The Winter Child
Set in Poland during WWII, Irena becomes the unreluctant recipient of the attention of a high-ranking Gestapo member - Richter. Her fate is sealed when she becomes pregnant and attempts to hide her son from him
In 1994 in Argentina, following the death of her husband, Irena, decides the time has come for her to now find Richter and avenge her child

Firstly, thank you @bookouture & @netgalley for the advanced copy. Historical fiction set in this time period is by far my go to genre. Having not read Carly Shabowski’s work prior I was not sure what to expect.

I found the dual timeline a favourite feature of the book, and enjoyed trying to connect the dots between characters and particularly relished the way that was set up.

I did however, struggle to connect with Irena at times, and while I felt compassion for story and understood her need to retribution, I also failed to connect to her as a character or truly get immersed in her plight. I couldn’t emote to her, even her love for her husband seemed to be conveyed in a very abstract unemotional way.

Overall, 1 enjoyed reading this ARC, but it felt it just did not connect with me like other stories in the same time period do.

THE WINTER CHILD by Carly Schabowski is an emotionally intense WWII historical fiction told in dual timelines primarily by the main protagonist who is a young girl in 1940’s occupied Poland and then a grown woman seeking revenge in 1994 Argentina. While this book is difficult to read at times due to the inclusion of scenes of wartime rape and abuse, it is not gratuitous and necessary to the plot.

Poland 1940’s: Irena works in the local hotel in the kitchen to make money to help support her parents, but she is terrified of the Gestapo troops that have taken over the town. When one of the servers drops a plate on the head of the local Gestapo, Irena is forced to replace her. Richter makes her his personal server and more…

Irena has a child, but one winter night her baby is taken, and she vows to stop at nothing to get revenge.

Argentina 1994: Five decades later, after the death of her husband, Irena is searching for the man of her nightmares to finally fulfill her vow.

This is a story that had me on an emotional roller coaster. For the first time, the second portion of the title states “A heartbreaking and unputdownable World War 2 historical novel” was true. Irena is such a strong character that suffers so much loss and trauma during the war and yet it does not destroy her. There are some plot surprises that made this story and ending unique from other WWII historical fiction books I have read.

I highly recommend this WWII historical fiction.

From the very first page, Schabowski immerses readers in the chilling atmosphere of a small Polish town under the shadow of war. Irena's struggle to support her family while navigating the dangers of serving Nazi officers at the local hotel is depicted with haunting realism. The palpable tension of living under constant fear, especially of the menacing Gestapo officer Richter, keeps the reader on edge, eagerly turning pages. Such a beautiful, yet heartbreaking, read perfect for anyone who loves stories about courage and resilience.

THE WINTER CHILD is a phenomenal WWll tale, my first by Carly Schabowski. I was completely captivated by this bittersweet story written in yet a whole NEW perspective regarding WWll. This begins in 1942 Poland during the German occupation, with Irena (in her twenties) being targeted by the highest ranking gestapo official in her town.. she finds herself pregnant, hides, but he finds her and steals her baby. 1994: Present day Argentina, Irena is there to find him, her hate still festering for revenge. It’s also where she makes a miraculous discovery. Schabowski brings Irena’s life full-circle; -her mindset to be courageous through the sufferings of war and loss.. making choices out of necessity.. to right the wrongs.. and her unconditional love that carries onto future generations. Highly recommend. ❥ 4.5 stars — Pub. 5/16/24

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

What an incredibly emotional and compelling story of love and loss, trauma and survival.

The Winter Child is a gripping story - every single character is so wonderfully depicted - particularly Irena - and what she endured is truly heartbreaking. The pace is good and the story flows really well between the dual timelines and narratives. The plot is really fantastic - so well thought out and all the elements put together beautifully. Carly Schabowski has sensitively portrayed the brutality of the Nazis and also educated the reader about events that took place in Zakopane during WW2.

