A review by ravensandlace
The Midwife of Auschwitz by Anna Stuart

5.0

Title: The Midwife of Auschwitz

Author: Anna Stuart

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Kindle Unlimited

Series: Women of War (#1)

Star Rating: 5 stars

tw: antisemitism, assault, sexism, birthing scenes, sexual assault, death, infanticide, a very graphic scene of infant murder, kidnapping, rape, holocaust horrors

I have read a lot of Holocaust books over the years as it’s one of my favorite genres to read. I’ve read a lot of the stories from Holocaust survivors. Each book is graphic in some way. It’s unavoidable with a topic like the Holocaust. But this book was probably the most graphic Holocaust book I’ve ever read. I enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong, but wow, it was hard to read at times. I am someone who can handle a lot of things, as one of my favorite movies is Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D, but with this book, there were a couple of times I had to stop reading and digest what was happening. This book is not for the faint of heart. 

I had so many feelings while I read this book. Mostly anger, but I did feel a lot of despair as well. I was so mad at the injustice of everything. Ester and Ana went through so much, and my heart hurt for them. I found out in the back of the book that Ana was based on a real person. There was a midwife in Auschwitz who helped deliver over 1,000 babies. So finding that out made all the emotions I felt even stronger. 

I was rooting for the main characters so damn hard. Every chapter was a month in their lives. I wanted them to keep holding on just a little longer. Just make it though that next month and the month after that. I just wanted them to keep going. I needed them to keep going. I would have been devastated if anything had happened to the main characters. I was so attached to them and their stories. 

Overall, this was a powerful book and one that will stick with you for a very long time. This didn’t sugarcoat how horrible the Holocaust was. The book shows the absolutely depravity that the Nazi’s stooped too. It shows how willing they were to take what they considered subhuman life, no matter the age. I highly recommend this book as I feel it’s very important, especially in today’s world.