do jobs, but Mindel is all alone.  One day a group of small children run into her barracks.  They see her and run out.  She takes off after them.  She makes friends with them, especially liking seven year old Laszlo.  He is an orphan, also.  He has been on his own for a while and knows what to do and how to stay safe.  Never draw any attention to yourself.  If a guard doesn't like the way you look or even smell, they will start beating you, sometimes not even stopping after you die.  Mindel is terrified of this.  Laszlo takes Mindel under his wing and even brings a blanket and cup for her and sleeps with her at night, to keep her warm and comforted.
You would think the title Not Without My Sister would refer to Rachel worried about Mindel, but it's actually Mindel's words, she does not wish to leave Bergen-Belsen, for fear that she will lose Rachel forever.
This book shows that all of the inmates of the concentration camps had impossible odds, the lucky ones surviving until the liberation by the Americans and their allies.  They were treated horribly by sadistic guards, both male and female.
I am thankful that there were some survivors to tell the story of the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis.  

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the complimentary copy, I was under no obligation to post a review.

Not Without My Sister is the story about the Epstein family. They are a Jewish family who live on a farm in rural Germany. While the children are picking berries the parents are taken away by the Nazis. The children try to get to a convent for help but on the way four year old Mindel and her 17 year old sister Rachel are captured and sent to a concentration camp. The sisters get separated but never give up the hope of finding each other again. The description of the hardships suffered by the sisters and people sent to these camps are heartbreaking. This is a very emotional read. Thanks to NetGalley, publisher Bookouture, and author Marion Kummerow for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As long as we are together, we'll be fine.

A heartbreaking story of the courage of two sisters living in horrible circumstances in the worst of times.

In the flick of an eye Mindel and her sister Rachel went from eating Apple cake for Mindel's fourth birthday to being transported to Nazi concentration camps until they ended up in Bergen-Belsen. When they arrived the girls were separated from each other and Mindel found herself alone with her rag doll Paula. She met a boy named Laszlo who was Seven years old. Laszlo and Mindel took care of each other until they went to stay in the orphan's hut.

Rachel found herself separated from Mindel and every time she got close to finding her in the other part of the camp she would be set to a work camp. She kept trying to find Mindel the whole time she was at the camp. She felt guilty that she didn't try hard enough to keep a hold of Mindel.

The book is a touching story about the two girls and their time spent in the camp. I like the way Mindel's story is told through the eyes of a child.

The things they saw and were subjected to should never have happened. This was the cruelest time in history led by the cruelest group of people in history. The Nazi's were cruel but so were the townspeople that did not stand up to them and treated the Jewish people as badly as the Nazi's.

This was a good book to read of the courage of two girls and their love for each other. I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Marion Kummerow, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy for an honest review.

Kummerow writes realistic historical fiction. Two sisters, one 17 and the other 4 are separated at Bergen Belsen. The author provides a voice for each sister. She did an excellent job viewing the entire horrific experience through the eyes of a child. To me, that was the most challenging part of the story. She also captures the gamut of emotions felt by the characters: hunger, despair, pain, and hope. That anyone survived the camps and went on to repair their lives continues to fascinate me. I liked how the author based some of the people in the novel upon real individuals. That lends authenticity even in historical fiction.

First book I have read by this author . Based in the year 1944, Germany two sisters Rachel and Mindel hiding from the Nazis but eventually captured by the Gestapo and sent to the concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. Not long after arrival they are separated which only adds to their horrendous life as prisoners. It made me weep at times the awful and relentless treatment by the Nazis, the cruelty. The hardship and suffering, hunger, being beaten having to work 12 hours and walk an hour each way for Rachel. So exhausted and yet her determination and strength despite being exhausted mentally and physically to try and find Mindel who was only four upon arrival. Mindel has always kept her doll Paula and gains great comfort through a special friendship with a 7 year old boy and suffers heartache through the relationship. The journey off the two sisters holding on for dear life so they could be reunited against all odds. It was very compelling and tough to read at times but made me appreciate how courageous the Jews were despite all the hardships and really understand how tough those times were. Would definitely recommend but be prepared for the a roller coaster of emotions.

