Review: The Violinist of Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood

One of my favorite authors, Ellie Midwood, just released her newest book, The Violinist of Auschwitz. This book ripped me apart from the beginning to the end though the ending was bittersweet. I wont give away any spoilers but it wasn't what I was expecting. Within this story, you learn about some of the key players who controlled the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. There are even scenes with Dr. Mengele, known to Auschwitz inmates as the "Angel of Death". Other interesting facts I hadn't known about Auschwitz in general was that they had both a male and female orchestra and there was also a resistance group within the concentration camp. There are so many amazing things I learned about Auschwitz reading this particular book. Check out my review below and then get a copy for yourself. I do warn you this novel is not for the faint of heart and you WILL need a box of tissues, especially for the end. I absolutely can't wait for her next story, The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz.

"In Auschwitz, every day is a fight for survival. Alma is inmate 50381, the number tattooed on her skin in pale blue ink. She is cooped up with thousands of others, torn from loved ones, trapped in a maze of barbed wire. Every day people disappear, never to be seen again.

This tragic reality couldn’t be further from Alma’s previous life. An esteemed violinist, her performances left her audiences spellbound. But when the Nazis descend on Europe, none of that can save her…

When the head of the women’s camp appoints Alma as the conductor of the orchestra, performing for prisoners trudging to work as well as the highest-ranking Nazis, Alma refuses: “they can kill me but they won’t make me play”. Yet she soon realizes the power this position offers: she can provide starving girls with extra rations and save many from the clutches of death.

This is how Alma meets Miklos, a talented pianist. Surrounded by despair, they find happiness in joint rehearsals, secret notes, and concerts they give side by side––all the while praying that this will one day end. But in Auschwitz, the very air is tainted with loss, and tragedy is the only certainty… In such a hopeless place, can their love survive?"

This novel is about the true story about Alma Rose, a violinist from Vienna who had the misfortune of entering Auschwitz. While there, she created a magnificent orchestra who played for the SS administration of the labor and death camp. Alma Rose brought a respite from the horrors of Auschwitz to her girls giving them things they never thought they could have among the horrors of this place.

Ms. Midwood puts you in the center of Auschwitz and enrapts you in the story. This story will make you smile, laugh, cry and shout for joy. I also learned there was a resistance group even within the walls of this particular concentration camp. This author writes with her heart and soul and it shines through her writing. Thank you for an amazing story and I cant wait for the next one.

If you'd like to learn more about Ellie Midwood, you can visit her website and she can be found on Facebook and also has a fan group.