Librarian of Auschwitz - A Review

"It wasn't an extensive library. In fact, it consisted of eight books and some of them were in poor condition. But they were books. In this incredibly dark place, they were a reminder of less sombre times, when words rang out more loudly than machine guns..."

Books based on the holocaust have the danger of just getting lost in the sea of holocaust books that already exist. But the Librarian of Auschwitz manages to hold its own amongst some pretty tough competition.

The Librarian of Auschwitz tells the story of Dita, a teenage Jew who is given the job of Librarian in the family block of Auschwitz. The family block centres around a makeshift school for the children which the Nazi's allowed to present a false image of Auschwitz that hides the true horrors. Dita is charged with protecting the small collection of books that the prisoners have managed to hide from the guards. But being caught with a book is dangerous, very dangerous. So fourteen year old Dita dedicates her time to making sure the books are looked after and kept safe.

The book gives the reader a chilling insight into the life of a Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz, from their meagre rations, their horrendous living conditions and their constant fear of death. The characters are expertly written and draw you into the story and gets you rooting for their survival when it seems impossible and Dr Mengele leaps of the pages and sends shovers down the spine of the reader. Never has a book based on a true holocaust story left such a feeling of sorrow and sadness for the pain suffered but so many in an event that feels so long ago. But this book brings it back to the here and now which is important to ensure events like this do not happen again.

Compared to other holocaust books the Librarian of Auschwitz is one of the better books for getting across the true horror and depravity of Auschwitz and shows that even in the worse circumstance a teenage girl was willing to risk her life for a few books which were so important. This is a 5* book.