The Winter Child is beautifully written and a real page-turner that encourages the reader to think about the moral aspects of right and wrong.

I am grateful to the publisher, Bookouture, via NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this heartbreaking story

oh my word this was heartbreaking to read and experience.... the author wrote it as though you would experience every little thing that happened.... and yes i cried at times....

its not a easy read but read it you must

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for my gifted advanced readers copy of this book!

After reading The Note by Schabowski and loving it, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read this one. Any lover of WWII historical fiction should definately read both of these books. Written with so much heart and emotion The Winter Child is simply another tragic part of WWII that doesn't get discussed.

Told in dual timelines we meet Irena, who in 1942 Poland is a young girl working to support her family. When a high ranking member of the Gestapo sets his eyes on her, she has no choice but to do as he wishes. Eventually, Irena becomes pregnant and goes into hiding. Unfortunately, she cannot hide from Richter and he soon finds her and takes the baby boy from her.

In present day Agentina, 1994, Irena is set to find Richter and set the scales even. But in doing so she finds friends and family she never thought possible.

Any story that revolves around a strong woman, is a good story. Irena is so much stronger than she gives herself credit for. Both as a young teen and a woman in her 70's. All that she had to endure as the property of another person was heartbreaking and brutal. I couldn't tear myself away until the very end. Highly recommend!

This is my first time reading Carly Schabowski and it was a great experience. The subject matter is sad but the story is well written. Irena lives in fear of Nazis during the war. She tries to protect her friends and family but the circumstances keep getting worse and worse. The timeframe alternates from Irena's past and present life. If you like historical fiction, The Winter Child is worth reading. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book. I was happy to have the chance to read it.

I am going to have to come back to this review as my heart is breaking but swelling at the same time. What an utterly incredible book!

Not my favourite book. Really struggled to get into it and the split storyline didn't help. I am sure that there are some people out there that would really enjoy it but it just wasn't the right book for me.

The Winter Child is about Irene, friends and family but it also is about what happened to her during WW2 and then 50 years later. This book was such an emotional read that had me turning pages till the very end. The author wrote this so beautifully and I loved every character in this book. I enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend this book to any reader who loves historical fiction. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review of The Winter Child.

A mother’s love story for her missing child is heart wrenching, sad, and beautiful all at the same time. The Winter Child by Carly Schabowski is a historical fiction that takes place during the WW2 time period. Carly did a wonderful job writing Irena’s story as first person point of view. I could not put the book down as I wanted to keep reading Irena’s story to find out if she ever finds her son. The Winter Child takes you on a journey from past to present which I enjoy bouncing back and forth in a storyline.


**Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Carly Schabowski for an eARC of The Winter Child.

I love that I somehow keep getting e-arcs of this author as she somehow always seems to bring me back to WWII era in a completely different way. I know some readers feel a little fatigue with HF within the wars but if the author is able to show another perspective or tug another emotional piece then it feels so worth the read. Just because you may have heard or read these fiction books about the Holocaust doesn't mean that they should stop being written. Each generation of reader may connect to another author... in another book.

In any case, this one by Carly is about a Polish woman named Irena during the occupation in Poland. It's dual timelines (1930's and 1994 in Argentina) that deals with the trauma of being one of the "lucky" ones. The novel takes on a revenge story after her husband dies because she's never fully healed from the pain of losing her child or the monster of a Nazi officer.

It's as you expect emotional but in a slower read. My favourite book by this author is The Watchmaker of Dachau. A novel about the concentration camp that I visited countless times when I lived in Germany. But truth is, the other 2 I read were also 4 star reads. I think this one was a bit slower for me, so took me longer to get into it. The emotional pieces were there, just felt harder to get into until the mid way point.

