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I found this book to be very well-researched into the atrocities that occurred in Hitler's death camps, namely Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen; however, I thought the title to be a little misleading. The portions about Dita Kraus, the fourteen-year old "librarian", could have easily fit into a chapter or two since the majority of the story focuses on other Jewish prisoners (including a small portion about Anne and Margot Frank!) and some Nazi officials and/or guards and how they all fared d...
5 StarsMy thoughts are definitely inadequate as to how to convey the horrific atrocities that occurred during this time in history that many would like to forget or ignore.This story needs to be known because it’s one of survival amongst such evil, as well as an amazing feat of triumph despite the astronomical losses. The struggle to hold onto one’s humanity in such despair, to grab onto some semblance of normalcy, and the action of defiance that bred hope to live another day was all portrayed h...
“Death has become an industry that is profitable only if it is done wholesale.” “The Librarian of Auschwitz” by Antonio Iturbe is classified as young adult, historical fiction (based in reality, obviously). However, this novel is so much more than that. Fourteen year old Dita is imprisoned with her family in an Auschwitz concentration camp. When she is asked by a Jewish leader to take on the role of handling the books for the makeshift school, Dita immediately agrees. Books are hard to come b
DNFI love WWII history and learning more about the Holocaust, but I have to say that this book was extremely boring. To me it read more like a history textbook than an amazing story. One thing I do have to say is that the translation from Spanish to English was very good. I might revisit this book again when I am in the mood for a historical fiction, but decently not any time soon.
this is a difficult for me to rate, as i have found to be the case with many WWII/holocaust stories that are based on real life people but written as a work of fiction. for most of the book, this was a solid 3 stars. not phenomenal, but not horrible either. i think that iturbe was a little out of his league choosing this kind of story for his debut. its slow, almost boring, in a lot of places with sterile writing and sporadic POV shifts in the narration. im not sure if this is a translation issu...
I sit back and I close my eyes. I imagine my five daughters, and the life that they live today. They have friends, clothes, make-up, and they adore school just the same as every teenaged Jew girl had done. I get to the part in my mind that imagines our family being ripped apart, and the chaos and confusion that all those people and children surely felt during the war. It is unbearable, and I open my eyes. I cannot bear to even imagine what they all must have went through, none the less having to...
I knew I’d read this eventually.It took a few chapters to get that ‘hooked’ feeling...(part of it might’ve been my mental debate)....I’ve owned the ebook since it was released - but when one has read as many books about the holocaust as I have ( as many of us have)....we begin to tiptoe cautiously — I’m sure it’s been said before… “The book cover is gorgeous!”At some point, I was all in - ‘hooked’ - transported to a children’s school,- “Block 31” within a ‘family camp’, in Auschwitz - written fr...
It is always a revelation when you read a book about someone who at such a young age took on a role that was not only dangerous but also one in which death awaited her if she was caught.Dita Strauss was a mere fourteen years old when she and her parents arrived at Auschwitz. They were assigned to the family camp and as all were assigned to work, Dita went to work in the school. There she meets Freddy Hirsch, the Jewish leader in charge of the children of Auschwitz. He gives her an assignment. Sh...
I won't say a word against the content, because it is worthy. I've read a few books about the Holocaust, both fiction and non fiction. I only vaguely knew about books, but never about the librarian running such a clandestine operation in a death camp like Auschwitz. I'm really glad I read about Dita Kraus (Dita Adler in the book). No matter how many times I read about Nazi atrocities it still doesn't fail to shock me. But, overall, the book didn't work for me because of the way it was written (o...
I was satisfied with this book, as a librarian myself I enjoyed reading about an unknown side story in the Holocaust that focuses in books, while the story happened in a tragic background ( a German concentration camp) , it focuses in how the main character “Dita” was able to hide books from the Germans while in the camp and help kids learn from them as long she could . Since this story has a background in truth we learn a lot about the daily life in a concentration camp and how horrible it was
The afterword was amazing! Have you read it? I need to compose my thoughts now for that review to follow.
5☆ Poignant and Heartbreakingly Authentic.A Must Read!First of all I just want to take a moment to admire the cover, it's absolutely stunning and I think it represents the book perfectly.THE LIBRARIAN OF Auschwitz is a very poignant, raw, and thought provoking read, it's an atmospheric and powerful read.It's based on a true untold story which makes it even more special and Heartbreakingly authentic.I don't want to go into the plot very much as i think this is a book you need to discover for your...
*https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...3.5 starsThe Librarian of Auschwitz is based on the true story of Auschwitz prisoner Dita Kraus. It is a story born of Dita’s experiences and the rich imagination of the author.The story is set in the family camp at Auschwitz. The family camp was a cover the Germans concocted to deceive the world as to what was really happening in Auschwitz. While parents laboured during the day the children were gathered in Block 31. The aim was for them to play games, s...
The Librarian of Auschwitz is a sobering account of one girl's survival at Auschwitz. I've read a number of books detailing the Nazi's most infamous death camp Auschwitz so was expecting the devastating descriptions of the appalling living conditions and inhumane treatment of the prisoners. What I wasn't expecting was the glimpse of hope and humanity the prisoners of building 31 managed to preserve.Who knew that a family unit existed at Birkeneau? For what purpose would such a unit exist??? In a...
Antonio Iturbe did a ton of research, cobbling together the actual experiences of 14-year old Dita Kraus, who survived both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen and other real stories, such as the most well documented escape from Auschwitz. Dita and her parents were first relegated to the Terezin ghetto, before being sent to the concentration camp. Dita is brave and steadfast, and becomes the librarian of a barrack used as a school in case of an inspection. She hides a small handful of diverse books. Rea...