THE GIRL WHO SURVIVED by Ellie Midwood

 

Germany, 1941: “We live together, or we die together.” A novel that will stay with you forever, The Girl Who Survived tells the inspiring true story of Ilse Stein, a German Jew who was imprisoned in a ghetto––and who fell in love with the man she was supposed to loathe.

For eighteen-year-old Ilse life is unrecognizable. A year ago, she wasn’t forced to wear a star on her clothes. A year ago, her parents were alive, not yet killed by their own countrymen. A year ago, she had her freedom.

Now, at the break of dawn, she steps off the cattle train into a Minsk ghetto. This is Ilse’s new home: trapped by barbed wire, surrounded by SS guards she is forbidden to look in the eye, with no choice but to trade the last of her belongings for scraps of food. Sentenced for the crime of simply existing, she doesn’t expect to live past the summer.

Yet the prisoners in the ghetto refuse to give up––the underground resistance is plotting their escape. Ilse’s first act of defiance is smuggling from the munitions factory, slipping bullets into the lining of her pockets.

But this is just the beginning… When Ilse meets Wilhem, a local SS administrative officer, she never dreams that her greatest rebellion will be falling for him. Wilhem promises that she will survive, even if the cost is his life. But in a world of such danger, daring to love is the most dangerous risk of all…

Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and Orphan Train will be completely gripped by this heartbreaking tale. Based on a true story, this powerful novel shows that love is stronger than terror, and that when life takes everything from you, death is not to be feared…

This book was previously published as No Woman’s Land.

MY THOUGHTS: 

A work of fiction based on true events. Ellie Midwood wrote another heartbreaking novel based in a camp during the most horrific time in history. What happened to the Jewish people is so horrible. So demeaning. So unjust. How people can say it never happened. Or that they deserved it. It's beyond my comprehension. More than my brain can handle.

At the end of this book is: A NOTE ON HISTORY. This paragraph says a lot about this book. For anyone who does not understand how a historical fiction book can also be true. It's based on actual events. Based on real life people. On a true couple during the most horrendous time in their lives. 

"Thank you so much for reading The Girl Who Survived. Even though it's a work of fiction, most of it is based on a true story. Ilse Stein and Willy Schultz(the names weren't changed) indeed met in Minsk in 1942 after Schultz's brigade was killed by the SS during the Purim massacre the day before that. Their meeting itself and the following development of their relationship are also true to fact. I tried to stick to reality as much as I could while working on this novel and used any information available concerning Ilse or Willy to paint as accurate of a portrait of both as I could. Ilse's family history, including their move from Nidda to Frankfurt and her further employment at the parachute factory and the eventual deportation, are based on fact, same as Willy's family history and the history of his employment and war service. "

There is a lot more, but that sums up these two and whether they truly existed or not.

This is a very heartbreaking story as are all or most historical fiction that is based on actual events. Dealing with WW2 is a touch subject to read. It brings out so much emotion. At least for me. Where it says the Jewish children were moved to the back of the classroom made me take pause. Where have I heard something so similar? Maybe telling black people to move to the back of the bus? It's not the exact same but so so close it made my skin crawl. How can people have so much hatred in their hearts for someone just because they are different? How do you justify it? I will never understand it and I've tried for quite a few years. Being such a person has to be horrible. They can't possibly be happy with their lives. 

This book is well written and well researched. It's told with such heart and meaning. It will have you holding your breath and crying so many tears. Trying to understand how this happened. Trying to grasp the concept of what makes the human heart turn so dark. So cruel. Can one man really start something so horrible. Or was it more. Was it a group that got behind this one tyrant and then the world had to come take him down. Or them down. Can it happen again? I am very much afraid it could at times. If we don't keep history alive and well. We as a group of human beings have to understand that this will not, must not, can not, ever happen again. Care for each other. No matter the color, religion, sexual preference. No matter where you was born. Just have some empathy. Care for each other.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #EllieMidwood, #Bookouture for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

5/5 stars and a high recommendation.