Auschwitz, 1945: My baby’s thin cry pierces the cold, frosty night. I rock him gently in my arms, willing him to be quiet. Because if anyone hears my newborn, he could be snatched from me – or worse. We’re so close to freedom now and I pray that soon I will walk out of the iron gates with my precious son…

Inspired by incredible true stories, this emotional novel tells of a mother’s love and courage in a time of unimaginable darkness.

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 the kind and brave women in Barrack 24, Noami 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, she prays the camp will soon be liberated so she can return to her home 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…

An absolutely heart-wrenching and page-turning WW2 novel inspired by true stories of love and bravery. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale.

What readers are saying about Anna Stuart:

‘BLEW me away… I was in absolute AWE reading this… I could picture everything… SPEECHLESS… Brought tears to my eyes.’ thatbookishvixen, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Absolutely heart-wrenching… I raced through this book… Grabbed me from the first paragraph and didn’t let go until the last line of the fabulous ending. Anna Stuart is fast becoming my favourite WW2 author. A cracker of a story.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Shattered my heart… I was in tears… So powerful you feel as if you are there… Incredibly moving… Absolutely brilliant… this gut-wrenching journey will hit your heart… I highly recommend.’ Cindy L. Spear, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book is everything! It deserves every one of its five stars and more!… I can’t recommend this book highly enough, the writing and the storyline are exquisite.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I couldn’t put it down… A heart-wrenching and emotional journey that will leave you in tears… My heart broke multiple times throughout the story… Powerful… Gripping historical fiction novel that will tug at your heartstrings.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Reading this book absolutely broke my heart… A haunting story that will stay with me long after I’ve turned the last page… Heartbreaking historical fiction… Gripping and emotional… A must-read.’ Vegan Book Blogger, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘From start to finish, this book had me captured… Heart-wrenching… An emotional rollercoaster… I think I went through every emotion as I read this story. What a page-turner!’ celticcaston, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Utterly brilliant, emotionally charged… This truly is one of the best books I’ve ever read.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