3.75 stars from me. Still a very well done, well developed story, just didn't grasp me in the same way. I do recommend this author's work though because her emotional writing brings a connection to the experience she is trying to bring to life. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy <3

The Winter Child was my first read by author Carly Schabowski, and it won't be my last! This was a beautifully written WWII Historical Fiction novel about a Polish woman named Irena and the awful events that happened to her during the Nazi occupation of Poland and the treatment she received from one particularly sadistic Nazi officer. My heart broke for Irena, but there was hope as well.

I was quickly drawn into the story and continued to stay immersed through to the end. It is set in dual timelines: 1940's Poland and 1994 Argentina. Dual timeline stories can be difficult to follow sometimes, but this one was written in a very easy to follow manner.

Irena eventually recovered enough from her emotional trauma during the war to claim a good life for herself, but when her husband Mateusz dies, she is free to follow through on the thoughts of revenge that she has harbored for 50 years. This takes her, and her best friend Anna, to Argentina. There she meets Peter and Sara who each help in their own way to track down the one person responsible for the most horrific event in her life. And other secrets come to light. There were definitely some unexpected turns in the story, which made it unique and unpredictable.

I loved the character of Irena! She was brave and strong, both as a young woman and in her 70's, even though she didn't believe it. Anna was a fun-loving and loyal friend, who understands the depth of Irena's rage and sorrow. I also enjoyed the other supporting characters in her life; including Henryk, Abel, and Bartok.

This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to exploring this author more!

**Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and the author Carly Schabowski for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

How does a young Polish girl say “no” to the German commander when he threatens not only her but those she loves? Fifty years later she is seeking revenge for the death of their son he took away. The Winter Child, by Carly Schabowski, is a story of man’s inhumanity to man contrasted with love, friendship, and compassion. It is a tender story with some surprises thrown in the mix. I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

Poland 1943, a man drags a child away in the dark forest. Irena finals finds the strength for revenge, but can she do it? Another book that I couldn't put down. Well written!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What an emotional, heart wrenching read. The story follows Irena and her friends and family and what happened to her during WW2 and now 50 years later. Parts of this nearly made me cry, parts had my heart breaking and parts had my heart so full. Beautifully written and I adored the characters and felt I really knew them and felt their pain and suffering. I would love to know more about Anna and what she went through during the war. If you like the Tattooist of Auschwitz and similar then this is definitely a book you will enjoy 🫶🏻

THE WINTER CHILD by CARLY SCHABOWSKI is a heart wrenching WW11 story in which we see the horrors perpetrated by the Nazi regime in Poland, the courage of the Polish citizens, and the strength of a mother’s love.
Irena works at the Hotel Grand Stamary in Zakopane. She saves her best friend Anna from being raped by Hauptsturmfuhrer Christoph Richter and ends up in an unenviable situation herself……
In 1994, after the death of her husband Mateusz, Irena and Anna travel to Argentina to look for the man who terrorized Irena and ruined her life, having heard that he had escaped there with other war criminals. Will she find closure at last?
I could not put this well written, emotioal story down. It is an excellent read in which we see human stamina pushed to its limit as the characters deal with Nazi brutality. In spite of this, there is hope in the end…..
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

“The Winter Child” is a historical fiction book by Carly Schabowski. This book takes place in two timelines - one during WWII in Poland and the other in 1994 in Argentina. It was easy to keep the two storylines separate. My one issue with this book was that there was a lot of set-up but not a lot happens for a long time. It took about 35% of the book to get all the characters together - by then I’d already figured out the main plot of the book. This book moved very slowly for me and I nearly put it down numerous times. While the story is a fine story, I didn’t feel moved by the experiences of the main characters. This book just wasn’t the right one for me, which is sad because I really liked the plot and the cover. I wouldn’t not recommend this book, but it wasn’t the book for me.

A well researched historical fiction novel that will give you many emotional reactions/feelings about WW2.

It took me a while to get drawn into the story, as it alternates between past and present, but once I did I was trapped. I was drawn to Irena's life story and had to see what her plan was.

4.5⭐️

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.