At first I wasn't sure who this book was aimed at. The info suggests people who liked The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas would enjoy this also so I was a little confused as to whether or not this was children's fiction or adults. I think in the end it doesn't matter as the story picks up and carries the reader along with it.
The narrative begins by setting the scene of Rachel (a teenager) and Mindel (just turned 4)'s family, Jews who have been hidden away in rural Bavaria until 1943, having sold their farm to a sympathiser in exchange for being able to live on it. Other than the two girls, though, the rest of the family seem quite two dimensional which I felt could have been improved upon and which might have added a more poignant emotional component to the story. Their part in the story does turn out to be quite minimal.

However, after the initial section of the setting of the family was over, I found the story quite compelling, moving and finished it very quickly. I enjoyed the dual narrative aspect of both sides of the sisters' stories and the author includes all the unimaginable detail of the concentration camps through a child's eyes. With all the world war 2 narratives out there this managed to bring something fresh and thought provoking to the table. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, WW2 stories and family bonds.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was inspired by the author taking a trip to Bergen Belson Concentration Camp in Germany where she viewed a temporary exhibition about children in concentration camps. One picture in particular caught her eye – a picture of a very young girl with a stuffed animal in her arms. You can see that picture here: https://kummerow.info/bergen-belsen-concentration-camp

After seeing this photograph , Kummerow was inspired to create the character of four year old Mindel and her 17 year old sister Rachel. Throughout the book, the reader experiences their stories which are told in alternating fashion. The sisters are part of a larger family that live on a farm in in a rural part of Germany. They are the last Jews in the area and their parents, having transferred ownership of the farm to a local Aryan friend are hopeful that they might be able to live out the war unnoticed by the Nazi’s, sadly this was not to be. With the death of their friend, suddenly their life was to change drastically. Rachel, Mindel and their brothers were trying to escape to a local convent that might hide them but when Mindel fell and Rachel stopped to pick her up, they were captured by German soldiers. They hoped their brothers had escaped, but had no way of knowing with any certainty. Life became a series of endless camps with little food and little to do beyond surviving. Mindel has a beloved doll called Paula that Rachel had made for her fourth birthday. It is a great source of comfort to her.

Eventually, the girls are placed in a cattle car that is headed to Bergen Belson Concentration Camp. Upon arrival, in the crush of so many people the sisters are separated, Rachel to the Women’s Camp and Mindel to the Star Camp which was primarily filled with Jews from the Netherlands. At the age of four, one could not expect a child to survive for very long, but Mindel was lucky enough to encounter a group of children and one – a seven year old boy, became her protector.
The author clearly put a lot of time into her research on this story and I certainly felt that I learned a lot while reading. Kummerow introduced certain characters who did exist in real life – including a guard, a “mother” who took orphans under her wings and a few female prisoners whose names will likely be known to readers. I felt a little conflicted about the introduction of two sisters that I had done a lot of reading about. I think I would have preferred just random characters in their place.

On the whole, this book is more character driven than plot driven though the goal throughout, and the hope that Rachel and Mindel cling to, is that they will eventually be reunited. Both characters are young and especially in the case of Mindel we see war from a child’s eye view and hear the questions that a child in such circumstances might ask. Of course, war can age one quickly, and Rachel’s experiences putting explosives into bullets and later working in a salt mine were certainly harmful to her health both physically and mentally. Time must have moved very slowly for them.

This is a story that I think would be of great interest to high school readers as well as adults. There are certainly some descriptions of quite horrendous actions on the part of the SS guards at the camp but compared to some other books that I have read this one gave an overall feeling of the desperation they faced without dwelling on the daily tragedies that occurred.

There are still camps in the world to this day where children have very little voice and hope is hard to come by. They hopefully are not as bad as those that Rachel and Mindel spent time in, but they are still places where life offers few opportunities to thrive. Reading books like this is a reminder that we need to speak out for those who have little power to speak for themselves.

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #Bookouture and #MarionKummerow for allowing me to read an advance readers copy. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I was up late last night reading Not Without My Sister. It's an incredible story, hard to read in places due to the cruelty of those in charge and those who tried to be in charge of the camps. But there are moments of sheer goodness and hope that shine through. I couldnt stop reading until I finished the story sometime around 5am. I think it would a great movie.

Even at the worst of times, there are those whose kindess shings through and several characters come to mind in this book - the lady who looks after the orphans made me cry.